Methods and systems for estimating a user position in a WLAN positioning system based on user assigned access point locations
A method of estimating a location of a WLAN-enabled user-device in a WLAN-based positioning system is provided. The WLAN-enabled device receives signals transmitted by WLAN-enabled access points in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device so that observed WLAN-enabled access points identify themselves. The method includes accessing a master database that associates WLAN-enabled access points with corresponding audited locations as determined by an audit of a relatively large geographic area and obtaining location information for any identified WLAN-enabled access point. The method includes accessing a supplemental database to obtain inferred location information corresponding to any identified WLAN-enabled access point. The supplemental database has a relatively small set of WLAN-enabled access points and corresponding inferred locations. The inferred locations are inferred based on input by a user of the WLAN-based positioning system. The method includes estimating a location of the WLAN-enabled user-device based on the audited location information and the inferred location information.
1. A method of estimating a geographic location of a WLAN-enabled user-device in a WLAN-based positioning system having a plurality of WLAN-enabled access points, the method comprising:
the WLAN-enabled device receiving signals transmitted by WLAN-enabled access points in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device so that observed WLAN-enabled access points identify themselves;
accessing a master database that associates WLAN-enabled access points with corresponding geographic locations for the WLAN-enabled access points as determined by an audit of a relatively large geographic area and obtaining geographic location information for any identified WLAN-enabled access point in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device;
accessing a supplemental database to obtain inferred geographic location information corresponding to any identified WLAN-enabled access point in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device, the supplemental database having a relatively small set of WLAN-enabled access points and corresponding inferred geographic locations, the inferred geographic locations being inferred based on input by a user of the WLAN-based positioning system; and
estimating a geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device based on the geographic location information obtained from the master database and the inferred geographic location information obtained from the supplemental database.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental database includes a subset of WLAN-enabled access points of the master database and corresponding inferred geographic locations based on inferring the geographic locations of the WLAN-enabled access points of the subset are incorrect in the master database.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental database includes WLAN-enabled access points that were not discovered by the audit of the relatively large geographic area.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one geographic location from the master database and at least one inferred geographic location are for the same WLAN-enabled access point and wherein the inferred geographic location is used in place of the geographic location from the master database when estimating the geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inferred geographic location information used to estimate the geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device is inferred based on input by a single selected user of the WLAN-based positioning system.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the master database and the supplemental database resides on the WLAN-enabled user-device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the master database and the supplemental database resides on a server remote from the WLAN-enabled user-device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inferred geographic location is supplied by a user of the WLAN-based positioning system.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the inferred geographic location is a current location of the WLAN-enabled user-device.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein a WLAN-enabled access point and its inferred geographic location are included in the supplemental database if the difference between the user-supplied geographic location and the geographic location in the master database associated with the WLAN-enabled access point is greater than a threshold distance.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the threshold distance is based on the average signal propagation distance of more than one WLAN-enabled access points of the WLAN-based positioning system.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the threshold distance is about 300 meters.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input by the user of the WLAN-based positioning system is a street address.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input by the user of the WLAN-based positioning system is a latitude and longitude.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inferred geographic location is based on input by more than one user of the WLAN-based positioning system.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating a street address corresponding to the estimated geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein estimating the street address is based on a user-supplied street address having a distance from the estimated geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device that is less than a threshold distance.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the threshold distance is about 30 meters.
19. A system for estimating a geographic location of a WLAN-enabled user-device in a WLAN-based positioning system having a plurality of WLAN-enabled access points, the system comprising:
a WLAN-enabled device for receiving signals transmitted by WLAN-enabled access points in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device so that observed WLAN-enabled access points identify themselves;
a first logic for accessing a master database that associates WLAN-enabled access points with corresponding geographic locations for the WLAN-enabled access points as determined by an audit of a relatively large geographic area and obtaining geographic location information for any identified WLAN-enabled access point in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device;
a second logic for accessing a supplemental database to obtain inferred geographic location information corresponding to any identified WLAN-enabled access point in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device, the supplemental database having a relatively small set of WLAN-enabled access points and corresponding inferred geographic locations, the inferred geographic locations being inferred based on input by a user of the WLAN-based positioning system; and
a third logic for estimating a geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device based on the geographic location information obtained from the master database and the inferred geographic location information obtained from the supplemental database.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the supplemental database includes a subset of WLAN-enabled access points of the master database and corresponding inferred geographic locations based on inferring the geographic locations of the WLAN-enabled access points of the subset are incorrect in the master database.
21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the supplemental database includes WLAN-enabled access points that were not discovered by the audit of the relatively large geographic area.
22. The system of claim 19 , wherein at least one geographic location from the master database and at least one inferred geographic location are for the same WLAN-enabled access point and wherein the inferred geographic location is used in place of the geographic location from the master database when estimating the geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device.
23. The system of claim 19 , wherein the inferred geographic location information used to estimate the geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device is inferred based on input by a single selected user of the WLAN-based positioning system.
24. The system of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the master database and the supplemental database resides on the WLAN-enabled user-device.
25. The system of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the master database and the supplemental database resides on a server remote from the WLAN-enabled user-device.
26. The system of claim 19 , wherein the inferred geographic location is supplied by a user of the WLAN-based positioning system.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the inferred geographic location is a current location of the WLAN-enabled user-device.
28. The system of claim 26 , wherein a WLAN-enabled access point and its inferred geographic location are included in the supplemental database if the difference between the user-supplied geographic location and the geographic location in the master database associated with the WLAN-enabled access point is greater than a threshold distance.
29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the threshold distance is based on the average signal propagation distance of more than one WLAN-enabled access points of the WLAN-based positioning system.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the threshold distance is about 300 meters.
31. The system of claim 19 , wherein the input by the user of the WLAN-based positioning system is a street address.
32. The system of claim 19 , wherein the input by the user of the WLAN-based positioning system is a latitude and longitude.
33. The system of claim 19 , wherein the inferred geographic location is based on input by more than one user of the WLAN-based positioning system.
34. The system of claim 19 , further comprising a fourth logic for estimating a street address corresponding to the estimated geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device.
35. The system of claim 34 , wherein estimating the street address is based on a user-supplied street address having a distance from the estimated geographic location of the WLAN-enabled user-device that is less than a threshold distance.
36. The system of claim 35 , wherein the threshold distance is about 30 meters.