Patent · US Active

Methods and apparatus for determining locations of devices in confined spaces

US9661473B1 · kind B1 · utility

20Cited by
3References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 17, 2016
Grant dateMay 23, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 17, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W4/33
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A location device (e.g., realized at one or more of a mobile device and/or a location server) includes a wireless transceiver, one or more location sensors and a floor-plan of a venue. The location device determines a plurality of hypothetical locations of a mobile device in the venue in response to data sets provided by the one or more location sensors. The data sets are associated with obstacle indication values calculated for the venue or for regions of the venue including locations corresponding to the data sets. The obstacle indication values indicate the proximity or orientation of the obstacle edges in the region or in the venue. The location device refines the one or more hypothetical locations based on the obstacle indication values to provide an estimate of the current location of the mobile device.

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