Accurate mobile context detection at low sensor cost

A system for determining a venue of a mobile device, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processor, the instructions comprising instructions for:
• obtaining a physical sensor reading collected by a physical sensor of a mobile device, the physical sensor reading quantifying a physical property of an environment around the mobile device, the physical sensor including at least one of:
• a camera, a microphone, a thermometer, and a barometer;
• identifying a candidate venue at which the mobile device may be located without obtaining a location reading collected by a location sensor of the mobile device, the candidate venue having a stationary location, wherein identifying the candidate venue comprises identifying the candidate venue based on a routine model predicting venues for the mobile device based on a current time;
• retrieving, from a fingerprint database, a sensor fingerprint comprising an average physical sensor reading at the candidate venue;
• comparing the physical sensor reading to the average physical sensor reading of the retrieved sensor fingerprint;
• determining a location of the mobile device from the candidate venue responsive to the comparison indicating that the physical sensor reading is within a threshold amount of the average physical sensor reading;
• and
• providing the determined location of the mobile device to a location-aware application of the mobile device.

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising instructions for:

• obtaining a physical sensor reading collected by a physical sensor of a mobile device, the physical sensor reading quantifying a physical property of an environment around the mobile device, the physical sensor including at least one of:
• a camera, a microphone, a thermometer, and a barometer;
• identifying a candidate venue at which the mobile device may be located without obtaining a location reading collected by a location sensor of the mobile device, the candidate venue having a stationary location, wherein identifying the candidate venue comprises identifying the candidate venue based on a routine model predicting venues for the mobile device based on a current time;
• retrieving, from a fingerprint database, a sensor fingerprint comprising an average physical sensor reading at the candidate venue;
• comparing the physical sensor reading to the average physical sensor reading of the retrieved sensor fingerprint;
• determining a location of the mobile device from the candidate venue responsive to the comparison indicating that the physical sensor reading is within a threshold amount of the average physical sensor reading;
• and
• providing the determined location of the mobile device to a location-aware application of the mobile device.