Efficient storage and fast matching of wireless spatial signatures

摘要

A method for determining a geographical location from a measured wireless signal signature comprises calculating from the measured wireless signal signature a multi-dimensional signature vector, wherein each component of the vector measures a degree of coincidence between the measured wireless signal signature and a calibrated signal signature stored in a calibration table. The method also includes matching the signature vector with vectors in a set of multi-dimensional calibrated vectors. The matching uses a procedure comprising searching a hierarchical tree structure and eliminating nodes that cannot contain the best match vector. Within the remaining nodes, the search eliminates individual vectors that cannot be the best match vector, and selects one or more vectors in the set of multi-dimensional calibrated vectors, where the matched vectors correspond to calibrated geographical locations.