Enabling determination of proximity of a mobile device based on detectable beacon devices

A proximity determiner for enabling determination of proximity of a mobile device to a beacon device, the proximity determiner comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the proximity determiner to:
• determine a set of beacon devices being detectable from the mobile device;
• obtain, for at least some pairs of beacon devices in the set of beacon devices, beacon measurements of one or two beacon devices in each pair, each beacon measurement indicating a signal strength of a beacon of one beacon device in the pair, detected in the location of the other beacon device in the pair;
• generate a two-dimensional graph based on the beacon measurements;
• obtain, from the mobile device, device measurements of signal strength, received in the mobile device, of beacons from the beacon device in the set of beacon devices;
• determine a finite number of potential positions of the mobile device in the two-dimensional graph;
• find an optimum in a space defined by the two-dimensional graph, wherein finding the optimum comprises, for each potential position, calculating a probability indicator of the mobile device being in the respective potential position, the probability indicator being calculated by performing sub-calculations, for each beacon device in the set of beacon devices, based on a distance in the graph to the respective beacon device and the device measurement for the respective beacon, and determining the optimum to be a most probable of the potential positions, based on the calculated probability indicators;
• and
• determine a most probable position of the mobile device in the graph based on the optimum.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for enabling determination of proximity of a mobile device to a beacon device, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when executed on a proximity determiner, causes the proximity determiner to:

• determine a set of beacon devices being detectable from the mobile device;
• obtain, for at least some pairs of beacon devices in the set of beacon devices, beacon measurements of one or two beacon devices in each pair, each beacon measurement indicating a signal strength of a beacon of one beacon device in the pair, detected in the location of the other beacon device in the pair;
• generate a two-dimensional graph based on the beacon measurements;
• obtain, from the mobile device, device measurements of signal strength of beacons from the beacon device in the set of beacon devices;
• determine a finite number of potential positions of the mobile device in the two-dimensional graph;
• find an optimum in a space defined by the two-dimensional graph, wherein finding the optimum comprises, for each potential position, calculating a probability indicator of the mobile device being in the respective potential position, the probability indicator being calculated by performing sub-calculations, for each beacon device in the set of beacon devices, based on a distance in the graph to the respective beacon device and the device measurement for the respective beacon, and determining the optimum to be a most probable of the potential positions, based on the calculated probability indicators;
• and
• determine a most probable position of the mobile device in the graph based on the optimum.

A method for enabling determination of proximity of a mobile device to a beacon device, the method being performed by a proximity determiner and comprising:

• determining a set of beacon devices being detectable from the mobile device;
• obtaining, for at least some pairs of beacon devices in the set of beacon devices, beacon measurements of one or two beacon devices in each pair, each beacon measurement indicating a signal strength of a beacon of one beacon device in the pair, detected in the location of the other beacon device in the pair;
• generating a two-dimensional graph based on the beacon measurements;
• obtaining, from the mobile device, device measurements of signal strength, received in the mobile device, of beacons from the beacon devices in the set of beacon devices;
• finding an optimum in a space defined by the two-dimensional graph, based on a probability indicator of the mobile device being in a position, the probability indicator being calculated by performing sub-calculations, for each beacon device in the set of beacon devices, based on a distance in the graph to the respective beacon device and the device measurement for the respective beacon;
• and
• determining the most probable position of the mobile device in the graph based on the optimum;
• wherein each beacon device is provided in the same location as a respective electronic lock for securing a restricted physical space, and wherein the method further comprises:
• triggering access control for the mobile device in a provided electronic lock when the Euclidian distance, in the graph, between the most probable position of the mobile device and the beacon device provided in the same location as the provided electronic lock, is less than a threshold distance.

A proximity determiner for enabling determination of proximity of a mobile device to a beacon device, the proximity determiner comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the proximity determiner to:
• determine a set of beacon devices being detectable from the mobile device;
• obtain, for at least some pairs of beacon devices in the set of beacon devices, beacon measurements of one or two beacon devices in each pair, each beacon measurement indicating a signal strength of a beacon of one beacon device in the pair, detected in the location of the other beacon device in the pair;
• generate a two-dimensional graph based on the beacon measurements;
• obtain, from the mobile device, device measurements of signal strength, received in the mobile device, of beacons from the beacon device in the set of beacon devices;
• find an optimum in a space defined by the two-dimensional graph, based on a probability indicator of the mobile device being in a position, the probability indicator being calculated by performing sub-calculations, for each beacon device in the set of beacon devices, based on a distance in the graph to the respective beacon device and the device measurement for the respective beacon;
• and
• determine the most probable position of the mobile device in the graph based on the optimum;
• wherein each beacon device is provided in the same location as a respective electronic lock for securing a restricted physical space, and wherein the proximity determiner further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the proximity determiner to:
• trigger access control for the mobile device in a provided electronic lock when the Euclidian distance, in the graph, between the most probable position of the mobile device and the beacon device provided in the same location as the provided electronic lock, is less than a threshold distance.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for enabling determination of proximity of a mobile device to a beacon device, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when executed on a proximity determiner, causes the proximity determiner to:

• determine a set of beacon devices being detectable from the mobile device;
• obtain, for at least some pairs of beacon devices in the set of beacon devices, beacon measurements of one or two beacon devices in each pair, each beacon measurement indicating a signal strength of a beacon of one beacon device in the pair, detected in the location of the other beacon device in the pair;
• generate a two-dimensional graph based on the beacon measurements;
• obtain, from the mobile device, device measurements of signal strength of beacons from the beacon device in the set of beacon devices;
• find an optimum in a space defined by the two-dimensional graph, based on a probability indicator of the mobile device being in a position, the probability indicator being calculated by performing sub-calculations, for each beacon device in the set of beacon devices, based on a distance in the graph to the respective beacon device and the device measurement for the respective beacon;
• and
• determine the most probable position of the mobile device in the graph based on the optimum;
• wherein each beacon device is provided in the same location as a respective electronic lock for securing a restricted physical space, and wherein the computer program code, when executed on the proximity determiner, further causes the proximity determiner to:
• trigger access control for the mobile device in a provided electronic lock when the Euclidian distance, in the graph, between the most probable position of the mobile device and the beacon device provided in the same location as the provided electronic lock, is less than a threshold distance.