Apparatus, system and method of estimating a location of a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9485627-B2
Application number	US-201414492033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2014
Priority date	Sep 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of estimating a location of a mobile device. For example, an apparatus may include a radio to receive location information including locations of a plurality of detected access points; and a location estimator to select from the plurality of detected access points a plurality of selected access points, based on the location information, and to estimate a location of the mobile device based on communications from the plurality of selected access points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device comprising:
a radio to receive location information including locations of a plurality of detected access points; and
a location estimator to select from said plurality of detected access points a plurality of selected access points, based on the location information, and to estimate a location of said mobile device based on communications from the plurality of selected access points,
said location estimator to determine a plurality of different access point combinations including a respective plurality of different combinations of two or more access points of the plurality of detected access points,
said location estimator to determine a plurality of grades corresponding to the plurality of access point combinations, and, based on the plurality of grades, to determine the plurality of selected access points to include a selected combination from the plurality of access point combinations, said location estimator to determine a first grade corresponding to a first access point combination comprising access points communicating over a first number of different frequency channels, and to determine a second grade, which is prioritized to the first grade, corresponding to a second access point combination comprising access points communicating over a second number of different frequency channels, which is less than the first number of frequency channels.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to select a plurality of candidate access points from said plurality of detected access points, and to select the plurality of selected access points from the plurality of candidate access points.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to determine for an access point combination comprising access points located on a same floor as the mobile device a grade, which is prioritized to a grade of an access point combination comprising one or more access points located on a different floor from the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to determine a grade of an access point combination of the plurality of access point combinations based on a location of the mobile device relative to locations of one or more access points of the access point combination.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to determine a grade of an access point combination of the plurality of access point combinations based on a communication band of one or more access points of the access point combination.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to determine for an access point combination comprising access points operating in a first frequency band a grade, which is prioritized to a grade of an access point combination comprising access points operating in a second frequency band, which is lower than the first frequency band.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to associate said plurality of detected access points with a plurality of access point clusters, to determine a plurality of cluster-representative access points corresponding to said plurality of access point clusters, and to select the plurality of selected access points from said plurality of cluster-representative access points.

8. The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein said location estimator is to associate a detected access point with an access point cluster based on an address of the detected access point, or a location of the detected access point.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to distribute the plurality of detected access points to a plurality of groups corresponding to a respective plurality of location areas, and to select the plurality of selected access points based on the plurality of groups.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein said plurality of location areas comprises a plurality of floors of an indoor area.

11. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein said location estimator is to prioritize between access points of a group based on a location of the mobile device relative to locations of the access points of the group.

12. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein said location estimator is to prioritize between access points of a group based on a received signal strength from the access points of the group.

13. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said location estimator is to estimate the location of the mobile device based on one or more measurements selected from the group consisting of Time of Flight (ToF) measurement with said plurality of selected access points, and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) measurements.

14. A wireless communication system comprising a mobile device, the mobile device comprising:
one or more antennas;
a memory;
a processor;
a radio to receive location information including locations of a plurality of detected access points; and
a location estimator to select from said plurality of detected access points a plurality of selected access points, based on the location information, and to estimate a location of said mobile device based on communications from the plurality of selected access points,
said location estimator to determine a plurality of different access point combinations including a respective plurality of different combinations of two or more access points of the plurality of detected access points,
said location estimator to determine a plurality of grades corresponding to the plurality of access point combinations, and, based on the plurality of grades, to determine the plurality of selected access points to include a selected combination from the plurality of access point combinations, said location estimator to determine a first grade corresponding to a first access point combination comprising access points communicating over a first number of different frequency channels, and to determine a second grade, which is prioritized to the first grade, corresponding to a second access point combination comprising access points communicating over a second number of different frequency channels, which is less than the first number of frequency channels.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14 , wherein said location estimator is to select a plurality of candidate access points from said plurality of detected access points, and to select the plurality of selected access points from the plurality of candidate access points.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 14 , wherein said location estimator is to determine for an access point combination comprising access points located on a same floor as the mobile device a grade, which is prioritized to a grade of an access point combination comprising one or more access points located on a different floor from the mobile device.

17. A method to be performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:
receiving location information including locations of a plurality of detected access points;
selecting from said plurality of detected access points a plurality of selected access points, based on the location information, selecting the plurality of selected access points comprising:
determining a plurality of different access point combinations including a respective plurality of different combinations of two or more access points of the plurality of detected access points;
determining a plurality of grades corresponding to the plurality of access point combinations, determining the plurality of grades comprising determining a first grade corresponding to a first access po

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• David Moshe
• Steiner Itai
• Orenov Alex
• Kopelman Kobi
• Prechner Gaby

Classifications

• H04W4/043 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title