IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,356,553
Granted Patent B2
US 10,356,553 · App. 15/619,171 · Granted Jul 16, 2019

Precise indoor localization and tracking of electronic devices

Inventors: Amit S. Sant (Santa Clara, CA); Alejandro J. Marquez (Cupertino, CA); Indranil S. Sen (Fremont, CA); Mohit Narang (San Jose, CA); Shang-Te Yang (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04W4/023G01S5/00G01S5/12G01S5/14H04W4/026H04W4/029H04W64/00H04W4/33H04W88/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,356,553
App. No.
15/619,171
Granted
Jul 16, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and devices useful in performing precise indoor localization and tracking are provided. By way of example, a method includes locating and tracking, via a first wireless electronic device, a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment. The method also includes performing front-back detection, performing stationary node detection, performing angle of arrival (AoA) error correction, and performing field of view (FOV) filtering. Performing indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices includes providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment.

Claims (73)

1. A method, comprising:

performing, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

performing front-back detection;

performing stationary node detection;

performing angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

performing field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein performing indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, wherein performing front-back detection comprises calculating a range matrix comprising range data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, calculating an angle of arrival (AoA) matrix comprising AoA data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, or both.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing AoA error correction comprises correcting an AoA measurement when one or more of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices moves within the indoor environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises locating and tracking each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within a range of 1-10 meters (m).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical location comprises XY coordinates of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment.

5. A method, comprising:

performing, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

performing front-back detection;

performing stationary node detection;

performing angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

performing field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein performing indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, wherein performing stationary node detection comprises applying a filter to establish a first bound and second bound for each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices, and wherein establishing the first bound and the second bound comprises determining whether each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices are stationary based at least in part on whether each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices are resolved as being within the first bound and the second bound.

6. A method, comprising:

performing, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

performing front-back detection;

performing stationary node detection;

performing angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

performing field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein performing indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, generating and adjusting a radio frequency (RF) map of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices, or both, and wherein adjusting the RF map comprises:

applying a multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm to generate a corrected shape of the RF map accounting for a plurality of possible distortions, the plurality of possible distortions comprising front-back ambiguity, flipped node ambiguity, or both; and

rotating the corrected shape of the RF map to reflect the physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising generating the corrected shape of the RF map and rotating the corrected shape of the RF map based at least in part on a range matrix and an angle of arrival (AoA) matrix calculated with respect to each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices.

8. An electronic device comprising circuitry to:

perform, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

perform front-back detection;

perform stationary node detection;

perform angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

perform field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein perform indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, wherein perform front-back detection comprises calculating a range matrix comprising range data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, calculating an angle of arrival (AoA) matrix comprising AoA data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, or both.

9. An electronic device comprising circuitry to:

perform, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

perform front-back detection;

perform stationary node detection;

perform angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

perform field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein perform indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, wherein performing stationary node detection comprises applying a filter to establish a first bound and second bound for each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices, and wherein establishing the first bound and the second bound comprises determining whether each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices are stationary based at least in part on whether each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices are resolved as being within the first bound and the second bound.

10. An electronic device comprising circuitry to:

perform, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

perform front-back detection;

perform stationary node detection;

perform angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

perform field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein perform indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, generating and adjusting a radio frequency (RF) map of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices, or both, and wherein adjusting the RF map comprises:

applying a multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm to generate a corrected shape of the RF map accounting for a plurality of possible distortions, the plurality of possible distortions comprising front-back ambiguity, flipped node ambiguity, or both; and

rotating the corrected shape of the RF map to reflect the physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment.

11. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by one or more processors, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:

perform, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

perform front-back detection;

perform stationary node detection;

perform angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

perform field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein perform indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, wherein perform front-back detection comprises calculating a range matrix comprising range data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, calculating an angle of arrival (AoA) matrix comprising AoA data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, or both.

12. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by one or more processors, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:

perform, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

perform front-back detection;

perform stationary node detection;

perform angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

perform field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein perform indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, wherein perform stationary node detection comprises applying a filter to establish a first bound and second bound for each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices, and wherein establishing the first bound and the second bound comprises determining whether each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices are stationary based at least in part on whether each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices are resolved as being within the first bound and the second bound.

13. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by one or more processors, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:

perform, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising:

perform front-back detection;

perform stationary node detection;

perform angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and

perform field of view (FOV) filtering;

wherein perform indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, generating and adjusting a radio frequency (RF) map of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices, or both, and wherein adjusting the RF map comprises:

applying a multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm to generate a corrected shape of the RF map accounting for a plurality of possible distortions, the plurality of possible distortions comprising front-back ambiguity, flipped node ambiguity, or both; and

rotating the corrected shape of the RF map to reflect the physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2017
From: SANT, AMIT S.; MARQUEZ, ALEJANDRO J.; SEN, INDRANIL S.; NARANG, MOHIT; YANG, SHANG-TE
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 043525/0427 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62399145 · Sep 23, 2016
Related Publication 20180091952A1 · Mar 29, 2018
Cited By (11)
US 12,190,186 US 12,212,077 US 12,212,964 US 12,283,143 US 12,314,638 US 12,367,725 US 12,372,617 US 12,495,299 US 12,601,598 US 12,657,972 US 12,739,636