Method and apparatus for providing shadow-based location positioning
AssigneeNokia Technologies Oy
InventorVille-Veikko Mattila
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An approach for providing shadow-based location positioning is described. A visual location platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of sensor information associated with at least one device traveling on at least one route to determine at least one pattern of shadows on the at least one route. The visual location platform also causes, at least in part, a comparison of the at least one pattern of shadows against one or more reference patterns of shadows associated with one or more known locations. The service platform further causes, at least in part, an estimation of a location, a direction of travel, or a combination thereof of the at least one device based, at least in part, on the comparison.
Claims20
A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:
- a processing of sensor information associated with at least one device traveling on at least one route to determine at least one pattern of shadows on the at least one route;
- a comparison of the at least one pattern of shadows against one or more reference patterns of shadows associated with one or more known locations;
- and
- an estimation of a location, a direction of travel, or a combination thereof of the at least one device based, at least in part, on the comparison;
- wherein the at least one pattern of shadows includes lighter and darker sections corresponding to shadows casted on the route by environmental features surrounding the route and sensed by the traveling device.
An apparatus comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
- the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
- process and/or facilitate a processing of sensor information associated with at least one device traveling on at least one route to determine at least one pattern of shadows on the at least one route;
- cause, at least in part, a comparison of the at least one pattern of shadows against one or more reference patterns of shadows associated with one or more known locations;
- cause, at least in part, an estimation of a location, a direction of travel, or a combination thereof of the at least one device based, at least in part, on the comparison;
- and
- wherein the at least one pattern of shadows includes lighter and darker sections corresponding to shadows casted on the route by environmental features surrounding the route and sensed by the traveling device.
A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:
- processing and/or facilitating of sensor information associated with at least one device traveling on at least one route to determine at least one pattern of shadows on the at least one route;
- causing, at least in part, a comparison of the at least one pattern of shadows against one or more reference patterns of shadows associated with one or more known locations;
- causing, at least in part, an estimation of a location, a direction of travel, or a combination thereof of the at least one device based, at least in part, on the comparison;
- and
- wherein the at least one pattern of shadows includes lighter and darker sections corresponding to shadows casted on the route by environmental features surrounding the route and sensed by the traveling device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.