PHYSICALLY-CONSTRAINED RADIOMAPS

• US 20130195314A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wirola, Lauri, Syrjarinne, Jari
• Granted Patent: US 10,049,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02522 The radio-map containing measured values of non-radio values
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system for providing positioning functionality in an apparatus. Apparatuses may comprise various sensor resources and may utilize these resources to sense information at a location. For example, an apparatus may sense visual, signal and/or field information at a location. The apparatus may then compare the sensed information to a mapping database in order to determine position.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sensing visual information with visual sensing resources in an apparatus;

extracting one or more visual elements from the visual information;

sensing at least one of signal or field information with at least one of signal or field sensing resources in the apparatus;

determining general location information for the apparatus by comparing the at least one of signal or field information to information stored in a mapping database; and

determining a specific position for the apparatus by comparing the one or more visual elements to the general location information stored in the mapping database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual sensing resources comprise at least a camera, the visual information comprising at least one of video or still image information captured by the camera at a location proximate to the apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal information is wireless communication signal information and the field information is magnetic field information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication signal information comprises an identification of the source of the wireless communication signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the general location comprises comparing at least one of the identification or the magnetic field information to identification or magnetic field information stored in the mapping database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the specific position comprises comparing the one or more extracted visual elements to visual elements corresponding to the general location stored in the mapping database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping database is in the apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the mapping database is outside of the apparatus and interacts with the apparatus via wireless communication.

9. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable storage medium, the compute executable program code comprising:

code configured to cause an apparatus to sense visual information with visual sensing resources in the apparatus;

code configured to cause the apparatus to extract one or more visual elements from the visual information;

code configured to cause the apparatus to sense at least one of signal or field information with at least one of signal or field sensing resources in the apparatus;

code configured to cause the apparatus to determine general location information for the apparatus by comparing the at least one of signal or field information to information stored in a mapping database; and

code configured to cause the apparatus to determine a specific position for the apparatus by comparing the one or more visual elements to the general location information stored in the mapping database.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the visual sensing resources comprise at least a camera, the visual information comprising at least one of video or still image information captured by the camera at a location proximate to the apparatus.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the signal information is wireless communication signal information and the field information is magnetic field information.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication signal information comprises an identification of the source of the wireless communication signal.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the code configured to cause the apparatus to determine the general location further comprises code configured to cause the apparatus to compare at least one of the identification or the magnetic field information to identification or magnetic field information stored in the mapping database.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the code configured to cause the apparatus to determine the specific position further comprises code configured to cause the apparatus to compare the one or more extracted visual elements to visual elements corresponding to the general location stored in the mapping database.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the mapping database is in the apparatus.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein at least some of the mapping database is outside of the apparatus and interacts with the apparatus via wireless communication.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including executable instructions, the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

sense visual information with visual sensing resources in the apparatus;

extract one or more visual elements from the visual information;

sense at least one of signal or field information with at least one of signal or field sensing resources in the apparatus;

determine general location information for the apparatus by comparing the at least one of signal or field information to information stored in a mapping database; and

determine a specific position for the apparatus by comparing the one or more visual elements to the general location information stored in the mapping database.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the visual sensing resources comprise at least a camera, the visual information comprising at least one of video or still image information captured by the camera at a location proximate to the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the signal information is wireless communication signal information and the field information is magnetic field information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication signal information comprises an identification of the source of the wireless communication signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine the general location further comprises the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to compare at least one of the identification or the magnetic field information to identification or magnetic field information stored in the mapping database.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine the specific position further comprises the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to compare the one or more extracted visual elements to visual elements corresponding to the general location stored in the mapping database.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mapping database is in the apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least some of the mapping database is outside of the apparatus and interacts with the apparatus via wireless communication.

25. A system, comprising:

at least one apparatus comprising visual information sensing resources and at least one of signal sensing resources or field sensing resources; and

a mapping database;

the at least one apparatus sensing visual information and extracting one or more visual elements from the visual information;

the at least one apparatus further sensing at least one of signal or field information and determining general location information for the at least one apparatus by comparing the at least one of signal or field information to information stored in the mapping database; and

the at least one apparatus further determining a specific position for the at least one apparatus by comparing the one or more visual elements to the general location information stored in the mapping database.