SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF A DEVICEFROM AMBIENT SIGNALS

摘要

The present invention leverages changes in the sensed strength of radio signals at different locations to determine a device's location. In one instance of the present invention, inference procedures are used to process ambient commercial radio signals, to estimate a location or a probability distribution over the locations of a device. Tn another instance of the present invention, a system utilizes learning and inference methods that are applied to rank vector of signal strength vectors. Moving to such rank orderings leads to systems that bypass consideration of absolute signal strengths in locatio n calculations. The present invention facilitates approximations for locating a device by providing a system that does not require a substantial number of available ambient signa l strengths while still providing useful location inferences in determining locations.