Determining floor location and movement of a mobile computer in a building

• US 9,116,230 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: HJ Laboratories, LLC
• Inventors: Vartanian, Harry, Jurikson-Rhodes, Jaron
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US14/460,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/466 by Trilateration, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the antennas or sensors, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/465 by Trilateration, i.e. two transducers determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the transducers, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/012 Identifying whether indoors or outdoors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/013 Identifying areas in a building
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/015 between indoor and outdoor environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/907 : Coordinate determination

Abstract

Determining, with utilization of environmental sensor data, a floor in a building that the mobile computer is located is disclosed. The mobile computer may track indoor position on the floor with a combination of Wi-Fi related position data and an estimated distance traveled determined with accelerometer data. The mobile computer may also determine an area on the floor where the mobile computer is located.

Claims

1. A mobile computer characterized in that:

a processor, of the mobile computer, is configured to determine, with utilization of environmental sensor data, a floor in a building where the mobile computer is located;

the mobile computer is configured to track indoor position on the floor, wherein the indoor position is tracked with a combination of Wi-Fi related position data and an estimated distance traveled that is determined with accelerometer data;

the processor is further configured to determine an area of the floor in the building with the estimated distance travelled; and

wherein the indoor position is associated with a probability related accuracy value.

2. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor data is used to determine altitude.

3. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein the mobile computer is a smartphone or telephone.

4. The mobile computer of claim 1 further characterized in that:

the mobile computer is further configured to analyze gyroscope related data to determine an orientation of the mobile computer, wherein the orientation is utilized in combination with the Wi-Fi related position data and the estimated distance travelled to determine the indoor position.

5. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein the tracked indoor position is utilized to determine a user context for an application on the mobile computer and to guide emergency personnel or a firefighter.

6. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein any one of audible information, compass information, camera based information, radio frequency identification (RFID) information, bluetooth information, ranging information, femtocell information, or picocell information is utilized to determine the tracked indoor position of the mobile computer.

14. The mobile computer of claim 1 further comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive, via a network, a notification related to an advertisement, wherein the notification is received based on the indoor position.

7. A method performed by a mobile computer, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor of the mobile computer with utilization of environmental sensor data, a floor in a building where the mobile computer is located;

tracking, by the mobile computer, indoor position on the floor, wherein the indoor position is tracked with a combination of Wi-Fi related position data and an estimated distance traveled that is determined with accelerometer data;

determining, by the processor, an area of the floor in the building with the estimated distance travelled; and

wherein the indoor position is associated with a probability related accuracy value.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving, by a transceiver via a network, a notification related to an advertisement, wherein the notification is received based on the indoor position.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the environmental sensor data is used to determine altitude.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile computer is a smartphone or telephone.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

analyzing, by the mobile computer, gyroscope related data to determine an orientation of the mobile computer, wherein the orientation is utilized in combination with the Wi-Fi related position data and the estimated distance travelled to determine the indoor position.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the tracked indoor position is utilized to determine a user context for an application on the mobile computer and to guide emergency personnel or a firefighter.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein any one of audible information, compass information, camera based information, radio frequency identification (RFID) information, bluetooth information, ranging information, femtocell information, or picocell information is utilized to determine the tracked indoor position of the mobile computer.