US 11,860,291 B2
Determining a location of an electronic device
Michael L. Swindell, Aptos, CA (US); Diego Navarro, Alicante (ES); Jorge Alcalde, Alicante (ES); and Ivan Gracia Maciá, Alicante (ES)
Assigned to Embarcadero Technologies, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Embarcadero Technologies, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Mar. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/693,038.
Application 17/693,038 is a continuation of application No. 15/462,513, filed on Mar. 17, 2017, granted, now 11,275,149.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/310,548, filed on Mar. 18, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0196788 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 5/14 (2006.01); G01S 1/02 (2010.01); H04W 4/029 (2018.01); G01S 5/00 (2006.01); G01S 5/02 (2010.01); H04W 4/02 (2018.01); H04W 4/021 (2018.01)
CPC G01S 5/14 (2013.01) [G01S 1/024 (2013.01); G01S 5/0036 (2013.01); G01S 5/0278 (2013.01); H04W 4/021 (2013.01); H04W 4/023 (2013.01); H04W 4/029 (2018.02)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for determining a location of an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of beacon signals from a plurality of beacon devices at the electronic device, wherein each beacon signal of the plurality of beacon signals comprises an identity of a beacon device transmitting a respective beacon signal, and wherein each beacon device of the plurality of beacon devices has a known location;
measuring a received signal strength for each beacon signal of the plurality of beacon signals;
determining a distance of the electronic device from each beacon device for which the plurality of beacon signals is received, wherein the distance of the electronic device from a beacon device is based on the received signal strength of the beacon signal transmitted by the beacon device; and
determining a location of the electronic device based on the distance of the electronic device from each beacon device for which the plurality of beacon signals is received, wherein the location of the electronic device is determined within a map of an environment, wherein the determining a location of the electronic device based on the distance of the electronic device from each beacon device for which the plurality of beacon signals is received comprises:
determining an estimated location of the electronic device;
applying a particle filter to possible locations of the electronic device within the map of the environment, wherein the particle filter utilizes the estimated location of the electronic device, a prior estimated location of the electronic device, and a subset of beacon devices that are closest to the electronic device of a list of the plurality of beacon devices sorted according to the distance from the electronic device;
determining the location based on a comparison of the distance of the electronic device from each beacon device for which the plurality of beacon signals is received to the map of the environment; and
performing smoothing using a different filter to adapt the location to the map of the environment.