Method and apparatus for adaptive positioning

• US 9,591,458 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, BoChih, Jia, Zhike, Chen, Jian, Yu, Jing, Zhang, Xin, Shao, Liujun
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, ALEXANDER J.
• Application Number:
  US14/644,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20150264534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/114.2, 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/552.1, 701/209, 701/217, 702/141, 702/150, 340/521, 340/539.3, 340/539.21, 342/357.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for adaptively performing position determination in response to environmental profile determination. Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus including a sensor, an environmental profile determination module, and a profile based position provider. The sensor is configured to generate data indicative of motions of the apparatus. The environmental profile determination module is configured to receive the data indicative of the motions of the apparatus, and detect an environmental profile from a plurality of environmental profiles for the apparatus based on the data. The profile based position provider includes a plurality of configurations associated with the plurality of environmental profiles. The profile based position provider is configured in one of the configurations associated with the environmental profile, and is configured to select a positioning source to determine a location of the apparatus based on the configuration.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a sensor configured to generate data indicative of motions of the apparatus;

an environmental profile determination module configured to receive the data indicative of the motions of the apparatus, and detect an environmental profile from a plurality of environmental profiles for the apparatus based on the data;

a profile based position provider including a plurality of configurations associated with the plurality of environmental profiles, the profile based position provider being configured in one of the configurations associated with the environmental profile, and being configured to select a positioning source to determine a location of the apparatus based on the configuration;

a map aided position provider configured to receive the data from the sensor and an indoor map from an indoor floor map database and adjust the location of the apparatus based on the data and the indoor floor map; and

a position provider configured to identify distinct steps of a user of the apparatus based on peaks in an acceleration magnitude measured by the sensor and estimate a length of a step based on an acceleration amplitude, wherein the position provider uses a step model built by a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) position provider from collecting information from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position provider to identify the distinct steps when the position provider fails to identify the distinct steps based on the peaks in the acceleration magnitude measured by the sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the sensor is a MEMS sensor configured to generate the data indicative of motions of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the environmental profile determination module is configured to detect a static profile based on the data from the MEMS sensor;

and

the profile based position provider is configured to retrieve a previous determined location as a current location of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the profile based position provider is configured not to request a position update.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the sensor is a satellite signal receiver configured to receive signals from satellites, and calculate a poor-to-total-satellites ratio (PTSR);

and

the environmental profile determination module is configured to detect the environmental profile from an outdoor profile, a shadow profile and an indoor profile based on the PTSR.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the environmental profile determination module is configured to detect the outdoor profile when the PTSR is below a lower threshold, to detect the indoor profile when the PTSR is above an upper threshold, and to detect the shadow profile when the PTSR is between the lower threshold and the upper threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the profile based position provider is configured in an outdoor configuration associated with the outdoor profile, and request a position update from the GNSS based positioning source.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the profile based position provider is configured in a shadow configuration associated with the shadow profile, and request a position update from a MEMS sensor based positioning source.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the profile based position provider is configured in an indoor configuration associated with the indoor profile, and request a position update from a map based positioning source.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the profile based position provider is configured in an indoor configuration associated with the indoor profile, and request a position update from a wireless local area network (WLAN) based positioning source.

11. A method for positioning a mobile device, comprising:

receiving sensor data indicative of motions of the mobile device;

detecting an environmental profile from a plurality of environmental profiles for the mobile device based on the sensor data;

configuring a profile based position provider according to a configuration associated with the environmental profile;

selecting a positioning source to determine a location of the mobile device based on the configuration;

receiving the sensor data and an indoor map from an indoor floor map database;

adjusting the location of the mobile device based on the sensor data and the indoor floor map;

identifying distinct steps of a user of the mobile device based on peaks in an acceleration magnitude measured according to the sensor data;

using a step model built by a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) position from collecting information from a Global Nay Satellite System (GNSS) position provider to identify distinct steps of the user when identifying distinct steps of the user based on the peaks in the acceleration magnitude is unsuccessful; and

estimating a length of a step based on acceleration amplitude and the identified distinct steps.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the sensor data indicative of the motions of the mobile device further comprises:

receiving the sensor data from a MEMS sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a static profile based on the data from the MEMS sensor; and

retrieving a previous determined location as a current location of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prohibiting a position update from other positioning sources.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the sensor data indicative of the motions of the mobile device further comprises:

receiving the sensor data from a satellite signal receiver configured to receive signals from satellites;

calculating a poor-to-total-satellites ratio (PTSR); and

detecting the environmental profile from an outdoor profile, a shadow profile and an indoor profile based on the PTSR.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting the environmental profile from the outdoor profile, the shadow profile and the indoor profile based on the PTSR further comprises:

detecting the outdoor profile when the PTSR is below a lower threshold;

detecting the indoor profile when the PTSR is above an upper threshold; and

detecting the shadow profile when the PTSR is between the lower threshold and the upper threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein

configuring the profile based position provider according to an outdoor configuration associated with the outdoor profile;

and

requesting a position update from the GNSS based positioning source.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein

configuring the profile based position provider according to a shadow configuration associated with the shadow profile;

and

requesting a position update from a MEMS sensor based positioning source.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein

configuring the profile based position provider according to an indoor configuration associated with the indoor profile;

and

requesting a position update from a map based positioning source.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein

configuring the profile based position provider according to an indoor configuration associated with the indoor profile;

and

requesting a position update from a wireless local area network (WLAN) based positioning source.