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.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a continuation of an application “Music-Based Positioning Aided By Dead Reckoning”, Ser. No. 14 / 088,437, filed Nov. 24, 2013, which claims benefits of a provisional application “Music-Based Positioning Aided By Dead Reckoning”, Ser. No. 61 / 835,527, filed Jun. 14, 2013.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Technical Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to the field of mobile electronic system, and more particularly to indoor positioning using sounds of a music piece or a human speech.[0004]2. Prior Arts[0005]Sound has been suggested as a medium for positioning. For positioning in a large venue like a shopping mall or a supermarket, an important metric is the range of the sound. To limit the number of sound sources (e.g., loudspeakers), the sound used for positioning preferably has a long range.[0006]Ultrasound, although widely used for ranging, fails in this aspect. Ultrasound suffers from severe attenuation when transmitted in a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a technology that combines music-based positioning and dead reckoning to provide accurate positioning with an error of about 1%. However, music segments are not suitable for positioning, so the technology can only be performed sporadically. The time gap between two successive music positioning measurements can be a few seconds to tens of seconds, during which a person can move a significant distance. On the other hand, dead reckoning suffers from accumulation of errors, and after calibrating its location at a reference point, the error grows rapidly and becomes unacceptable after a mobile user walks for more than one minute or so. The technology combines the strengths and weaknesses of music-based positioning and dead reckoning to provide better accuracy and coverage.

Problems solved by technology

However, because it only provides positioning service sporadically, music-based positioning (MP) was not suitable for indoor positioning.

However, because most musical segments (i.e., non-signature bursts) are not suitable for positioning, MP can be performed only sporadically.

On the other hand, DR suffers from accumulation of errors.

After calibrating its location at a reference point, although DR initially has a small error, this error grows rapidly and becomes unacceptable after a mobile user walks for more than one minute or so.

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