IP Library Granted Patent US 10,212,550
Granted Patent B2
US 10,212,550 · App. 15/881,586 · Granted Feb 19, 2019

Locating a user device

Inventors: Srinivasan Rajagopal (Mountain View, CA); Mohammed Waleed Kadous (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
H04W4/023
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,212,550
App. No.
15/881,586
Granted
Feb 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure support improving determination of a location of a driver device that performs bandwidth constrained communication with a server, based on sensor data acquired by the driver device. The driver device reduces dimensionality of the acquired sensor data before transmitting the sensor data to the server over a communication network. The server receives GPS data and compressed sensor data from the driver device, and determines a quality metric related to the GPS data. Based on the quality metric, the server increases dimensionality of the compressed sensor data to reconstruct original sensor data acquired by the driver device. The server than augments the GPS data with the reconstructed sensor data, and determines location information of the driver device based on the augmented data.

Claims (64)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) data with position information associated with the apparatus;

at least one sensor configured to acquire sensor data having a first dimensionality;

a processor configured to process the acquired sensor data to reduce dimensionality of the acquired sensor data from the first dimensionality to a second dimensionality; and

a transmitter configured to:

periodically transmit the GPS data over a communication network with a first transmission periodicity, and

periodically transmit the processed sensor data over the communication network with a second transmission periodicity, the second transmission periodicity adjusted over time based at least in part on information about a location of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the receiver is further configured to receive a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of the location of the apparatus on a map; and

the transmitter is further configured to adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by adjusting the second transmission periodicity, based on the received feedback signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to:

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by decreasing the second transmission periodicity, when the location of the apparatus is within a threshold vicinity from a defined region on the map; and

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by increasing the second transmission periodicity, when the location of the apparatus is outside the threshold vicinity from the defined region on the map.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the received feedback signal is further indicative of a quality metric of the GPS data, and the transmitter is further configured to:

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by decreasing the second transmission periodicity, when the quality metric is below a predetermined threshold value; and

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by increasing the second transmission periodicity, when the quality metric is above the predetermined threshold value.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the receiver is further configured to receive a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of the location of the apparatus; and

the processor is further configured to adjust processing of the acquired sensor data by adjusting the second dimensionality, based on the received feedback signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the receiver is further configured to receive a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of a quality metric of the GPS data; and

the processor is further configured to adjust processing of the acquired sensor data by adjusting the second dimensionality, based on the received feedback signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of: an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and a spatial triangulation sensor coupled to the apparatus.

8. A method comprising:

obtaining, at an apparatus, global positioning system (GPS) data with position information associated with the apparatus;

acquiring, by at least one sensor coupled to the apparatus, sensor data having a first dimensionality;

processing the acquired sensor data to reduce dimensionality of the acquired sensor data from the first dimensionality to a second dimensionality;

periodically transmitting the GPS data over a communication network with a first transmission periodicity; and

periodically transmitting the processed sensor data over the communication network with a second transmission periodicity, the second transmission periodicity adjusted over time based at least in part on information about a location of the apparatus.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second transmission periodicity is further based on a quality metric of the GPS data.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

adjusting transmission of the processed sensor data by decreasing the second transmission periodicity, when the location of the apparatus is within a threshold vicinity from a defined region on the map; and

adjusting transmission of the processed sensor data by increasing the second transmission periodicity, when the location of the apparatus is outside the threshold vicinity from the defined region on the map.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the received feedback signal is further indicative of a quality metric of the GPS data, and the method further comprising:

adjusting transmission of the processed sensor data by decreasing the second transmission periodicity, when the quality metric is below a predetermined threshold value; and

adjusting transmission of the processed sensor data by increasing the second transmission periodicity, when the quality metric is above the predetermined threshold value.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, at the apparatus, a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of the location of the apparatus on a map; and

adjusting transmission of the processed sensor data by adjusting the second transmission periodicity, based on the received feedback signal.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, at the apparatus, a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of the location of the apparatus; and

adjusting processing of the acquired sensor data by adjusting the second dimensionality, based on the received feedback signal.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, at the apparatus, a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of a quality metric of the GPS data; and

adjusting processing of the acquired sensor data by adjusting the second dimensionality, based on the received feedback signal.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising processing the acquired sensor data based on variational auto encoding to reduce dimensionality of the acquired sensor data.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an apparatus, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain global positioning system (GPS) data with position information associated with the apparatus;

acquire sensor data having a first dimensionality;

process the acquired sensor data to reduce dimensionality of the acquired sensor data from the first dimensionality to a second dimensionality;

periodically transmit the GPS data over a communication network with a first transmission periodicity; and

periodically transmit the processed sensor data over the communication network with a second transmission periodicity, the second transmission periodicity adjusted over time based at least in part on information about a location of the apparatus.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of the location of the apparatus on a map; and

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by adjusting the second transmission periodicity, based on the received feedback signal.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by decreasing the second transmission periodicity, when the location of the apparatus is within a threshold vicinity from a defined region on the map; and

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by increasing the second transmission periodicity, when the location of the apparatus is outside the threshold vicinity from the defined region on the map.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the received feedback signal is further indicative of a quality metric of the GPS data, and the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by decreasing the second transmission periodicity, when the quality metric is below a predetermined threshold value; and

adjust transmission of the processed sensor data by increasing the second transmission periodicity, when the quality metric is above the predetermined threshold value.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a feedback signal from another apparatus indicative of a quality metric of the GPS data; and

adjust processing of the acquired sensor data by adjusting the second dimensionality, based on the received feedback signal.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2024
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069110/0508 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM LOAN) AT REEL 050767, FRAME 0076 Recorded Sep 11, 2024
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC. AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069133/0167 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 055547/0404 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Oct 24, 2019
From: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 050817/0600 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2019
From: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 050767/0109 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2019
From: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 050767/0076 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2018
From: RAJAGOPAL, SRINIVASAN; KADOUS, MOHAMMED WALEED
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 044757/0457 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15396222 · Dec 30, 2016
Related Publication 20180192246A1 · Jul 5, 2018