Estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal based on temperature and atmospheric pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9432811-B2
Application number	US-201414472574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2014
Priority date	Aug 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal in a geographic region. The technique is based on the recognition that some three-dimensional locations of the wireless terminal are improbable, and that measurements of temperature and atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal and outside can be used to determine which lateral locations of the wireless terminal are improbable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
receiving, at a data processing system, the identity of a radio signal that is received by a wireless terminal;
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal;
designating at least one of a plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable based on:
(i) the measurement of atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal; and

estimating the lateral location of the wireless terminal to be one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal not designated as improbable based on:
(i) the identity of the radio signal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of a location-dependent trait of a radio signal as received by the wireless terminal; and
wherein estimating the lateral location of the wireless terminal to be one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal not designated as improbable is also based on:
(ii) the measurement of the location-dependent trait of the radio signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of atmospheric pressure at a location that is outdoors; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(ii) the measurement of atmospheric pressure at the location that is outdoors.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of temperature at the wireless terminal; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(ii) the measurement of temperature at the wireless terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of temperature at a location that is outdoors; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(iii) the measurement of temperature at the location that is outdoors.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal not designated as improbable are indoors.

7. A method of estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
receiving, at a data processing system, a measurement of a location-dependent trait of a radio signal as received by a wireless terminal;
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal;
designating at least one of a plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable based on:
(i) the measurement of atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal; and

estimating the lateral location of the wireless terminal to be one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal not designated as improbable based on:
(i) the measurement of the location-dependent trait of the radio signal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of estimating the lateral location of the wireless terminal comprises:
comparing the measurement of the location-dependent trait of the radio signal to:
(a) a first expected value of the location-dependent trait of the radio signal at a first lateral location, and
(b) a second expected value of the location-dependent trait of the radio signal at a second lateral location.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of atmospheric pressure at a location that is outdoors; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(ii) the measurement of atmospheric pressure at the location that is outdoors.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of temperature at the wireless terminal; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(ii) the measurement of temperature at the wireless terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of temperature at a location that is outdoors; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(iii) the measurement of temperature at the location that is outdoors.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein all of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal not designated as improbable are indoors.

13. A method of estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
receiving, at a data processing system, a measurement of a difference of a location-dependent trait of:
(1) a first radio signal as received by a wireless terminal, wherein the first radio signal is transmitted by a first transmitter at a first location, and
(2) a second radio signal as received by the wireless terminal, wherein the second radio signal is transmitted by a second transmitter at a second location, and

receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal;
designating at least one of a plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable based on:
(i) the measurement of atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal; and

estimating the lateral location of the wireless terminal to be one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal not designated as improbable based on:
(i) the measurement of the difference of the location-dependent trait.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of atmospheric pressure at a location that is outdoors; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(ii) the measurement of atmospheric pressure at the location that is outdoors.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of temperature at the wireless terminal; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(ii) the measurement of temperature at the wireless terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of temperature at a location that is outdoors; and
wherein designating at least one of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal as improbable is also based on:
(iii) the measurement of temperature at the location that is outdoors.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein all of the plurality of possible lateral locations of the wireless terminal not designated as improbable are indoors.

18. A method of estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
receiving, at a data processing system, the identity of a radio signal that is received by a wireless terminal;
receiving, at the data processing system, a measurement of temperature at the wireless terminal;

Assignees

• Polaris Wireless Inc

Inventors

• De Lorenzo David S
• Segal Benjamin Lipeles
• Zhu Jian

Classifications

• H04W4/025 Primary

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• G06F1/1694

  the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer · CPC title