US 9,285,455 B2 · Estimating the location of a wireless terminal based on the lighting and acoustics in the vicinity of the wireless terminal

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region. The technique is based on a two-part recognition, the first part being that there are certain optical and acoustic characteristics that are present in some environments while not being present in others, such as lighting flicker and sound reverberation. The second part of the recognition is that a correlation exists between the presence of flicker and reverberation in the vicinity of a wireless terminal and whether the wireless terminal is indoors or not. Under certain environmental conditions, flicker and reverberation are often present indoors but not outdoors. By accounting for flicker and reverberation being detected or not being detected in the vicinity of the wireless terminal, the disclosed technique is able to estimate whether the wireless terminal is indoors, which the technique also uses to improve the location estimate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of estimating the probability that a wireless terminal is indoors, the method comprising:

generating, by the wireless terminal and as a consequence of the wireless terminal's normal operation, sound;
measuring, by the wireless terminal, a sample of sound in the vicinity of the wireless terminal, wherein at least a portion of the generated sound is the sound that is measured by the wireless terminal;
generating, by the wireless terminal, a characterization of reverberation in the vicinity of the wireless terminal based on the sample of sound in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
measuring, by the wireless terminal, a sample of light in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
generating, by the wireless terminal, a characterization of flicker in the vicinity of the wireless terminal based on the sample of light in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
and
generating, by the wireless terminal, an estimate of the probability that the wireless terminal is indoors based on:
(i) the characterization of reverberation in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
and
(ii) the characterization of flicker in the vicinity of the wireless terminal.

7 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, by a location server, a value of a location-dependent trait of an electromagnetic signal, wherein the value of the location-dependent trait is dependent on the location of the wireless terminal;
receiving, by the location server, a sample of sound in the vicinity of the wireless terminal, wherein the sample of sound is at least a portion of sound generated by the wireless terminal as a consequence of the wireless terminal's normal operation;
receiving, by the location server, a sample of light in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
generating, by the location server, a characterization of reverberation in the vicinity of the wireless terminal based on the sample of sound in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
generating, by the location server, a characterization of flicker in the vicinity of the wireless terminal based on the sample of light in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
generating, by the location server, an estimate of the probability that the wireless terminal is indoors based on:
(1) the characterization of reverberation in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
(2) the characterization of flicker in the vicinity of the wireless terminal, and
generating, by the location server, an estimate of the location of the wireless terminal based on:
(1) the value of the location-dependent trait, and
(2) the estimate of the probability that the wireless terminal is indoors.

8 more elements

An apparatus for generating an estimate of the location of a wireless terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving:
(1) a value of a location-dependent trait of an electromagnetic signal, wherein the value of the location-dependent trait is dependent on the location of the wireless terminal,
(2) a sample of sound in the vicinity of the wireless terminal, and
(3) a sample of light in the vicinity of the wireless terminal;
a processor for generating:
(I) a characterization of reverberation based on the sample of sound in the vicinity of the wireless terminal and a characterization of flicker based on the sample of light in the vicinity of the wireless terminal,
(II) an estimate of the probability that the wireless terminal is indoors based on:
(1) the characterization of reverberation and the characterization of flicker, and
(III) the estimate of the location of the wireless terminal based on:
(1) the value of the location-dependent trait, and
(2) the estimate of the probability that the wireless terminal is indoors, wherein the estimate of the probability affects a manner in which the value of the location-dependent trait is processed to generate an estimate of the location of the wireless terminal;
and
a transmitter for transmitting the estimate of the location of the wireless terminal for use in a location-based application.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Estimating the location of a wireless terminal based on the lighting and acoustics in the vicinity of the wireless terminal

Life of this patent

Estimating the location of a wireless terminal based on the lighting and acoustics in the vicinity of the wireless terminal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20