System and method for information enhancement in a mobile environment

Abstract

This disclosure pertains to systems and methods that may be used to increase the information content of a mobile device so as to locate, track, or determine the behavior of a mobile device and/or the user of the mobile device. Separate pieces of information (information snippets) may be aggregated over time to form information linkages. The snippets and linkages may be associated with a time stamp and/or a time frame. The snippets and linkages may be associated with a probability value which may be updated as more information is acquired. The snippets and linkages may be aggregated with, for example, a building floor plan to provide a more complete informational description of the mobile device and/or the behavior of the user of the mobile device (information map).

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of locating a mobile device, the method comprising:
 determining a plurality of information snippets from one or more sensors associated with a mobile device, each information snippet including an assigned probability;   determining an information linkage from ones of the plural snippets and associated probabilities;   determining one or more information maps for the mobile device using the information linkage and a predetermined map; and   locating the mobile device based on the one or more information maps.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 receiving additional information from the one or more sensors over time;   updating the information snippets; and   updating the information map based on the updated information snippets.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining one or more information maps includes determining an aggregate probability for each of the one or more information maps. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein locating the mobile device includes locating the mobile device as a function of the assigned aggregate probability values of the one or more information maps. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , and further comprising:
 updating the one or more information maps as information is received; and   dropping one of the one or more information maps when an associated aggregate probability drops below a threshold.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a plurality of information snippets comprises determining a plurality of information snippets from one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of: accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, barometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, environmental sensor, biological sensor, camera, microphone, electromagnetic sensor, electromagnetic signal measuring device, electromagnetic signal analysis device, communication device, application program, user-input device, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining one of the plurality of information snippets includes using information received from the group of information providers consisting of: second mobile device, application program, wireless electronic beacon signal, visual code, QR code, MEMS device, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining one of the plurality of information snippets includes using information received from the group consisting of: time stamp, time interval, probability value, pattern matching algorithm, event descriptor, information input to the mobile device from a user of the mobile device, information from a second mobile device, a predetermined set of information for the user of the mobile device, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A method of locating a mobile device, the method comprising:
 determining a plurality of information snippets from one or more sensors associated with a mobile device;   converting at least one of the information snippets into first and second sub-snippets;   determining an information linkage from ones of the plural snippets;   determining an information map for the mobile device using the linkage and a predetermined map; and   locating the mobile device based on the information map.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of information snippets is associated with a start time, and end time, and a behavioral information unit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , a start time of the first sub-snippet is earlier in time than a start time of the second sub-snippet and wherein the start time of the second sub-snippet is earlier in time than an end time of the first sub-snippet. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first sub-snippet has associated therewith a first sub-snippet probability value and the second sub-snippet has associated therewith a second sub-snippet probability value. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first snippet includes a first behavioral information unit of the user and a second behavioral information unity of the user and wherein the first sub-snippet does not contain the second behavioral information unit. 
     
     
         14 . A method of locating a mobile device, the method comprising:
 determining a plurality of information snippets from one or more sensors associated with a mobile device, wherein a distance associated with at least one of the one or more information snippets is inferred from time-related information from a sensor measurement;   determining an information linkage from ones of the plural snippets;   determining an information map for the mobile device using the linkage and a predetermined map; and   locating the mobile device based on the information map.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining a plurality of information snippets comprises determining a plurality of information snippets from one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of: accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, barometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, environmental sensor, biological sensor, camera, microphone, electromagnetic sensor, electromagnetic signal measuring device, electromagnetic signal analysis device, communication device, application program, user-input device, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining one of the plurality of information snippets includes using information received from the group of information providers consisting of: second mobile device, application program, wireless electronic beacon signal, visual code, QR code, MEMS device, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining one of the plurality of information snippets includes using information received from the group consisting of: time stamp, time interval, probability value, pattern matching algorithm, event descriptor, information input to the mobile device from a user of the mobile device, information from a second mobile device, a predetermined set of information for the user of the mobile device, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining a plurality of information snippets includes determining an assigned probability for each information snippet. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein determining one or more information maps includes determining an aggregate probability for each of the one or more information maps. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein locating the mobile device includes locating the mobile device as a function of the assigned aggregate probability values of the one or more information maps.