Indoor and outdoor mapping and navigation utilizing RF bluetooth beacons

摘要

A series of RF beacons deployed about a localized area to create an infrastructure for use with mapping, navigation, and marketing of merchants in the vicinity thereof. An application would utilize the RF beacons to determine a user's location respective to a local area and inform the user of their location on an associated map. The application can employ the RF beacons for navigation through the local area. The application can utilize a beacon identifier that would be embedded within the beacon signal. The beacon identifier can be utilized to determine a user's location, provide navigation, obtain marketing information for merchants associated with the specific beacon, etc. Receipt of the beacon signal could initiate a feature on the receiving device to transmit a request for information to a remote provider, which in turn, utilizes the beacon identifier to obtain information associated with the area and return the information accordingly.

主权项

1. A method of mapping a localized area comprising an interior of at least one enclosed structure, the method comprising steps of:
deploying a series of beacons about said localized area comprising at least one enclosed structure, wherein at least a portion of said series of beacons are located to transmit within an interior of said at least one enclosed structure; broadcasting a beacon signal from each beacon of said series of beacons, wherein each said beacon signal includes information associated with a known physical location of said respective beacon; determining a location of a mobile device in accordance with following steps:
scanning for any of said beacon signals using a mobile device,detecting at least one of said broadcast beacon signals,receiving at least one of said beacon signal by said mobile device, wherein said beacon signal is broadcast from a beacon of said series of beacons located proximate said mobile device,decoding said beacon signal to obtain said included known respective beacon physical location information, anddetermining a current location of said mobile device within said interior of an enclosed structure of said at least one enclosed structure, wherein said current location of said mobile device is determined based upon respective beacon physical location information decoded from said received beacon signal; determining an indoor map associated with said localized area; displaying said localized area indoor map; and displaying said current location of said mobile device on said localized area indoor map.