Mobile device position detection

Abstract

A method may include calculating a first distance between first and second devices and determining a direction of a movement of the first device. The method may further include calculating a second distance between the first and second devices after the movement of the first device and determining the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device based on the direction of the movement, the first distance, and the second distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following:
 calculating a first distance between first and second devices;   determining a direction of a movement of the first device;   calculating a second distance between the first and second devices after the movement of the first device; and   determining the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device based on the direction of the movement, the first distance, and the second distance.   
     
     
         2 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein determining the direction of the movement comprises sensing the direction of the movement using at least one accelerometer within the first device. 
     
     
         3 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the first distance comprises receiving, at the first device, a first wirelessly transmitted signal from the second device. 
     
     
         4 . The medium of  claim 3 , wherein the wirelessly transmitted signal includes an indication of a signal strength of the first wirelessly transmitted signal. 
     
     
         5 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein determining the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device is performed by the first device. 
     
     
         6 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions further results in sending the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device to the second device and transmitting information from the first device to the second device based on user input related to the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a sensor configured to detect movement of a mobile device; and   a distance determination module configured to: (i) calculate a first distance between the apparatus and another device, (ii) determine a direction of a movement of the apparatus, (iii) calculate a second distance between the apparatus and the other after the movement of the apparatus, and (iv) determine the relative position of the apparatus with respect to the other device based on the direction of the movement, the first distance, and the second distance.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein calculating the first distance comprises receiving a first wirelessly transmitted signal, including an indication of a signal strength of the first wirelessly transmitted signal, from the other device. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following:
 receiving, at a second device, a first wireless network signal from a first device;   determining a direction of a movement of the second device using at least one sensor within the second device;   receiving, at the second device and after the movement of the second device, a second wireless network signal from the first device; and   determining the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device based on the direction of the movement of the second device, the first wireless network signal, and the second wireless network signal.   
     
     
         11 . The medium of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second wireless network signals are beacon signals. 
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 10 , wherein execution of the instructions further results in calculating a first distance between the first and second devices using data within the first wireless network signal and calculating a second distance between the first and second devices using data within the second wireless network signal. 
     
     
         13 . The medium of  claim 12 , wherein determining the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device is based on the direction of the movement of the second device and a difference between the first and second distances. 
     
     
         14 . The medium of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a sensor configured to detect movement of the apparatus;   an antenna configured to receive first and second wireless network signals from another device, wherein the first wireless network signal is to be received before a movement of the apparatus and the second wireless network signal is to be received after the movement; and   a determination module configured to: (i) determine a direction of a movement of the apparatus based on information from the sensor, and (ii) determine a relative position of the other device with respect to the apparatus based on the direction of the movement, the first wireless network signal, and the second wireless network signal.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second wireless network signals are beacon signals. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the determination module is further to: (i) calculate a first distance between the apparatus and other device based on data within the first wireless network signal, and (ii) calculate a second distance between the apparatus and the other device based on data within the second wireless network signal. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the determination of the relative position of the other device with respect to the apparatus is based on the direction of the movement of the apparatus and a difference between the first and second distances. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a single wireless antenna for reception of the wireless network signals.   
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 calculating a first distance between first and second devices;   determining a direction of a movement of the first device;   calculating a second distance between the first and second devices after the movement of the first device; and   determining the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device based on the direction of the movement, the first distance, and the second distance.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the direction of the movement comprises sensing the direction of the movement using an accelerometer within the first device. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein calculating the first distance comprises receiving, at the first device, a first wirelessly transmitted signal from the second device. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the wirelessly transmitted signal includes an indication of a signal strength of the first wirelessly transmitted signal. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first wirelessly transmitted signal is a beacon signal within a wireless communication network.