Techniques for wireless position determination utilizing a collaborative database
First Claim
1. A method of wireless position determination comprising:
- downloading, to a local database maintained at a wireless computing device from a central database maintained by a central facility, identification information and positional information about wireless beacons, the local database usable by a wireless positioning system of the wireless computing device to estimate a position of the wireless computing device;
receiving, by a receiver unit of the wireless computing device, signals from one or more wireless beacons in reception range of the wireless computing device, the signals including identification information for the one or more wireless beacons;
determining, based on the identification information for the one or more wireless beacons, at least one of the one or more wireless beacons is a new wireless beacon not included in the local database;
estimating, by the wireless positioning system, positional information of the at least one wireless beacon based on the position of the wireless computing device;
adding identification information and positional information for the at least one wireless beacon to the local database maintained on the wireless computing device; and
uploading a contribution to the central database that includes the identification information and positional information for the at least one wireless beacon, to further build the central database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a technique is provided for wireless position determination wherein identification information and positional information about wireless beacons is downloaded to a local database of a wireless computing device from a central database. The local database is usable by a wireless positioning system of the wireless computing device to estimate a position of the wireless computing device. A receiver unit of the wireless computing device may receive signals from wireless beacons that include a least one new wireless beacon not included in the local database. The wireless positioning system estimates positional information of the at least one new wireless beacon based on the position of the wireless computing device. Identification information and positional information for the at least one new wireless beacon is added to the local database. Thereafter, a contribution may be uploaded to the central database for the at least one wireless beacon, to further build the central database.
123 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of wireless position determination comprising:
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downloading, to a local database maintained at a wireless computing device from a central database maintained by a central facility, identification information and positional information about wireless beacons, the local database usable by a wireless positioning system of the wireless computing device to estimate a position of the wireless computing device; receiving, by a receiver unit of the wireless computing device, signals from one or more wireless beacons in reception range of the wireless computing device, the signals including identification information for the one or more wireless beacons; determining, based on the identification information for the one or more wireless beacons, at least one of the one or more wireless beacons is a new wireless beacon not included in the local database; estimating, by the wireless positioning system, positional information of the at least one wireless beacon based on the position of the wireless computing device; adding identification information and positional information for the at least one wireless beacon to the local database maintained on the wireless computing device; and uploading a contribution to the central database that includes the identification information and positional information for the at least one wireless beacon, to further build the central database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A wireless computing device comprising:
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a receiver unit configured to receive signals from wireless beacons in reception range of the wireless computing device, the signals including identification information for the wireless beacons; a global positioning system (GPS) device configured to receive GPS signals from satellites; a processor configured to execute software; and software of a wireless positioning system that when executed on the processor is configured to; download to a local database identification information and positional information about wireless beacons, estimate a position of the wireless computing device based on at least one of positional information from the local database for one or more first wireless beacons of the wireless beacons from which signals were received by the receiver unit, or the GPS signals received from the GPS device, determine one or more second wireless beacons of the wireless beacons from which signals were received by the receiver unit are each a new wireless beacon not included in the local database, estimate positional information of the one or more second wireless beacons based on the position of the wireless computing device, add identification information and positional information for the one or more second wireless beacons to the local database; and upload a contribution to a central database maintained by a central facility that includes the identification information and positional information for the one or more second wireless beacons to further build the central database. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computing device readable medium having software stored thereon, the software when executed operable to:
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provide, from a central database maintained by a central facility, identification information and positional information about wireless beacons to a wireless computing device, the identification information and positional information usable by a wireless positioning system of the wireless computing device to estimate a position of the wireless computing device; receive a contribution from the wireless computing device of identification information and positional information for at least one new wireless beacon not included in the central database, the positional information of the at least one new wireless beacon estimated based on the position of the wireless computing device; and update the central database to include the identification information and positional information for the at least one new wireless beacon, such that the central database both provides identification information and positional information to, and receives contributions of identification information and positional information from, the same wireless computing device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of wireless position determination comprising:
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providing, from a central database maintained by a central facility, identification information and positional information about wireless beacons to a wireless computing device, the identification information and positional information usable by a wireless positioning system of the wireless computing device to estimate a position of the wireless computing device; receive a contribution from the wireless computing device of identification information and positional information for at least one wireless beacon, the positional information of the at least one wireless beacon estimated based on the position of the wireless computing device; and update the central database based on the identification information and positional information for the at least one wireless beacon, such that the central database both provides identification information and positional information to, and receives contributions of identification information and positional information from, the same wireless computing device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification