Path segment matching for wireless indoor location applications

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining location estimates of a wireless mobile device inside a structure based on wireless signals transmitted by the wireless mobile device and received at a plurality of wireless access points, wherein the inside of the structure is represented by a plurality of path segments;

modeling a transition from a first estimated location of the wireless mobile device to a second estimated location of the wireless mobile device by minimizing a ratio of an angle to a length between the first estimated location and the second estimated location;

generating a transition probability representing a probability that the wireless mobile device transitions from a first path segment to a second path segment;

selecting, based on the modeling and the transition probability, a particular path segment of the plurality of path segments; and

aligning the second estimated location of the mobile device to the particular path segment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modeling further comprises:

using a travel distance constraint to determine a length of the shortest path between the first estimated location and the second estimated location to estimate an actual distance traveled by the wireless mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modeling further comprises:

using a travel time constraint to determine a length of time between the first estimated location and the second estimated location and using the length of time to estimate an actual distance traveled by the wireless mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising smoothing the location estimate using a time-based moving average.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein smoothing further comprises:

smoothing the location estimate using location estimates within a smoothing window, wherein the location estimates comprise an associated timestamp.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein smoothing further comprises:

weighting a previous location estimate within the smoothing window based on temporal proximity to a current time.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modeling further comprises:

generating an emission probability representing a probability that the wireless mobile device is on a first path segment of the plurality of path segments; and

maximizing the emission probability and the transition probability.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modeling further includes minimizing the ratio of the angle to the length by constraining a number of turns in a shortest path between the first estimated location and the second estimated location.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to enable network communications;

a processing device coupled with the communication interface, and configured to:

obtain location estimates of a wireless mobile device inside a structure based on wireless signals transmitted by the wireless mobile device and received at a plurality of wireless access points, wherein the inside of the structure is represented by a plurality of path segments;

model a transition from a first estimated location of the wireless mobile device to a second estimated location of the wireless mobile device by minimizing a ratio of an angle to a length between the first estimated location and the second estimated location;

generate a transition probability representing a probability that the wireless mobile device transitions from a first path segment to a second path segment;

select, based on the modeling and the transition probability, a particular path segment of the plurality of path segments; and

align the second estimated location of the mobile device to the particular path segment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further configured to model by using a travel distance constraint to determine a length of the shortest path between the first estimated location and the second estimated location to estimate an actual distance traveled by the wireless mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further configured to model by using a travel time constraint to determine a length of time between the first estimated location and the second estimated location and using the length of time to estimate an actual distance traveled by the wireless mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further configured to model by generating an emission probability representing a probability that the wireless mobile device is on a first path segment of the plurality of path segments; and maximizing the emission probability and the transition probability.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further configured to minimize the ratio of the angle to the length by constraining a number of turns in a shortest path between the first estimated location and the second estimated location.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

obtain location estimates of a wireless mobile device inside a structure based on wireless signals transmitted by the wireless mobile device and received at a plurality of wireless access points, wherein the inside of the structure is represented by a plurality of path segments;

model a transition from a first estimated location of the wireless mobile device to a second estimated location of the wireless mobile device by minimizing a ratio of an angle to a length between the first estimated location and the second estimated location;

generate a transition probability representing a probability that the wireless mobile device transitions from a first path segment to a second path segment;

select, based on the modeling and the transition probability, a particular path segment of the plurality of path segments; and

align the second estimated location of the mobile device to the particular path segment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions operable to model comprise instructions operable to use a travel distance constraint to determine a length of the shortest path between the first estimated location and the second estimated location to estimate an actual distance traveled by the wireless mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions operable to model comprise instructions operable to use a travel time constraint to determine a length of time between the first estimated location and the second estimated location and using the length of time to estimate an actual distance traveled by the wireless mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , further comprising instructions operable to smooth the location estimate using a time-based moving average.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions operable to smooth comprise instructions operable to smooth the location estimate using location estimates within a smoothing window, wherein the location estimates comprise an associated timestamp.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions operable to model comprise instructions operable to generate an emission probability representing a probability that the wireless mobile device is on a first path segment of the plurality of path segments; and maximize the emission probability and the transition probability.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions operable to model comprise instructions operable to minimize the ratio of the angle to the length by constraining a number of turns in a shortest path between the first estimated location and the second estimated location.