Music-Based Positioning Aided By Dead Reckoning

Abstract

Music-based positioning (MP) provides positioning service only sporadically. To continuously provide positioning service, the present invention discloses music-based positioning aided by dead reckoning (MP-DR). At each signature burst (i.e., a highly unique short musical segment suitable for positioning), sounds of a music piece or a human speech are used for positioning. Between signature bursts, dead reckoning (DR) is used.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for continuously determining a geographic area thereof using sounds of a music piece comprising first and second signature bursts separated by a non-signature interval, comprising:
 acoustic-positioning (AP) module for determining a position of said apparatus at said first and second signature bursts;   a dead-reckoning (DR) module for determining a location of said apparatus by using said position as an initial location for dead reckoning during said non-signature interval.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein said first or second signature burst has a correlativity higher than a pre-determined value. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device according to  claim 2 , wherein the correlativity of a signature burst is the ratio of the peak value and the root-mean-square (rms) value of the auto-correlation function of the signature burst. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a memory for storing the content data for said music piece. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device according to  claim 4 , wherein said memory stores a signature-burst meta-data associated with said music piece. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device according to  claim 4 , wherein said AP module further comprises a correlating element for calculating a correlation function between the received audio signals and the transmitted audio signals. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile device according to  claim 6 , wherein said AP module measures the time-of-flight of said received audio signals with respect to said transmitted audio signals. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein said sounds of said music piece are simultaneously generated by at least two sound-transmitting devices. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile device according to  claim 8 , wherein said AP module measures the time-difference-of-flight of said received audio signals. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein said DR module comprises at least an accelerometer, a compass and/or a gyroscope. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for continuously determining a geographic area thereof using sounds of a human speech comprising first and second signature bursts separated by a non-signature interval, comprising:
 acoustic-positioning (AP) module for determining a position of said apparatus at said first and second signature bursts;   a dead-reckoning (DR) module for determining a location of said apparatus by using said position as an initial location for dead reckoning during said non-signature interval.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile device according to  claim 11 , wherein said first or second signature burst has a correlativity higher than a pre-determined value. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile device according to  claim 12 , wherein the correlativity of a signature burst is the ratio of the peak value and the root-mean-square (rms) value of the auto-correlation function of the signature burst. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile device according to  claim 11 , further comprising a memory for storing the content data for said human speech. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile device according to  claim 14 , wherein said memory stores a signature-burst meta-data associated with said human speech. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile device according to  claim 14 , wherein said AP module further comprises a correlating element for calculating a correlation function between the received audio signals and the transmitted audio signals. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile device according to  claim 16 , wherein said AP module measures the time-of-flight of said received audio signals with respect to said transmitted audio signals. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile device according to  claim 11 , wherein said sounds of said music piece are simultaneously generated by at least two sound-transmitting devices. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile device according to  claim 18 , wherein said AP module measures the time-difference-of-flight of said received audio signals. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile device according to  claim 11 , wherein said DR module comprises at least an accelerometer, a compass and/or a gyroscope.