System and method for estimating the position and orientation of a mobile communications device in a beacon-based positioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016195604-A1
Application number	US-201615066602-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Aug 12, 2014
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An example of a technique for maintaining a previously calibrated mobile device positioning system to account for changes in perturbers of the Earth's magnetic field. A mobile device obtains a corrected heading estimate of the mobile device within a space based on a previously recorded heading correction value. The mobile device also calculates a device heading relative to a previously orientated map of the space. The mobile device subsequently updates the heading correction value with any deviation between the corrected heading estimate and the calculated device heading.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising steps of:
capturing, via an image sensor of a mobile device, one or more images including at least one signal modulated within visible light, wherein:
the visible light is transmitted from a plurality of visible light sources located within a space;
any one signal is modulated within visible light transmitted by a respective one visible light source; and
each modulated signal corresponds to a respective identity of a respective visible light source;
processing the one or more images to determine, based at least in part on the at least one modulated signal, an estimated location of the mobile device within the space; capturing, via a compass of the mobile device, a raw heading measurement; obtaining a corrected heading estimate based at least in part on the raw heading measurement; determining a likely orientation of the mobile device relative to a map of the space; comparing the corrected heading estimate and the likely orientation of the mobile device relative to the map of the space to obtain an apparent deviation; and recording the apparent deviation in association with the estimated location of the mobile device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the corrected heading estimate comprises:
obtaining, based on the estimated location of the mobile device, a deviation angle; and determining, based on the raw heading measurement and the deviation angle, the corrected heading estimate.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining the deviation angle comprises:
retrieving, from a memory of the mobile device and based on the estimated location of the mobile device, the deviation angle.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining the deviation angle comprises:
transmitting, via a wireless interface of the mobile device, the estimated location of the mobile device; and receiving, via the wireless interface, the deviation angle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein recording the apparent deviation in association with the estimated location of the mobile device comprises:
retrieving, from a memory of the mobile device and based on the estimated location of the mobile device, a previously recorded deviation angle; calculating, based on the apparent deviation and the previously recorded deviation angle, a running average of corrected deviation angles; and replacing the previously recorded deviation angle with the calculated running average of corrected deviation angles.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein recording the apparent deviation in association with the estimated location of the mobile device comprises replacing, in a memory of the mobile device, a previously recorded deviation angle with the previously recorded deviation angle modified by the apparent deviation.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein recording the apparent deviation in association with the estimated location of the mobile device comprises transmitting, via a wireless interface of the mobile device, the apparent deviation and the estimated location of the mobile device.

8 . A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium embodying instructions to cause a mobile device to perform the method of claim 1 .

9 . A method, comprising steps of:
receiving, from a first mobile device located at a first pre-defined location within a space, an indicator of the first pre-defined location and a first apparent deviation for the first pre-defined location within the space, the first apparent deviation being a deviation between a corrected heading estimate of the first mobile device at the first pre-defined location and a likely orientation of the first mobile device at the first pre-defined location; updating, based on the first apparent deviation for the first pre-defined location, a deviation angle previously stored in association with the first pre-defined location; receiving, from a second mobile device located at the first pre-defined location, the indicator of the first pre-defined location and a second apparent deviation for the first pre-defined location, the second apparent deviation being a deviation between a corrected heading estimate of the second mobile device at the first pre-defined location and a likely orientation of the second mobile device at the first pre-defined location; and updating, based on the second apparent deviation for the first pre-defined location, the updated deviation angle.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
(a) updating the deviation angle previously stored in association with the first pre-defined location comprises:
retrieving, based on the indicator of the first pre-defined location, the previously stored deviation angle;
calculating, based on the first apparent deviation for the first mobile device at the first pre-defined location and the previously stored deviation angle, a running average of corrected deviation angles for the first pre-defined location; and
replacing the previously recorded deviation angle with the calculated running average of corrected deviation angles for the first pre-defined location; and
(b) updating the updated deviation angle comprises:
retrieving, based on the indicator of the first pre-defined location, the calculated running average of corrected deviation angles for the first pre-defined location as the updated deviation angle;
calculating, based on the second apparent deviation for the second mobile device at the first pre-defined location and the updated deviation angle, an updated running average of corrected deviation angles for the first pre-defined location; and
replacing the updated deviation angle with the updated running average of corrected deviation angles for the first pre-defined location.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
prior to receipt of the first apparent deviation from the first mobile device:
receiving, from the first mobile device, the indicator of the first pre-defined location;
retrieving, based on the indicator of the first pre-defined location, the previously stored deviation angle; and
transmitting, to the first mobile device, the previously stored deviation angle; and
prior to receipt of the second apparent deviation from the second mobile device:
receiving, from the second mobile device, the indicator of the first pre-defined location;
retrieving, based on the indicator of the first pre-defined location, the updated deviation angle; and
transmitting, to the second mobile device, the updated deviation angle.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
prior to receipt of the first apparent deviation from the first mobile device:
receiving, from the first mobile device, an identifier of a light source located proximate the first pre-defined location;
retrieving, based on the identifier, the previously stored deviation angle; and
transmitting, to the first mobile device, the previously stored deviation angle; and
prior to receipt of the second apparent deviation from the second mobile device:
receiving, from the second mobile device, the identifier of the light source located proximate the first pre-defined location;
retrieving, based on the identifier, the updated deviation angle; and
transmitting, to the second mobile device, the updated deviation angle.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
prior to receipt of the first apparent deviation from the first mobile device:
receiving, from the first mobile device, the indication of the first pre-defined location and a raw heading measurement of the first mobile device at the first pre-defined location;
retrieving, based on the indicator of the first pre-defined location,

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Ryan Daniel
• Green Kelby Edward
• Malandrakis Emanuel Paul
• Klitenik Konstantin

Classifications

• G01S2205/02

  Indoor · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• G01S5/16 Primary

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• H04B10/1149

  Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information · CPC title