Barometric sensor calibration and altitude determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747232-B2
Application number	US-202117144563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2021
Priority date	Jan 8, 2021
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for calibrating barometric sensors and/or determining altitudes of devices are provided. In an example, a device is determined to be outdoors. In response to determining that the device is outdoors, a calibration process associated with a barometric sensor of the device is performed. The calibration process includes performing one or more barometric measurements using the barometric sensor to determine one or more barometric pressure measures, determining one or more locations of the device, wherein the one or more locations are associated with the one or more barometric measurements, and determining a barometric offset based upon the one or more barometric pressure measures and one or more reference values. An adjusted barometric pressure and/or an altitude of the device is determined based upon a first barometric pressure measure and the barometric offset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining a first location of a device;
determining, based upon the first location, that the device is outdoors;
responsive to determining that the device is outdoors, performing a calibration process associated with a barometric sensor of the device, wherein the calibration process comprises:
performing barometric measurements using the barometric sensor to determine a plurality of barometric pressure measures;
determining a plurality of locations of the device, wherein a location of the plurality of locations corresponds to a location at which a barometric measurement is performed using the barometric sensor to determine a barometric pressure measure of the plurality of barometric pressure measures;
determining that a distance between a second location of the device and a polygon is less than a first threshold distance, wherein the polygon comprises a representation of geographical boundaries of an area comprising indoor space;
responsive to determining that the distance between the second location and the polygon is less than the first threshold distance, analyzing the plurality of locations to select one or more locations of the plurality of locations based upon a determination that, among locations of the plurality of locations having distances to the polygon that are larger than a second threshold distance, at least one of:
the one or more locations have distances to the polygon that are less than a third threshold distance, or
the one or more locations are closest to the polygon;

selecting one or more barometric pressure measures of the plurality of barometric pressure measures based upon a determination that the one or more barometric pressure measures are associated with the one or more locations; and
determining, based upon the selected one or more barometric pressure measures and one or more reference values, a barometric offset associated with barometric measurement using the barometric sensor; and

performing a first barometric measurement using the barometric sensor to determine a first barometric pressure measure, wherein an altitude of the device is determined based upon the first barometric pressure measure and the barometric offset.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining that the device is outdoors comprises:
determining that a distance between the first location of the device and a polygon is larger than a threshold distance, wherein the polygon comprises a representation of geographical boundaries of an area comprising indoor space.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the threshold distance is based upon a location error of the device.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining a speed of the device, wherein the calibration process is performed responsive to determining that the speed is less than a threshold speed.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining a speed of the device, wherein the calibration process is performed responsive to determining that the speed exceeds a threshold speed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more reference values are based upon at least one of one or more mean sea level pressure values associated with locations of the plurality of locations or one or more sea level altitude values associated with the locations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more reference values are based upon one or more surface pressure values associated with locations of the plurality of locations.

8. A method, comprising:
determining a first location of a device;
determining, based upon the first location, that the device is outdoors;
responsive to determining that the device is outdoors, performing a calibration process associated with a barometric sensor of the device, wherein the calibration process comprises:
performing barometric measurements using the barometric sensor to determine a plurality of barometric pressure measures;
determining a plurality of locations of the device, wherein a location of the plurality of locations corresponds to a location at which a barometric measurement is performed using the barometric sensor to determine a barometric pressure measure of the plurality of barometric pressure measures;
selecting, based upon the plurality of locations, one or more barometric pressure measures of the plurality of barometric pressure measures; and
determining, based upon the selected one or more barometric pressure measures and one or more reference values, a barometric offset associated with barometric measurement using the barometric sensor;

performing a first barometric measurement using the barometric sensor to determine a first barometric pressure measure, wherein an altitude of the device is determined based upon the first barometric pressure measure and the barometric offset;
receiving first polygon information associated with a first region comprising a second location of the device, wherein:
the first polygon information is indicative of one or more first polygons in the first region; and
a polygon of the one or more first polygons comprises a representation of geographical boundaries of an area comprising indoor space;

storing the first polygon information on the device; and
responsive to the determining the first location of the device, determining whether second polygon information associated with a second region comprising the first location is stored on the device.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
responsive to determining that the second polygon information associated with the second region is stored on the device, comparing one or more second polygons indicated by the second polygon information with the first location of the device, wherein the determining that the device is outdoors is based upon the comparing the one or more second polygons with the first location.

10. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
responsive to determining that the second polygon information associated with the second region is not stored on the device, transmitting, to a geographic information system (GIS) device, a request for the second polygon information;
receiving the second polygon information; and
comparing one or more second polygons indicated by the second polygon information with the first location of the device, wherein the determining that the device is outdoors is based upon the comparing the one or more second polygons with the first location.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the one or more reference values are based upon at least one of one or more mean sea level pressure values associated with locations of the plurality of locations or one or more sea level altitude values associated with the locations.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the one or more reference values are based upon one or more surface pressure values associated with locations of the plurality of locations.

13. A method, comprising:
performing a calibration process to determine a barometric offset associated with barometric measurement using a barometric sensor;
determining a validity of the barometric offset based upon at least one of a first time at which the calibration process is performed or a location of a device when the calibration process is performed;
responsive to determining that the barometric offset is invalid, performing a second calibration process associated with a barometric sensor of the device, wherein the second calibration process comprises:
performing barometric measurements using the barometric sensor to determine a plurality of barometric pressure measures;
determining a plurality of locations of the device, wherein a second location of th

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Mahurkar Sagar Deepak
• Gamble Jr Jerry

Classifications

• G01L27/005 Primary

  Apparatus for calibrating pressure sensors · CPC title

• G01C5/06

  by using barometric means · CPC title

• G01C25/00

  Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass (testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38) · CPC title

• G01L19/0092

  Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature (G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26) · CPC title

• G01L27/002

  Calibrating, i.e. establishing true relation between transducer output value and value to be measured, zeroing, linearising or span error determination · CPC title