Pressure sensor assisted position determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9967701-B1
Application number	US-201514690878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A method may perform assisted position determination based on pressure measurements which includes ascertaining a pressure value, and determining whether the ascertained pressure value is within a first threshold of a stored pressure value of the set of stored position and pressure values. The method may also include obtaining a stored position value, from the set of stored position and pressure values, which corresponds to the stored pressure value, in response to determining that the ascertained pressure value is within the first threshold of the stored pressure value, and providing the stored position value as a current location along the route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
ascertaining a pressure value, the ascertaining further comprising:
measuring a first discrete pressure value,
measuring a current discrete pressure value after the first discrete pressure value, and
determining a current differential pressure value by calculating a difference between the current discrete pressure value and the first discrete pressure value;

determining whether the ascertained pressure value is within a first threshold of a stored pressure value from a set of stored position and pressure values associated with a route, which further comprises:
determining a stored differential pressure value from the set of stored position and pressure values, and
determining whether the current differential pressure value and the stored differential pressure value are within the first threshold;

obtaining a stored position value, from the set of stored position and pressure values, which corresponds to a stored pressure value, in response to determining that the ascertained pressure value is within the first threshold of the stored pressure value; and
providing the stored position value as a current location along the route.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
identifying the set of stored position and pressure values associated with the route, wherein the identifying further comprises:
measuring at least one additional discrete pressure value prior to measuring the first discrete pressure value;
determining at least one additional differential pressure value by calculating at least one difference between adjacent pressure values taken from the first discrete pressure value and the at least one additional discrete pressure value; and
specifying the identified set of stored position and pressure values from a plurality of sets of stored position and pressure values based on at least one of the current differential pressure value or the at least one differential pressure value, wherein the stored pressure values are differential pressure values corresponding to the current route.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
identifying the set of stored position and pressure values associated with the route, wherein the identifying further comprises:
activating a satellite navigation system (SNS) receiver;
generating a position value from the SNS receiver;
measuring a discrete pressure value from a pressure sensor, wherein the measured pressure value is substantially coincident in time with the generated position value;
determining a proximate set of stored position and pressure values from a plurality of sets of stored position and pressure values, wherein the generated position value is within a second threshold of a stored position value of the proximate set of stored position and pressure values;
determining whether the measured pressure value is within a third threshold of a stored pressure value of the proximate set of stored position and pressure values;
specifying the proximate set of stored position and pressure values as the identified set of stored position and pressure values in response to determining that the measured pressure value is within the third threshold of the stored pressure value of the proximate set of stored position and pressure values; and
deactivating the SNS receiver.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein upon failing to determine the proximate set of stored position and pressure values, or upon determining the measured pressure value is not within the third threshold of a stored pressure value, the method further comprises:
storing the generated position value and measured pressure value;
generating at least one subsequent position value by the SNS receiver;
measuring at least one subsequent pressure value coincident in time with the at least one subsequent position value; and
repeating the determining a proximate set of stored position and pressure values, and the determining whether the measured pressure value is within the third threshold, for each of the at least one subsequent position and pressure values, until an identified set of stored position and pressure values is specified.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sets of stored position and pressure values include values that are aggregated from a plurality of mobile devices associated with distinct users.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining whether the identified set of stored position and pressure values corresponds to a frequently traveled route; and
at least one of storing or transmitting the generated position and measured pressure value.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining a SNS receiver is unable provide position values; and
designating a last known position value as a current position value for the identifying the set of stored position and pressure values.

8. A mobile device, comprising:
a wireless interface that communicates over a wireless channel;
a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure values;
a Satellite Navigation System (SNS) receiver configured to generate position values;
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor, coupled to the wireless interface, the SNS receiver, and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory to:
ascertain a pressure value based on at least one discrete pressure value received from the pressure sensor, wherein the instructions to ascertain a pressure value further cause the processor to:
measure a first discrete pressure value,
measure a current discrete pressure value after the first discrete pressure value, and
determine a current differential pressure value by calculating a difference between the current discrete pressure value and the first discrete pressure value,

determine whether the ascertained pressure value is within a first threshold of a stored pressure value from a set of stored position and pressure values associated with a route, wherein the instructions to determine whether the ascertained pressure value is within a first threshold further cause the processor to:
determine a stored differential pressure value from the set of stored position and pressure values, and
determine whether the current differential pressure value and the stored differential pressure value are within the first threshold,

obtain a stored position value, from the set of stored position and pressure values, which corresponds to a stored pressure value, in response to determining that the ascertained pressure value is within the first threshold of the stored pressure value, and
provide the stored position value as a current location along the route.

9. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
identify the set of stored position and pressure values associated with the route, and wherein the instructions to identify further cause the processor to:
measure at least one additional discrete pressure value prior to measuring the first discrete pressure value,
determine at least one additional differential pressure value by calculating at least one difference between adjacent pressure values taken from the first discrete pressure value and the at least one additional discrete pressure value, and
determine the identified set of stored position and pressure values from a plurality of sets of stored position and pressure values based on at least one of the current differential pressure value or the at least one differential pressure value, wherein the stored pressure values are differential pressure values corresponding to the current route.

10. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Barfield Jr James Ronald

Classifications

• H04W4/02 Primary

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G01C21/00

  Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 (measuring distance traversed on the ground by a vehicle G01C22/00; control of position, course, altitude or attitude of vehicles G05D1/00; traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968) · CPC title

• G01L13/00

  Devices or apparatus for measuring differences of two or more fluid pressure values · CPC title

• G01C21/20

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

• G01C21/005

  with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching (G01C21/30 takes precedence) · CPC title