Generating maps of private spaces using mobile computing device sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823078-B2
Application number	US-97809810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2010
Priority date	Dec 23, 2010
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Digital maps of private spaces may be implemented using mobile computing device sensors. Sensor data may be received from one or more mobile computing devices to determine a digital signature describing a private space. Scheduling data may also be received from the one or more mobile devices. The scheduling data may describe a location associated with the private space to be mapped. A digital map of the private space may then be generated from the digital signature and the location associated with the private space in the scheduling data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of generating maps of private spaces using mobile computing device sensors, comprising:
receiving, by the computer, sensor data from at least one mobile computing device, the sensor data including location information of the at least one mobile computing device;
receiving, by the computer, other sensor data from a plurality of other mobile computing devices, the other sensor data including other location information of each of the plurality of other mobile computing devices;
determining a digital signature describing the location information from the sensor data,
wherein the digital signature is based on at least one of a Wi-Fi access point signal strength, altimeter data, GPS data, and mobile operator signal strength;
receiving, by the computer, scheduling data gathered from the at least one mobile computing device, the scheduling data describing a location name and a time of an event;
receiving, by the computer, other scheduling data gathered from the plurality of other computing devices, the other scheduling data describing the location name and the time of the event;
performing a statistical analysis to determine to assign the location name to a location associated with the location information, wherein the statistical analysis comprises:
determining that the time of the event corresponds to a time when the sensor data was received; and
determining that a density of other information and the other scheduling data indicates that the location name is associated with the location;

assigning the location name to the location; and
updating, by the computer, a map database that stores a digital map of a private space, wherein the updating includes assigning the location name to the private space, wherein the private space is located, at least in part, at the location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the map database comprises enhancing a public map with the location information assigned to the location name associated with the private space.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the map database comprises:
determining that the received sensor data comprises sensor data that has not been previously stored by the map database;
creating an entry for the location associated with the private space in the map database; and
storing the sensor data that has not been previously stored by the map database and a name associated with the entry in the map database.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the map database comprises:
determining that the received sensor data comprises a combination of new sensor data and the sensor data associated with the private space which has been previously stored in the map database;
determining a correlation between the new sensor data and the location name associated with the private space; and
augmenting the previously stored sensor data and the location name associated with the private space with the new sensor data to generate the digital map.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the map database comprises:
determining that the received sensor data comprises a combination of new sensor data and the sensor data associated with the private space which has been previously stored in a database;
determining a correlation between the new sensor data and another location name associated with another private space;
augmenting the sensor data associated with another location name with the new sensor data to generate the digital map;
sending a query to the at least one mobile computing device to confirm the augmentation of the digital map.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a query to the at least one mobile computing device to confirm the location of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information comprises a GPS signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the private space is a conference room.

9. A server for generating maps of private spaces using mobile computing device sensors, comprising:
a memory storing executable program code; and
a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code, wherein the processor:
retrieves sensor data from at least one mobile computing device, the sensor data including location information of the at least one mobile computing device;
retrieves other sensor data from a plurality of other mobile computing devices, the other sensor data including other location information of each of the plurality of other mobile computing devices;
retrieves scheduling data gathered from the at least one mobile computing device, the scheduling data describing a location name and a time of an event;
retrieves other scheduling data gathered from the plurality of other computing devices, the other scheduling data describing the location name and the time of the event;
performs a statistical analysis to determine to assign the location name to a location associated with the location information, wherein the statistical analysis comprises:
determines that the time of the event corresponds to a time when the sensor data was received; and
determines that a density of the other information and the other scheduling data indicates that the location name is associated with the location;

assigns the location name to the location information based in part on a determination that the time of the event corresponds to a time when the sensor data was received; and
updates a digital map of the private space, wherein the updates include assigning the location name to the private space.

10. The server of claim 9 , wherein the processor, in updating the digital map of the private space:
determines that the received sensor data comprises sensor data that has not been previously stored by a database;
creates an entry for the location associated with the private space in the database; and
stores the sensor data that has not been previously stored by the database and a name associated with the entry in the database.

11. The server of claim 9 , wherein the processor, in updating the digital map of the private space:
determines that the received sensor data comprises a combination of new sensor data and the sensor data associated with the private space which has been previously stored in a database;
determines a correlation between the new sensor data and the location associated with the private space; and
augments the previously stored sensor data and the location associated with the private space with the new sensor data to generate the digital map.

12. The server of claim 9 , wherein the processor, in updating the digital map of the private space:
determines that the received sensor data comprises a combination of new sensor data and the sensor data associated with the private space which has been previously stored in a database;
determines a correlation between the new sensor data and another location name associated with another private space;
augments the sensor data associated with another location name with the new sensor data to generate the digital map;
sends a query to the at least one mobile computing device to confirm the augmentation of the digital map.

13. The server of claim 9 , wherein the processor further: sends a query to the at least one mobile computing device to confirm the location of the mobile device.

14. The server of claim 9 , wherein the location information comprises a GPS signal.

15. The server of claim 9 , wherein the private space is a conference room.

16. A computer system

Assignees

• Esteve Balducci Juan V
• Miller Quentin S
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Esteve Balducci Juan V
• Miller Quentin S

Classifications

• G01C21/32

  Structuring or formatting of map data · CPC title

• G06F17/30973

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• G09B29/106

  using electronic means · CPC title

• G01C21/3841

  Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles · CPC title