Method and Apparatus For Mobile Device Localization
AssigneePelco
InventorsJames G. Millar, Barry Jon Velasquez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Because GPS does not work indoors, mobile electronics devices that use GPS for activities do not work inside a building. An embodiment of the present invention is uses ultrasonic tone generators in each room. The ultrasonic tone generators can be built into cameras or separate devices. Each device may emit a unique tone that has a high enough frequency that most people cannot hear the frequency or combination of frequencies. Using a built-in microphone on a mobile device, the incoming audio may be analyzed in the frequency domain to determine the loudest tone above the human hearing threshold. This tone may be mapped to a specific room that can then be sent to the mobile electronics device to perform any location-aware actions.
Claims25
A method of providing indoor localization, the method comprising:
- emitting signals at multiple fixed locations within an indoor facility, the signals being unique at each location relative to the signals at adjacent locations.
A system for providing indoor localization, the system comprising:
- a controller configured with a mapping of multiple fixed locations within an indoor facility, the mapping including parameters for signals to be emitted at the multiple fixed locations, the parameters being unique for each location relative to parameters at adjacent locations;
- a signal generator at each location configured to generate a signal corresponding to a respective parameter;
- and
- an emitter at each location coupled to the respective waveform generator and configured to emit a signal according to the respective parameter, the signals at the multiple fixed locations within the indoor facility being unique at each location relative to signals at adjacent locations.
A mobile electronics device, comprising:
- a transducer;
- a receiver coupled to the transducer and configured to convert a signal sensed by the transducer at a location, among multiple fixed locations in an indoor facility, into a representation of the signal, the representation being unique for the location relative to a representation at an adjacent location;
- and
- a mapping module configured to convert the representation of the signal into a corresponding indication of the location at which the transducer sensed the signal, the indication being correspondingly unique relative to indications of adjacent locations in the indoor facility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.