Map handling for location based services in conjunction with localized environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9389085-B2
Application number	US-201113010577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2011
Priority date	Jan 22, 2010
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems, methods, apparatuses, devices, articles, and means for map handling for location based services in conjunction with localized environments. For certain example implementations, a method may comprise storing map information corresponding to a particular localized environment that is associated with a particular location context identifier, with the particular localized environment comprising an indoor environment corresponding to at least a portion of a building structure; receiving update information applicable to the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment, with the update information being associated with the particular location context identifier; updating the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment based at least partly on the update information so as to produce updated map information; and providing the updated map information to one or more mobile devices that are located at the particular localized environment. Other example implementations are described herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
storing map information corresponding to a particular localized environment that is associated with a particular location context identifier, the particular localized environment comprising an indoor environment corresponding to at least a portion of a building structure;
receiving and accumulating update information from a plurality of remote mobile devices, wherein the update information is applicable to the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment, the update information being associated with the particular location context identifier, wherein the update information from each remote mobile device comprises a same changed localized environment information;
updating the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment based at least partly on the update information to produce updated map information in response to the update information with the same changed localized environment information having been provided by a predetermined threshold number of remote mobile devices greater than one; and
providing the updated map information to one or more mobile devices that are located at the particular localized environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving a changed localized environment information that is associated with the particular location context identifier from an affiliated entity device, the affiliated entity device associated with an entity that is affiliated with the particular localized environment; and
updating the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment based at least partly on the changed localized environment information from the affiliated entity device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the changed localized environment information comprises modified localized environment information; and wherein said updating the map information comprises:
modifying the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment based at least partly on the modified localized environment information to produce the updated map information.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said modifying comprises:
adding the modified localized environment information to the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment to produce the updated map information.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said modifying comprises:
substituting the modified localized environment information for at least a portion of the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment to produce the updated map information.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the changed localized environment information comprises replacement localized environment information; and wherein said updating the map information comprises:
recreating map information corresponding to the particular localized environment based at least partly on the replacement localized environment information to produce the updated map information.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
contacting the affiliated entity device to determine if localized environment information has changed; and
if the localized environment information is determined to have changed, performing said updating the map information by updating the map information based at least partly on the changed localized environment information to produce the updated map information.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the update information comprises data representative of at least one incident that apparently conflicts with the map information; and wherein said receiving the update information further comprises:
receiving the data representative of the at least one incident that apparently conflicts with the map information that is associated with the particular location context identifier from the plurality of remote mobile devices, the plurality of remote mobile devices located at the particular localized environment.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
analyzing the data representative of the at least one incident that apparently conflicts with the map information to determine if the at least one incident conflicts with the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said updating the map information comprises:
updating the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment based at least partly on the data representative of the at least one incident and responsive to said analyzing.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data representative of the at least one incident that apparently conflicts with the map information comprises one or more indications that the each remote mobile device in the plurality of remote mobile devices is positioned within a zone that is labeled as an infeasible area in the map information; and wherein said updating the map information further comprises:
updating the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment by labeling the zone as a feasible area in the updated map information.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data representative of the at least one incident that apparently conflicts with the map information comprises one or more indications that point of interest information associated with a zone is incorrect; and wherein said updating the map information further comprises:
updating the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment by disassociating the point of interest information from the zone in the updated map information.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
said receiving the data representative of the at least one incident that apparently conflicts with the map information further comprises receiving corrected point of interest information for the zone from each remote mobile device in the plurality of remote mobile devices; and
said updating the map information further comprises associating the corrected point of interest information with the zone in the updated map information responsive to said receiving of the corrected point of interest information for the zone from each remote mobile device in the plurality of remote mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data representative of the at least one incident that apparently conflicts with the map information comprises a tracked trajectory for each remote mobile device in the plurality of remote mobile devices that passes through an apparent obstacle present in the map information; and wherein said updating the map information further comprises:
updating the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment by altering the apparent obstacle for the updated map information.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising replacing the map information with the updated map information.

16. An apparatus comprising:
at least one memory to store instructions; and
one or more processors to execute said instructions and cause the apparatus to:
store map information corresponding to a particular localized environment that is associated with a particular location context identifier, the particular localized environment comprising an indoor environment corresponding to at least a portion of a building structure, wherein the update information comprises changed localized environment information;
receive and accumulate update information from a plurality of remote mobile devices, wherein the update information is applicable to the map information corresponding to the particular localized environment, the update

Assignees

• Khorashadi Behrooz
• Das Saumitra Mohan
• Gupta Rajarshi
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Khorashadi Behrooz
• Das Saumitra Mohan
• Gupta Rajarshi

Classifications

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• G09B29/106

  using electronic means · CPC title

• G01C21/20 Primary

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04W4/33

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