Indoor location detection using combined radio frequency signal and audio frequency signal beacon system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309303-A1
Application number	US-201514689732-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile terminal is operated by receiving a first signal and a second signal, determining a signal strength of the first signal, and determining an indoor location of the mobile terminal based on the signal strength of the first signal and the second signal. The first signal is a radio frequency signal and the second signal is an audio frequency signal.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1 . A method of operating a mobile terminal, comprising:
receiving a first signal and a second signal; determining a signal strength of the first signal; and determining an indoor location of the mobile terminal based on the signal strength of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the first signal is a radio frequency signal and the second signal is an audio frequency signal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is a Bluetooth signal and the second signal is an ultrasound signal.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitted by a same transmitter beacon.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitted by different transmitter beacons.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the signal strength of the first signal comprises determining a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurement of the first signal.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a third signal; determining a signal strength of the third signal; and determining the indoor location of the mobile terminal based on the signal strength of the first signal, the signal strength of the third signal, and the second signal; wherein the third signal is a radio frequency signal.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second signal comprises a code that identifies a transmitter beacon that transmitted the second signal.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the code is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indoor location is a region in a structure defined by at least one wall.

10 . A mobile terminal, comprising:
a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and comprising computer readable program code embodied in the memory that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving a first signal and a second signal; determining a signal strength of the first signal; and determining an indoor location of the mobile terminal based on the signal strength of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the first signal is a radio frequency signal and the second signal is an audio frequency signal.

11 . The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the first signal is a Bluetooth signal and the second signal is an ultrasound signal.

12 . The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitted by a same transmitter beacon.

13 . The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitted by different transmitter beacons.

14 . The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein determining the signal strength of the first signal comprises determining a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurement of the first signal.

15 . The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a third signal; determining a signal strength of the third signal; and determining the indoor location of the mobile terminal based on the signal strength of the first signal, the signal strength of the third signal, and the second signal; wherein the third signal is a radio frequency signal.

16 . The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the second signal comprises a code that identifies a transmitter beacon that transmitted the second signal.

17 . The mobile terminal of claim 16 , wherein the code is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

18 . The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the indoor location is a region in a structure defined by at least one wall.

19 . A computer program product for operating a mobile terminal, comprising:
a tangible computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving a first signal and a second signal; determining a signal strength of the first signal; and determining an indoor location of the mobile terminal based on the signal strength of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the first signal is a radio frequency signal and the second signal is an audio frequency signal.

20 . The mobile terminal of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a third signal; determining a signal strength of the third signal; and determining the indoor location of the mobile terminal based on the signal strength of the first signal, the signal strength of the third signal, and the second signal; wherein the third signal is a radio frequency signal.

Assignees

• Sony Mobile Communications Inc

Inventors

• Svenér Johan
• Karlsson Peter C
• Persson Magnus

Classifications

• G01S11/06

  using intensity measurements · CPC title

• H04W4/30 Primary

  Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes · CPC title

• H04W4/33

  for indoor environments, e.g. buildings · CPC title

• G01S5/0258 Primary

  by combining or switching between measurements derived from different systems · CPC title

• H04W4/04 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic