Location tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10149098-B2
Application number	US-201815906830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for location tracking are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving, from a computing device that is configured to receive radio signals from beacons, beacon data that includes data identifying a corresponding beacon and data identifying a power level of a corresponding radio signal. The actions further include receiving, from the computing device, sensor data collected by a sensor that is located on the computing device. The actions further include based on the beacon data, determining a location of the corresponding beacon. The actions further include based on the sensor data, adjusting the location of the corresponding beacon. The actions further include generating a user interface that identifies the corresponding beacon and the adjusted location. The actions further include providing, for output, the user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a sensor that is configured to generate sensor data that reflects an environmental condition of a vicinity of the sensor;
a radio module that is configured to receive beacon signals from one or more radio beacons;
a processor that is configured to:
determine a power level and a directionality of each of the beacon signals;
based on the power level and the directionality of each of the beacon signals, determine a number of people who are likely located in the vicinity of the sensor; and
based on the sensor data, adjust the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor; and

an output module that is configured to output data indicating the adjusted number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor comprises a thermometer,
the sensor data that reflects the environmental condition of the vicinity of the sensor comprises a temperature of the vicinity of the sensor, and
the processor is configured to:
determine that the temperature of the vicinity of the sensor is greater than an expected temperature of the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people; and
adjust the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor based on determining that the temperature of the vicinity of the sensor is greater than an expected temperature of the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor comprises an accelerometer,
the sensor data that reflects the environmental condition of the vicinity of the sensor comprises data indicating movement of the accelerometer, and
the processor is configured to:
adjust the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor based on the movement of the accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor comprises a cellular receiver,
the sensor data that reflects the environmental condition of the vicinity of the sensor comprises data indicating a level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor, and
the processor is configured to:
determine that the level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor is greater than an expected level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people; and
adjust the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor based on determining that the level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor is greater than the expected level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people.

5. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
an ultrasound device that is configured to transmit ultrasonic audio towards a trash can and detect reflected ultrasonic audio,
wherein the processor is configured to:
based on the transmitted ultrasonic audio and the reflected ultrasonic audio, determine a level of fullness of the trash can; and
based on the level of fullness of the trash can, determine whether the trash can needs to be emptied, and

wherein the output module is configured to transmit a request to empty the trash can based on determining that the trash can needs to be emptied.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
access a floor plan of the vicinity of the sensor;
compare the floor plan of the vicinity of the sensor to the power level and the directionality of each of the beacon signals; and
adjust the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor based further on the comparison between the floor plan of the vicinity of the sensor and the power level and the directionality of each of the beacon signals.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor generates the sensor data and the radio module receives the beacon signals at a same time.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
generating, by a sensor of a computing device, sensor data that reflects an environmental condition of a vicinity of the sensor;
receiving, by a radio module of the computing device, beacon signals from one or more radio beacons;
determining, by the computing device, a power level and a directionality of each of the beacon signals;
based on the power level and the directionality of each of the beacon signals, determining, by the computing device, a number of people who are likely located in the vicinity of the sensor;
based on the sensor data, adjusting, by the computing device, the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor; and
providing, for output by the computing device, data indicating the adjusted number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
generating, by the sensor of the computing device, sensor data that reflects an environmental condition of a vicinity of the sensor comprises generating, by a thermometer of the computing device, a temperature of the vicinity of the sensor, and
adjusting, by the computing device, the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor comprises:
determining that the temperature of the vicinity of the sensor is greater than an expected temperature of the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people; and
adjusting the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor based on determining that the temperature of the vicinity of the sensor is greater than an expected temperature of the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
generating, by the sensor of the computing device, sensor data that reflects an environmental condition of a vicinity of the sensor comprises generating, by an accelerometer of the computing device, data indicating movement of the accelerometer, and
adjusting, by the computing device, the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor comprises:
adjusting the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor based on the movement of the accelerometer.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
generating, by the sensor of the computing device, sensor data that reflects an environmental condition of a vicinity of the sensor comprises generating, by a cellular receiver of the computing device, data indicating a level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor, and
adjusting, by the computing device, the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor comprises:
determining that the level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor is greater than an expected level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people; and
adjusting the number of people who are likely in the vicinity of the sensor based on determining that the level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor is greater than the expected level of cellular activity in the vicinity of the sensor for the number of people.

12. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
transmitting, by an ultrasound device of the computing device, ultrasonic audio towards a trash can;
detecting, by the ultrasound device of the computing device, reflected ultrasonic audio;
based on the transmitted ultrasonic audio and the reflected ultrasonic audio, determining, by the computing device, a level of fullness of the trash can;
based on the level of fullness of the trash can, determining, by the computing device, whether the trash can needs to be emptied; and
based on determining that the trash can needs to be emptied, providing, for output by the computing device, a request to empty the trash can.

13. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
accessing, by the computing device, a floor plan of the vicinity of the sensor;
compari

Assignees

• Accenture Global Solutions Ltd

Inventors

• Slater Mark
• Roe John
• Kuisma Kari Juhani
• Jordan Andrew
• Chooracken John J
• Vann Philip

Classifications

• H04W4/021 Primary

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W40/244

  using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title