Signal comparison-based location determining method

• US 7,706,811 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadphone, LLC
• Original Assignee: Broadphone, LLC
• Inventors: Shkedi, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US11/533,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 4554351-439
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

At least one portable RF communications device in conjunction with at least two fixed-location service-area antenna stations respectively capable of RF communication with the at least one device performs the steps of: (I) using a portable device at a selected location to measure RF communications signals from the plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations and electronically storing at least two of the respective reception signal strength measurements; and (II) monitoring a portable device location by causing the device to measure reception signal strength associated with local fixed-location service-area antenna stations signals, and to electronically compare these measurements with the stored at least two measurements.

Claims

1. A Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method, operable by at least one portable RF communications device in conjunction with at least two fixed-location service-area antenna stations capable of RF communication with the at least one device wherein the stations are substantially continuously operating, and the method is comprising the steps of:

(A) registering a selected location by causing a first port able RF communications device at the selected location (i) to receive an RF communications signal from a first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the received signal from at least two of said first plurality of antenna stations;

(B) recording the selected location by electronically storing at least two of the reception signal strength measurements;

(C) monitoring by causing said first portable RF communications device or a second portable RF communications device (i) to receive communications signals from said first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations or a second plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the signals;

(D) determining if said first portable RF communications device or said second portable RF communications device of the monitoring step is at the selected location of the registering step by electronically comparing measurements in the monitoring step with the stored at least two measurements of the recording step,

wherein the registering step includes identifying at least one ID within at least one of the received signals; and

the recording step includes storing each of the at least one IDs with the reception signal strength measurement, and

wherein the monitoring step includes identifying at least one ID within at least one of the received signals and the determining step includes electronically matching at least one ID of the monitoring step with the stored at least one ID of the recording step.

2. The Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring step includes iteratively performing the sub-steps C.i and C.ii with a predetermined time delay between successive iterations of C.i such that the monitoring step data is used only if a substantial portion of the successive C.ii measurements are alike within a predetermined threshold—

since this indicates that the portable RF device of step C is temporally immobile.

3. The Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step includes improving the electronically stored at least two of the reception signal strength measurements of step B by storing at least one measurement of step C therewith—

thereby upgrading robustness of the electronically stored measurements.

4. The Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method according to claim 1 wherein the registering step includes accessing a GPS location coordinate for the selected location and recording step includes keeping the GPS location coordinate with the stored signal strength measurements.

5. The Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method according to claim 1 wherein the registering step includes directly transferring the measurements within said first port able RF communications device to a storage module therein whereat the Recording step is performed.

6. The Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method according to claim 1 wherein the registering step includes, via RF communications, transferring the measurements from said first portable RF communications device to a storage device whereat the recording step is preformed;

and wherein the recording step includes, via RF communications, receiving the measurements.

7. The Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step includes calculating a confidence metric according to a degree of correlation between the measurements in the monitoring step with the stored at least two measurements of the recording step.

8. A Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Database recorded on a tangible memory media and having recorded thereon signal-strength location correlation data derived from a registration module or a monitoring module, in a process wherein the registration module registers a selected location by causing a first portable RF communications device at the selected location (i) to receive an RF communications signal from a first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the received signal from at least two of said first plurality of antenna stations;

a recording module records the selected location by electronically storing at least two of the reception signal strength measurements;

the monitoring module monitors by causing said first portable RF communications device or a second portable RF communications device (i) to receive communications signals from said first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations or a second plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the signals;

a determination module determines if said first portable RF communications device or said second portable RF communications device monitored by the monitoring module is at the selected location registered by the registration module by electronically comparing measurements from the monitoring module with the stored at least two measurements from the recording module,

wherein the registration module identifies at least one ID within at least one of the received signals; and

the recording module stores each of the at least one IDs with the reception signal strength measurement, and

wherein the monitoring module identifies at least one ID within at least one of the received signals, and the determination module electronically matches at least one ID from the monitoring module with the stored at least one ID from the recording module.

9. An article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture including:

a first computer readable program code for causing a computer to register a selected location by first-causing a first portable RF communications device at the selected location (i) to receive an RF communications signal from a first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the received signal from at least two of said first plurality of antenna stations;

tied to a first computer readable software a second computer readable program code for causing the computer to record the selected location by electronically storing at least two of the reception signal strength measurements;

tied to a second computer readable software a third computer readable program code for causing the computer to monitor by second-causing said first portable RF communications device or a second portable RF communications device (i) to receive communications signals from said first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations or a second plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the signals;

and tied to a third computer readable software a fourth computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine if said first portable RF communications device or a second portable RF communications device monitored by the computer is at the selected location registered by the computer by electronically comparing measurements monitored by the computer with the stored at least two measurements recorded by the computer;

wherein the computer, when registering the selected location, identifies at least one ID within at least one of the received signals; and

the computer, when recording the selected location, stores each of the at least one IDs with the reception signal strength measurement, and

wherein the computer, when monitoring, identifies at least one ID within at least one of the received signals, and the computer, when determining, electronically matches at least one ID identified when monitoring with the stored at least one ID identified when registering the selected location.

10. A Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method, operable by at least one portable RF communications device in conjunction with at least two fixed-location service-area antenna stations capable of RF communication with the at least one device wherein the stations are substantially continuously operating, and the method is comprising the steps of:

(A) First-Causing a first portable RF communications device at a selected location to receive an RF communications signal from a first plurality of local fixed-location GSM service-area antenna stations;

(B) First-Measuring reception signal strength associated with the “

First-Causing”

received signal from at least two of said first plurality of antenna stations;

(C) Second-Causing said first portable RF communications device or a second portable RF communications device to receive an RF communications signal from said first plurality of local fixed-location GSM service-area antenna stations or a second plurality of local fixed-location GSM service-area antenna stations;

(D) Second-Measuring reception signal strength associated with the “

Second-Causing”

received signals; and

(E) Determining, if said first portable RF communications device or said second portable RF communications device of the “

Second-Causing”

step is at the selected location of the “

First-Causing”

step, by electronically comparing at least two of the reception signal measurements of the “

First-Measuring”

step with at least two of the reception signal measurements of the “

Second-Measuring”

step;

wherein the “

First-Measuring”

step includes identifying at least one ID within at least one of the received signals; and

also includes storing each of the at least one IDs with the reception signal strength measurement, and

wherein the “

Second-Measuring”

step includes identifying at least one ID within at least one of the received signals, and the determining step includes electronically matching at least one ID of the “

Second-Measuring”

step with the stored at least one ID of the “

First-Measuring”

step.

11. A Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining Method, operable by at least one portable RF communications device in conjunction with at least two fixed-location service-area antenna stations capable of RF communication with the at least one device wherein the stations are substantially continuously operating, and the method is comprising the steps of:

(A) First-Causing a first portable RF communications device at a selected location to receive an RF communications signal from a first plurality of local fixed-location CDMA service-area antenna stations;

(B) First-Measuring reception signal strength associated with the “

First-Causing”

received signal from at least two of said first plurality of antenna stations and therewith calculating relative signal reception strengths;

(C) Second-Causing said first portable RF communications device or a second portable RF communications device to receive an RF communications signal from said first plurality of local fixed-location CDMA service-area antenna stations or a second plurality of local fixed-location CDMA service-area antenna stations;

(D) Second-Measuring reception signal strength associated with the “

Second-Causing”

received signals and therewith calculating relative signal reception strengths; and

(E) Determining, if the said first portable RF communications device or said second portable RF communications device of the “

Second-Causing”

step is at the selected location of the “

First-Causing”

step, by electronically comparing at-least one of the calculated relative reception signal strengths of the “

First-Measuring”

step with at-least one of the calculated relative reception signal strengths of the “

Second-Measuring”

step;

wherein the “

First-Measuring”

step includes identifying at least one ID within at least one of the received signals; and

also includes storing each of the at least one IDs with the reception signal strength measurement or the calculated relative signal reception strengths, and

wherein the “

Second-Measuring”

step includes identifying at least one ID within at least one of the received signals, and the determining step includes electronically matching at least one ID of the “

Second-Measuring”

step with the stored at least one ID of the “

First-Measuring”

step.

12. A Signal-Comparison Based Location-Determining system, substantially as herein before described and illustrated, and characterized by using interconnected software enabled modules on at least one portable RF communications device, said modules operating in conjunction with at least two fixed-location service-area antenna stations that are capable of RF communication with the at least one device wherein the stations are substantially continuously operating, and these software modules include:

(A) a registration module for registering a selected location by causing a first portable RF communications device at the selected location (i) to receive an RF communications signal from a first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the received signal from at least two of the plurality of antenna stations;

(B) a recording module for recording the selected location by electronically storing at least two of the reception signal strength measurements;

(C) a monitoring module monitoring by causing said first portable RF communications device or a second portable RF communications device (i) to receive communications signals from said first plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations or a second plurality of local fixed-location service-area antenna stations, and (ii) to measure reception signal strength associated with the signals;

(D) a determination module for determining if said first portable RF communications device or said second portable RF communications device monitored by the monitoring module is at the selected location registered by the registration module by electronically comparing measurements from the monitoring module with the stored at least two measurements from the recording module;

wherein the registration module identifies at least one ID within at least one of the received signals; and

the recording module stores each of the at least one IDs with the reception signal strength measurement, and

wherein the monitoring module identifies at least one ID within at least one of the received signals, and the determination module electronically matches at least one ID from the monitoring module with the stored at least one ID from the recording module.