Systems and Methods to Enhance Reliability of Measured Position Data

摘要

There is disclosed systems and methods to enhance reliability of measured position data. Measuring devices, such mobile phones equipped with location measurement elements (such as GPS, LBS, network location reporting, or tower location triangulation reporting) may collect various samples of positions where the device is believed to be located at particular moments in time; however such measurements often vary even if the device is not moving because of device inaccuracy, atmospheric conditions, obstructing buildings, and the like, making it difficult to determine whether such devices are actually stationary or are in motion over predetermined time periods. Systems and methods of the present invention provide for enhanced accuracy of position data by selectively merging varying location positions that are attributable to noise or accuracy deviations, and providing an enhanced assessment of actual device position.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
a. obtaining a plurality of position measurements, the measurements comprising a position value, a time of measurement value, and an accuracy value; b. organizing the plurality of position measurements into an ordered list comprising sorting the plurality of position measurements using a sorting key comprising at least one of the position values, the time of measurement values, and the accuracy values; c. obtaining a first position measurement from the ordered list; d. obtaining successive position measurement from the ordered list wherein said successive position measurement corresponds to a lower ranking in the ordered list than the first position measurement; e. determining whether a successive position measurement in the ordered list should be merged in a merge operation with said first position measurement, wherein:
should the determination indicate that the first position measurement and the successive position measurement be merged, performing a merge operation comprising creating a merged position measurement using a merge algorithm with the first position measurement and the successive position measurement as inputs, and replacing the first position measurement and the successive position measurement in the ordered list with a single merged position measurement, assigning the merged position measurement to be the first position measurement and iterating to step d. until no more successive position measurements remain in the ordered list whereupon processing continues with step f; andshould the determination indicate that the first position measurement and the successive position measurement not be merged, assigning the successive position measurement as the first position measurement, and iterating to step d. until no more successive position measurements remain in the ordered list whereupon processing continues with step f.; and f. for each non-merged position measurement remaining in the ordered list, identify whether said remaining position measurement corresponds to an outlier measurement by: determining whether said each position measurement was immediately preceded by a merged position measurement in the ordered list or immediately followed by a merged position measurement in the ordered list, and should such determination be made, removing said outlier value from the ordered list.