Patent · US Active

Selecting beacons for location inference

US8618984B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 19, 2010
Grant dateDec 31, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 5, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W64/00
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Location inference using selected beacons. Data is received representing a set of beacons observed by a computing device. The beacons are located within a first geographic area. A subset (e.g., a clique) of the beacons is selected based on a coverage area of each of the beacons, where each of the beacons in the selected subset has a coverage area that overlaps with the coverage area of each of the other beacons in the selected subset. Using known or estimated positions of the beacons, a second geographic area is defined based on the selected subset of beacons and the beacon reference data and the coverage areas associated therewith. The second geographic area, smaller than the first geographic area, represents an approximate location of the computing device. In some embodiments, the computing device is calculated to be within the second geographic area with 95% probability.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.