Method and Apparatus for Determining Quality of Radio Maps

• US 20180188348A1
• Filed: 03/01/2018
• Published: 07/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Granted Patent: US 10,267,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02523 Details of interaction of receiver with radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02527 Detecting or resolving anomalies in the radio frequency fingerprints of the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a processor configured to determine a first result of estimating a position based at least in part on a first partial radio map, the processor further configured to perform a first comparison of the first result to a reference position, and a memory configured to store a second result based upon the comparison.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to determine a first result of estimating a position based at least in part on a first partial radio map;

the processor further configured to perform a first comparison of the first result to a reference position; and

a memory configured to store a second result based upon the first comparison,

the processor further configured to determine a third result of estimating the position based at least in part on a second partial radio map;

the processor further configured to perform a second comparison of the third result to the reference position; and

the processor further configured to determine a quality of the first partial radio map relative to a quality of the second partial radio map based at least in part on the first comparison and the second comparison.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the first result is a valid estimate of the position, the second result is at least one of a difference between the first result and the reference position and an indication of whether the reference position is comprised within an uncertainty area of the first result or not.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to cause transmission of a partial radio map to a user terminal based at least in part on at least one of the first result and the second result.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second result is an indication of whether a valid estimate was obtained or not.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first comparison comprises determining a first difference between the first result and the reference position;

and wherein the second comparison comprises determining a second difference between the third result and the reference position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quality of the first radio map is determined to be better relative to the quality of the second radio map if the first result is a valid estimate of the position and the third result is not a valid estimate of the position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quality of the first radio map is determined to be better relative to the quality of the second radio map if a distance between the position estimated based upon the first partial radio map and the reference position is less than a distance between the position estimated based upon the second partial radio map and the reference position.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause transmission of a partial radio map to a user terminal based at least in part on the quality of the first partial radio map relative to the quality of the second partial radio map.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference position is an estimate of the position based at least in part on at least one of a full radio map and a navigation satellite based system.

10. A method, comprising:

determining a first result of estimating a position based at least in part on a first partial radio map;

performing a first comparison of the first result to a reference position;

determining a third result of estimating the position based at least in part on a second partial radio map;

performing a second comparison of the third result to the reference position; and

determining a quality of the first partial radio map relative to a quality of the second partial radio map based at least in part on the first comparison and the second comparison.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if the first result is a valid estimate of the position, the second result is at least one of a difference between the first result and the reference position and an indication of whether the reference position is comprised within an uncertainty area of the first result or not.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second result is an indication of whether a valid estimate was obtained or not.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing transmission of a partial radio map to a user terminal based at least in part on the second result.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first comparison comprises determining a first difference between the first result and the reference position;

and wherein the second comparison comprises determining a second difference between the third result and the reference position.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the quality of the first radio map is determined to be better relative to the quality of the second radio map if the first result is a valid estimate of the position and the third result is not a valid estimate of the position.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the quality of the first radio map is determined to be better relative to the quality of the second radio map if a distance between the position estimated based upon the first partial radio map and the reference position is less than a distance between the position estimated based upon the second partial radio map and the reference position.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to cause transmission of a partial radio map to a user terminal based at least in part on the quality of the first partial radio map relative to the quality of the second partial radio map.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the reference position is an estimate of the position based at least in part on at least one of a full radio map and a navigation satellite based system.

19. A method, comprising:

determining a first result of estimating a position based at least in part on a first partial radio map;

determining a second result of estimating the position based at least in part on a second partial radio map; and

determining a quality of the first partial radio map relative to a quality of the second partial radio map based at least in part on the first result and the second result, wherein the first partial radio map is generated to correspond to a geographical area and the second partial radio map is generated corresponding to the same geographical area, but after an interval of time.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

if the first result is a valid estimate of the position and the second result is an invalid estimate of the position, determining that the first partial radio map is of a better quality compared to the second partial radio map.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first partial radio map and the second partial radio map are based upon data belonging to different time periods.