Systems and methods for localizing devices using network signatures and coverage maps measured by robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298422-B2
Application number	US-202217592127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2022
Priority date	Aug 7, 2019
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for localizing devices using network signatures and coverage maps measured by robots are disclosed herein. According to at least one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, a robot may generate a coverage map based on measurements collected during operation of the robot. The coverage map generated by the robot may be temporally accurate such that a device may be localized within the coverage map based on a received network signature from the device. The network signature comprising a measure of amplitudes of Wi-Fi networks and/or cellular networks at a point within an environment of the coverage map.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for localizing devices, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a plurality of computer readable instructions stored thereon; and
at least one processor configured to execute the plurality of computer readable instructions to,
receive a coverage map of an environment, the coverage map being generated based on data from sensor units of a robot, the sensor units include at least localization and navigation units, the sensor units are configured to detect objects and measure network signatures, the coverage map being a digital representation of the environment, the coverage map is discretized into a plurality of regions, each region comprising an associated network signature,
receive from a device a network signature associated with the device,
determine a region of the coverage map comprising a network signature that matches the associated network signature received from the device,
localize the device to the determined region within the environment based on the coverage map,
transmit a signal to the device upon localization of the device, the signal is based on at least one of a position of the device within the environment and the trajectory of the device, the signal comprising at least one of: (i) information related to either an object or a feature proximate, based on the coverage map, to the determined region within the environment, and (ii) directions to another location in the environment, and
determine a trajectory of the device based on a spatial and temporal difference between the first and second regions and the first and second times.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the plurality of computer readable instructions to,
localize the device within a first region within the environment at a first time;
localize the device within a second region within the environment at a second time, the second time is different from the first time; and
determine a trajectory of the device based on a spatial and temporal difference between the first and second regions and the first and second times.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein,
the network signatures comprise at least in part a measure of amplitudes of at least one of one or more Wi-Fi networks or cellular network within the environment.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein,
the network signatures further comprise a measure of relative amplitudes of the at least one of the one or more Wi-Fi networks or cellular networks within the environment.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein,
the network signatures comprise a network identification, or service set ID (SSID), associated with each respective network of the network signature.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an application programming interface (API) configured to interface between one or more external entities and the at least one processor, the interfacing comprising of the API receiving queries from the one or more external entities.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein,
the received queries from the one or more external entities comprise a request for a location of the device based on a network signature received by the device, the location of the device is based on the coverage maps generated by the at least one robot.

8. A method for localizing devices, comprising:
receiving a coverage map of an environment, the coverage map being generated based on data from sensor units of a robot, the sensor units include at least localization and navigation units, the sensor units are configured to detect objects and measure network signatures, the coverage map being a digital representation of the environment, the coverage map is discretized into a plurality of regions, each region comprising an associated network signature;
receiving from a device a network signature associated with the device;
determining a region of the coverage map comprising a network signature that matches the associated network signature received from the device;
localizing the device to the determined region within the environment based on the coverage map;
transmitting a signal to the device upon localization of the device, the signal is based on at least one of a position of the device within the environment and the trajectory of the device, the signal comprising at least one of: (i) information related to either an object or a feature proximate, based on the coverage map, to the determined region within the environment, and (ii) directions to another location in the environment, and
determine a trajectory of the device based on a spatial and temporal difference between the first and second regions and the first and second times.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
localizing the device within a first region within the environment at a first time;
localizing the device within a second region within the environment at a second time, the second time being after the first time; and
determining a trajectory of the device based on a spatial and temporal difference between the first and second region and first and second times.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein,
the network signatures comprise at least in part a measure of amplitudes of at least one of one or more Wi-Fi networks or cellular network within the environment.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein,
the network signatures further comprise a measure of relative amplitudes of the at least one of the one or more Wi-Fi networks or cellular networks within the environment.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein,
the network signatures comprise a network identification, or service set ID (SSID) associated with each network of the network signature.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: utilizing an application programming interface (API) configured to interface between one or more external entities and the at least one processor, the interfacing comprising of the API receiving queries from the one or more external entities.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein,
the received queries from the one or more external entities comprise a request for a location of the device based on a network signature received by the device, the location of the device being based on the coverage maps generated by the at least one robot.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a plurality of computer readable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a processor, configure the processor to,
receive a plurality of measurements of network signatures from one or more robots within an environment, the measurements comprising a measure of signal strength for at least one network within the environment, the measurements being collected by one or more sensors coupled to the one or more respective robots, the received measurements being localized to a position of the robot during acquisition of the respective measurements;
generate a coverage map for the environment based on the received measurements, the coverage map comprising a map of network signatures of a device within the environment, the coverage map being generated based on data from sensor units of the one or more robots, the sensor units comprises at least localization and navigation units, the sensor units are configured to detect objects and measure network signatures, the coverage map being a digital representation of the environment, the coverage map is discretized into a plurality of regions, each region comprising an associated network signature;
localize the device to the determined region within the environment based on the coverage

Assignees

• Brain Corp
• Brrain Corp

Inventors

• Ross David
• Szatmary Botond

Classifications

• G05D1/648

  Performing a task within a working area or space, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• G01S5/0054

  of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station · CPC title

• G05D1/0285

  using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network · CPC title

• G05D1/0221

  involving a learning process · CPC title

• G05D1/0219

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title