Method and computer processing apparatus for generating data relating to a vertical structure of a built environment and detecting a floor change

A computer processing apparatus comprising:

• a computer processor, the computer processing apparatus being configured to perform the steps including:
• receiving crowdsourced altitude change data representing changes in altitude within a built environment comprising a plurality of floors of a plurality of mobile devices or from which changes in altitude of a plurality of mobile devices within a built environment including a plurality of floors can be determined;
• determining a parameter relating to an estimated storey height of the built environment from the received crowdsourced altitude change data;
• and
• processing the received crowdsourced altitude change data and the determined parameter relating to the estimated storey height to thereby generate data relating to the vertical structure of the built environment;
• wherein the step of determining the parameter relating to the estimated storey height of the built environment from the received crowdsourced altitude change data includes determining the parameter relating to the estimated storey height of the built environment from a data cluster of the received crowdsourced altitude change data;
• wherein the steps further include:
• processing the altitude change data to determine a floor change;
• deriving one or more respective electromagnetic signal source profiles for each of one or more floors of the built environment from signal source data received from one or more of the mobile devices, the signal source data relating to electromagnetic signals detected by one or more of the mobile devices at their respective origin and/or designation floors, wherein the signal source profiles of each floor include profile data derived from electromagnetic signals received by one or more said mobile devices at said floor from one or more electromagnetic signal sources located at the origin and/or destination floors;
• and
• determining validation of the floor change determined by processing the altitude change data using the one or more electromagnetic signal source profiles.

A method of detecting a floor change of a mobile device within a built environment including a plurality of floors, the method comprising:

• an air pressure sensor of the mobile device measuring ambient air pressure;
• the mobile device changing floors within the built environment;
• determining a change in a parameter relating to the ambient air pressure measured by the air pressure sensor;
• obtaining data relating to the vertical structure of the built environment;
• processing the determined change in the parameter relating to the ambient air pressure measured by the air pressure sensor in dependence on the obtained data relating to the vertical structure of the built environment to determine the floor change of the mobile device;
• and
• determining electromagnetic signal source data from electromagnetic signals from an electromagnetic signal source at the destination floor and adjacent to a floor change portal, the electromagnetic signals being detected by the mobile device at the destination floor of the mobile device;
• comparing the electromagnetic signal source data to one or more signal profiles provided in the obtained data relating to the vertical structure of the built environment to thereby determine a match between a respective signal profile and the electromagnetic signal source data;
• and
• estimating that the destination floor of the mobile device is a floor associated with the respective signal profile matching the electromagnetic signal source data.