Collaborative Spatial Positioning

Abstract

Disparate positional data derived from one or more positional determinative resources are fused with peer-to-peer relational data to provide an object with a collaborative positional awareness. An object collects positional determinative information from one or more positional resources so to independently determine its spatial location. That determination is thereafter augmented by peer-to-peer relational information that can be used to enhance positional determination and modify behavioral outcomes.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object, the method comprising:
 determining by the object from one or more object spatial determination techniques, a set of measurements describing a position of the object wherein each set of measurements has an associated variance estimation;   measuring by the object a set of information describing a relation between the object and one or more proximate objects, wherein the relation has an associated relation variance estimation;   receiving, by the object, from the one or more proximate objects a location of the one or more proximate objects and a variance associated with an accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects;   updating continuously, the position of the object, each set of measurements and the associated variance estimate of each set of measurements, the set of information and the associated relation variance estimation, the location of the one or more proximate objects and the variance associated with the accuracy of the one or more proximate objects; and   combining one or more of the sets of measurements describing the position of the object, the set of information describing the relation between the object and the one or more proximate objects and the location of the one or more proximate objects, based on a weighted assessed value of the associated variance estimation, the associated relation variance estimation and the variance associated with the accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects to probabilistically update the spatial position of the object.   
     
     
         3 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 2 , wherein the associated variance estimation is asymmetrically distributed around the position of the object. 
     
     
         4 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 3 , wherein the associated relation variance estimation is asymmetrically distributed around the position of the object. 
     
     
         5 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 4 , wherein the variance associated with the accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects is asymmetrically distributed around the location of the one or more proximate objects. 
     
     
         6 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 5 , where the weighted assessed value is based on comparative variances. 
     
     
         7 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 1 , further comprising weighing the location of each of the one or more proximate objects and each variance associated with the accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects based on an assigned priority. 
     
     
         8 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 2 , wherein combining is further based on an assigned value of each of the associated variance estimation, the associated relation variance estimation, and the variance associated with an accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects. 
     
     
         9 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 2  wherein the set of information describing a relation between the object and one or more proximate objects includes range and/or angle information. 
     
     
         10 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 9 , wherein the relation between the object and one or more proximate objects describes a relative position of the one or more proximate objects with respect to the object based on the range and/or angle between the object and the one or more proximate objects. 
     
     
         11 . A method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object, the method comprising:
 receiving by the object from each of one or more object spatial determination techniques a set of information describing the position of the object wherein each set of information is associated with a variance;   comparing each variance associated with each set of information; and   balancing the one or more object spatial determination techniques based on the comparison of each variance associated with each set of information to probabilistically identify the spatial position of the object.   
     
     
         12 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 11 , further comprising determining, by the object, a relative position of a second object. 
     
     
         13 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 12 , wherein the second object receives from each of one or more second object spatial determination techniques second object sets of information describing the spatial position of the second object wherein each second object set of information is associated with a variance. 
     
     
         14 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 13 , further comprising receiving, by the object, the variance associated with each second object set of information. 
     
     
         15 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 14 , wherein comparing includes the variances associated with each second object set of information. 
     
     
         16 . The method for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object according to  claim 15 , wherein the comparison of each variance associated with each set of information to probabilistically identify the spatial position of the object includes variances associated with each second object set of information. 
     
     
         17 . A system for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object, comprising:
 a first transceiver operable to receive by the object from one or more proximate objects a location of the one or more proximate objects and a variance associated with an accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects;   a second transceiver operable to receive by the object from one or more object spatial determination techniques, a set of measurements wherein each set of measurements has an associated variance estimation;   a third transceiver operable to receive range and/or angle information between the object and the one or more proximate objects, wherein the range and/or angle information has an associated range and/or angle information variance estimation;   a memory operable to store the location and the variance associated with an accuracy of the location received from the one or more proximate objects, the set of measurements and associated variance estimation, and the set of information and the associated relation variance estimation;   a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and capable of executing instructions embodied as software; and   a plurality of software portions, wherein
 one of said software portions is configured to determine from the set of measurements a position of the object with the associated variance estimation, 
 one of said software portions is configured to determine a relation between the object and one or more proximate objects based on the range and/or angle information and an associated relation variance estimation, 
 one of said software portions is configured to update continuously, the position of the object, each set of measurements and the associated variance estimate of each set of measurements, the range and/or angle information and the associated relation variance estimation, the location of the one or more proximate objects and the variance associated with the accuracy of the one or more proximate objects, and 
 one of said software portions is configured to combine one or more of the sets of measurements describing the position of the object, the range and/or angle information between the object and the one or more proximate objects and the location of the one or more proximate objects, based on a weighted assessed value of the associated variance estimation, the associated relation variance estimation and the variance associated with the accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects to probabilistically update the spatial position of the object. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object of  claim 17 , wherein the first transceiver, the second transceiver and the third transceiver are a single transceiver. 
     
     
         19 . The system for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object of  claim 17 , wherein the weighted assessed value is based on comparative variances. 
     
     
         20 . The system for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object of  claim 19 , further comprising weighing the location of each of the one or more proximate objects and each variance associated with the accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects based on an assigned priority. 
     
     
         21 . The system for collaborative determination of a spatial position of an object of  claim 17 , wherein the associated variance estimation is asymmetrically distributed around the position of the object, the associated relation variance estimation is asymmetrically distributed around the position of the object, and the variance associated with the accuracy of the location of the one or more proximate objects is asymmetrically distributed around the location of the one or more proximate objects.