Method and apparatus for providing location information of user devices based on signal frequencies of transmitters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9244150-B2
Application number	US-201213482363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2012
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

An approach is provided for providing location information of user devices based on signal frequencies of transmitters. The positioning platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more signals, from one or more transmitters, captured at one or more user devices to determine one or more frequencies of the one or more signals. Next, the positioning platform determines device location information of the one or more user devices based, at least in part, on the one or more frequencies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
processing with a processor, one or more signals from one or more transmitters, the one or more signals captured at one or more user devices to determine one or more frequencies of the one or more signals;
determining transmitter location information of the one or more transmitters from a database;
determining respective associations of the one or more signals and the one or more frequencies with the respective one or more transmitters;
filtering the one or more signals based on the one or more associated frequencies to generate one or more output signals; and
determining device location information of the one or more user devices based, on the one or more frequencies, the transmitter location information, the respective associations of the one or more signals with the respective one or more transmitters, and the one or more output signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the one or more output signals to determine one or more energy levels of the one or more output signals, wherein the device location information is further based on the one or more energy levels.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining one or more intersections of the one or more output signals based, on the one or more energy levels, wherein the device location information is further based on the one or more intersections.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing a presentation of a map depicting the device location information based on the transmitter location information.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing at least one of combining the one or more transmitters or modify the one or more associated frequencies of the one or more transmitters, wherein the device location information is further based on the combining, the modification, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more transmitters include, at least in part, one or more speakers, and the one or more signals include, at least in part, one or more audio signals.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more speakers include, at least in part, one or more fixed directional speakers at one or more predetermined locations.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more audio signals are associated with ultrasound frequencies.

9. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least
one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, process one or more signals from one or more transmitters, the one or more signals captured at one or more user devices to determine one or more frequencies of the one or more signals;
determine transmitter location information of the one or more transmitters from a database;
determine respective associations of the one or more signals and the one or more frequencies with the respective one or more transmitters;
filter the one or more signals based on the one or more associated frequencies to generate one or more output signals; and
determine device location information of the one or more user devices based, at least in part, on the one or more frequencies, the transmitter location information, the respective associations of the one or more signals with the respective one or more transmitters, and the one or more output signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
process the one or more output signals to determine one or more energy levels of the one or more output signals, wherein the device location information is further based on the one or more energy levels.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine one or more intersections of the one or more output signals based on the one or more energy levels, wherein the device location information is further based on the one or more intersections.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
cause a presentation of a map depicting the device location information based on the transmitter location information.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
cause at least one of combining of the one or more transmitters, modifying of the one or more associated frequencies of the one or more transmitters, or a combination thereof, wherein the device location information is further based on the combining, the modification, or a combination thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more transmitters include one or more speakers, and the one or more signals include, at least in part, one or more audio signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more speakers include one or more fixed directional speakers at one or more predetermined locations.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more audio signals are associated with ultrasound frequencies.

Assignees

• Sathish Sailesh Kumar
• Leppanen Jussi
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Sathish Sailesh Kumar
• Leppanen Jussi

Classifications

• G01S5/18 Primary

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G01S5/02521 Primary

  using a radio-map · CPC title

• G01S1/72

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G01S1/14

  using amplitude comparison of signals transmitted simultaneously from antennas or antenna systems having differently oriented overlapping directivity-characteristics · CPC title

• G01S5/26

  Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/28 takes precedence) · CPC title