METHOD AND SYSTEM OF UTILIZING A CONTEXT VECTOR AND METHOD AND SYSTEM OF UTILIZING A CONTEXT VECTOR AND DATABASE FOR LOCATION APPLICATIONS

• US 20070239813A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pinder, Ellis, Swope, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/270
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/014 Identifying transitions between environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/015 between indoor and outdoor environments
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A system (100) and method (300) of using a context vector and database (202) for location applications can include a transceiver (104), a plurality of environmental sensors (114, 116, 118, 120, 121) including at least two location technology devices (110, 112), and a processor (102) coupled to the transceiver and the plurality of environmental sensors. The processor can be programmed to sense (302) an environmental condition for a given location, define (310) a context vector for the given location, detect (312) a context transition corresponding to a change in the environmental condition, and modify (314) an operation of the at least two location technology devices based on the context transition detected. The processor can be further programmed to form (320) a new context vector based on the context transition and attempt to match the new context vector with a pre-stored context vector.

Claims

1. A method of using context vectors in location applications, comprising:

sensing an environmental condition for a given location;

defining a context vector for the given location, wherein the context vector includes a value for the environmental condition sensed;

detecting a context transition corresponding to a change in the environmental condition; and

modifying an operation of location applications in a communication device based on the context transition detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of forming a new context vector based on the context transition and attempting to match the new context vector with a pre-stored context vector.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the step of creating a new context vector and storing the new context vector if the new context vector fails to match a pre-stored context vector.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of aggregating information from sensors used to sense the environmental condition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the operation of location applications comprises activating, suspending, favoring, disfavoring or initiating a particular location technology among a plurality of location technologies used in a communication device based on the context transition detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the environmental condition comprises detecting a light frequency, a light intensity, a light type, a humidity level, a temperature level, a pressure level, a scent, a carbon dioxide level, an oxygen level, a nitrogen level, a sound pressure level, a tone level, a sound frequency, an altitude, a longitude, or a latitude.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the environmental condition comprises detecting a particular light frequency or frequency range of interest among 50 Hertz, 60 Hertz, 400 Hertz, 440 Hertz or the frequency of natural light.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the operation of location applications comprises suspending or disfavoring a GPS location technology used in a communication device based on a context transition detected indicative of being indoors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the environmental condition comprises detecting a temperature level or a pressure level and a time, a calendar date, and a location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises modifying a confidence level in a given location reading based on the context transition detected.

11. A communication system using context vectors in location applications, comprising:

a transceiver;

a plurality of environmental sensors including at least two location technology devices; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver and the plurality of environmental sensors, wherein the processor is programmed to;

sense an environmental condition for a given location;

define a context vector for the given location, wherein the context vector includes a value for the environmental condition sensed;

detect a context transition corresponding to a change in the environmental condition; and

modify an operation of the at least two location technology devices based on the context transition detected.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to form a new context vector based on the context transition and attempt to match the new context vector with a pre-stored context vector and further create a new context vector and store the new context vector if the new context vector fails to match a pre-stored context vector.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a pressure sensor, a gas sensor, or a portable inertial navigation system, and the processor is further programmed to aggregate information from the plurality of sensors used to sense the environmental condition.

14. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to modify the operation of the at least two location technology devices by activating, suspending, favoring, disfavoring or initiating a particular location technology device among the at least two location technology devices used in a communication device based on the context transition detected.

15. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to detect the environmental condition by detecting a light frequency, a light intensity, a light type, a humidity level, a temperature level, a pressure level, a scent, a carbon dioxide level, an oxygen level, a nitrogen level, a hazardous gas detector, a sound pressure level, a tone level, a sound frequency, an altitude, a longitude, or a latitude.

16. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to detect the environmental condition by detecting a particular light frequency or frequency range of interest among 50 Hertz, 60 Hertz, 400 Hertz, 440 Hertz, or the frequency of natural light.

17. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the at least two location technology devices comprises at least a GPS device and the processor is further programmed to modify the operation of the GPS device by suspending or disfavoring the GPS device used in a communication device in favor of another location technology device based on a context transition detected or a context vector detected indicative of being indoors.

18. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to detect the environmental condition by detecting a temperature level or a pressure level and a time, a calendar date, and a location.

19. A method for using context vectors in location applications, comprising the steps of:

sensing an environmental condition for a given location;

defining a first context vector for the given location, wherein the first context vector includes a value for the environmental condition;

comparing the first context vector to a second context vector associated with the given location; and

establishing a location of a communication device based on the comparison of the first context vector and the second context vector.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of storing the first context vector as the second context vector when the first context vector fails to match the second context vector.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of uploading the stored second context vector to a database to enable other communication devices on a network to access the uploaded context vector.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the value for the first context vector is based on an aggregate of one or more sensors, each associated with the environmental condition.