Method and system for deploying crowd-sourced magnetic distortion rejection map

1. A method for deploying a magnetic distortion rejection map of an indoor area, the method executed in a processor of a server computing device and comprising:

generating, using the processor, (i) a first distribution of magnetic fingerprint data that includes magnetic distortion data points based at least in part on a set of positions traversed by a plurality of mobile devices within the indoor area, and (ii) based on accessing a position correction factor, a second distribution of magnetic fingerprint data that includes true position data points corresponding to the magnetic distortion data points;

receiving, at a memory of the server computing device, a set of magnetic fingerprint data that includes a second set of magnetic distortion data points based on an additional set of positions traversed by at least one additional mobile device within the indoor area;

processing, using the processor, the second set of magnetic distortion data points, the first distribution and the second distribution to generate an updated distribution of magnetic distortion data points; and

if the updated distribution exceeds a threshold density of magnetic distortion data points, deploying the updated distribution as the magnetic distortion rejection map of the area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the indoor area comprises one of a shopping mall, an airport, a warehouse, a campus building and an at least partially enclosed building.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein acquisition of the first and second distributions of magnetic data points are automatically triggered at the at least one mobile device upon an event occurrence that includes at least one of redeeming a coupon, scanning a barcode, and using an RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetic fingerprint data includes magnetometer sensor data that is time-stamped and time-correlated for respective positions within the indoor area.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the position correction factor is accessed from a mobile device localization fingerprint database accessible to the processor.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the true position data points are based on a set of physical landmarks having respective predetermined positions within the indoor area.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the position correction factor comprises a difference between the magnetic distortion data points and the true position data points at respective positions within the indoor area.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a density determination algorithm establishes the predetermined threshold density as sufficient for deploying as the magnetic distortion rejection map of the indoor area.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold density of magnetic distortion data points is dynamically updated in conjunction with an artificial neural network.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining an outer boundary that includes the updated distribution of positioning data points as a magnetic distortion rejection boundary.

11. A server computing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing a set of instructions, the instructions executable in the processor to:

generate, using the processor, (i) a first distribution of magnetic fingerprint data that includes magnetic distortion data points based at least in part on a set of positions traversed by a plurality of mobile devices within the indoor area, and (ii) based on accessing a position correction factor, a second distribution of magnetic fingerprint data that includes true position data points corresponding to the magnetic distortion data points;

receive, at the memory, a set of magnetic fingerprint data that includes a second set of magnetic distortion data points based on an additional set of positions traversed by at least one additional mobile device within the indoor area;

process, using the processor, the second set of magnetic distortion data points, the first distribution and the second distribution to generate an updated distribution of magnetic distortion data points; and

if the updated distribution exceeds a threshold density of magnetic distortion data points, deploy the updated distribution as a magnetic distortion rejection map of the area.

12. The server computing system of claim 11 wherein the indoor area comprises one of a shopping mall, an airport, a warehouse, a campus building and an at least partially enclosed building.

13. The server computing system of claim 11 wherein acquisition of the first and second distributions of magnetic data points are automatically triggered at the at least one mobile device upon an event occurrence that includes at least one of redeeming a coupon, scanning a barcode, and using an RFID tag.

14. The server computing system of claim 11 wherein the magnetic fingerprint data includes magnetometer sensor data that is time-stamped and time-correlated for respective positions within the indoor area.

15. The server computing system of claim 11 wherein the position correction factor is accessed from a mobile device localization fingerprint database accessible to the processor.

16. The server computing system of claim 15 wherein the true position data points are based on a set of physical landmarks having respective predetermined positions within the indoor area.

17. The server computing system of claim 16 wherein the position correction factor comprises a difference between the magnetic distortion data points and the true position data points at respective positions within the indoor area.

18. The server computing system of claim 11 wherein a density determination algorithm establishes the predetermined threshold density as sufficient for deploying as the magnetic distortion rejection map of the indoor area.

19. The server computing system of claim 11 wherein the threshold density of magnetic distortion data points is dynamically updated in conjunction with an artificial neural network.

20. The server computing system of claim 11 further comprising instructions executable to define an outer boundary that includes the updated distribution of positioning data points as a magnetic distortion rejection boundary.