Device, system and method of estimating a relative location of a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291701-B2
Application number	US-201113976155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2011
Priority date	Dec 27, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of determining a relative-location of a mobile device. For example, a proximity estimator may receive input information of at least first and second sets of one or more wireless communication devices corresponding to first and second mobile devices, respectively, and may determine a relative location of the first mobile device with respect to the second mobile device based on a relationship between the information of the first and second sets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a communication component to receive input information including at least a first input corresponding to a first mobile device and a second input corresponding to a second mobile device, the first input including first values, as measured with respect to wireless signals communicated between the first mobile device and a first set of wireless communication devices, the second input including one or more second values, as measured with respect to wireless signals communicated between the second mobile device and a second set of wireless communication devices; and
a proximity estimator component configured to identify one or more common wireless communication devices, which are included in both the first and second sets of wireless communication devices, the proximity estimator component configured to determine one or more zero-crossing parameter values based on one or more of the first values measured with respect to the one or more common wireless communication devices and one or more of the second values measured with respect to the one or more common wireless communication devices, the proximity estimator component configured to determine a proximity between said first mobile device and said second mobile device, based on a zero-crossing criterion, which is based on a change in a sign of the one or more zero-crossing parameter values.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first values include values measured by the first mobile device with respect to wireless signals received from the first set of wireless communication devices.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said first values include values measured by at least one wireless communication device of the first set of wireless communication devices with respect to signals received from the first mobile device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said input information includes one or more values, which depend on a relative location of said first and second mobile devices with respect to said first and second sets of wireless communication devices, respectively.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein said first values include one or more Time of Flight (TOF) values.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein said input information includes at least one scan list of at least one of said first and second mobile devices.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first values include one or more Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein one or more wireless communication devices of the first set of wireless communication devices comprise one or more access points.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein said proximity estimator component is capable of generating a proximity indication corresponding to the first and second mobile devices, if the determined proximity satisfies a proximity criterion.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the input information comprises real-time information.

11. A system comprising:
a server comprising a memory having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, and a processor to execute said instructions to implement one or more operations at the server, the operations comprising:
receiving input information including at least a first input corresponding to a first mobile device and a second input corresponding to a second mobile device, the first input including first values, as measured with respect to wireless signals communicated between the first mobile device and a first set of wireless communication devices, the second input including one or more second values, as measured with respect to wireless signals communicated between the second mobile device and a second set of wireless communication devices;
identifying one or more common wireless communication devices, which are included in both the first and second sets of wireless communication devices;
determining one or more zero-crossing parameter values based on one or more of the first values measured with respect to the one or more common wireless communication devices and one or more of the second values measured with respect to the one or more common wireless communication devices; and
determining a proximity between said first mobile device and said second mobile device, based on a zero-crossing criterion, which is based on a change in a sign of the one or more zero-crossing parameter values.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first values include values measured by the first mobile device with respect to wireless signals received from the first set of wireless communication devices.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein said first values include values measured by at least one wireless communication device of the first set of wireless communication devices with respect to signals received from the first mobile device.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first values include one or more Time of Flight (TOF) values.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein said server is capable of generating a proximity indication corresponding to the first and second mobile devices, if the determined proximity satisfies a proximity criterion.

16. A method comprising:
receiving input information including at least a first input corresponding to a first mobile device and a second input corresponding to a second mobile device, the first input including first values, as measured with respect to wireless signals communicated between the first mobile device and a first set of wireless communication devices, the second input including one or more second values, as measured with respect to wireless signals communicated between the second mobile device and a second set of wireless communication devices;
identifying one or more common wireless communication devices, which are included in both the first and second sets of wireless communication devices;
determining one or more zero-crossing parameter values based on one or more of the first values measured with respect to the one or more common wireless communication devices and one or more of the second values measured with respect to the one or more common wireless communication devices; and
determining a proximity between said first mobile device and said second mobile device, based on a zero-crossing criterion, which is based on a change in a sign of the one or more zero-crossing parameter values.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first values include values measured by the first mobile device with respect to wireless signals received from the first set of wireless communication devices.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first values include values measured by at least one wireless communication device of the first set of wireless communication with respect to signals received from the first mobile device.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first values include one or more Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values.

20. The method of claim 16 comprising generating a proximity indication corresponding to the first and second mobile devices, if the determined proximity satisfies a proximity criterion.

Assignees

• Shabtay Ophir
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Shabtay Ophir

Classifications

• G01S5/0289 Primary

  of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks · CPC title

• G01S5/0284 Primary

  Relative positioning · CPC title