Abstract: A method, computing device and computer readable memory for cooperative localization of a portable electronic device is provided. Location identification messages are received each providing a known location of a respective portable electronic device and an associated transmitter identification (ID) of the respective portable electronic device and stored. Location request messages providing one or more transmitter IDs in communication range with a query portable electronic device and a transmitter ID of the query portable electronic device are received and location information from the stored location information associated with the one or more transmitter IDs received in the location request message is retrieved. A location of the query portable electronic device is estimated based on the retrieved location information and stored with the associated transmitter ID of the query portable electronic device.

Abstract: Techniques for estimating a location of a portable electronic device are provided. The techniques represent radio scene information detected by a portable electronic device as a vector. The vector may then be used to retrieve similar vectors associated with known locations from a corpus. The known locations may then be used to estimate the location of the portable electronic device.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for determining a magnetic field using a mobile device. The method includes determining location information of the mobile device, obtaining magnetic field data based on the location information, determining orientation information of the mobile device and applying the orientation information to the magnetic field data to compute a magnetic field corresponding to the orientation of the mobile device.

Abstract: A method, computing device and computer readable memory for cooperative localization of a portable electronic device is provided. Location identification messages are received each providing a known location of a respective portable electronic device and an associated transmitter identification (ID) of the respective portable electronic device and stored. Location request messages providing one or more transmitter IDs in communication range with a query portable electronic device and a transmitter ID of the query portable electronic device are received and location information from the stored location information associated with the one or more transmitter IDs received in the location request message is retrieved. A location of the query portable electronic device is estimated based on the retrieved location information and stored with the associated transmitter ID of the query portable electronic device.

Abstract: A location label may be determined for a portable electronic device. The location label may provide a textual indication of the particular location of a user of the portable electronic device, such as a restaurant name, or more generally a type of location of the user, such as simply a restaurant. The location label is determined based on a signature vector of operating environment characteristics of the portable electronic device. The operating environment characteristics may include sensor values, visible transmitters, radio connection information, executing applications or other operating environment characteristics that can have a value associated with them.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for calibrating a magnetometer on a mobile device. The method includes obtaining one or more pairs of magnetometer readings. Each pair includes a first reading and a second reading. For each pair of magnetometer readings, the method also includes determining a rotation axis direction and a rotation angle corresponding to a change in orientation of the mobile device between obtaining the first reading and the second reading and determining a rotation axis for the pair of magnetometer readings using the rotation axis direction and rotation angle. The method also includes determining a calibration parameter based on at least one property of one or more of the rotation axes.

Abstract: A method of indicating an interference magnetic field at an electronic device includes: displaying a first arrow indicating a direction of magnetic north on a display of the electronic device, the direction of the first arrow corrected to remove interference caused by an interference magnetic field; and displaying a second arrow indicating a direction of a source of the interference magnetic field on a display of the electronic device.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for operating a mobile device having a magnetometer. The method includes obtaining a plurality of error indicators associated with the magnetometer. At least two of the plurality of error indicators have different criteria for error. The method also includes determining an instruction for operating the mobile device using the plurality of error indicators.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides improved generation of images using a handheld electronic device. Motion of the handheld electronic device is detected using a sensor of the handheld electronic device and data, dependent upon the sensed motion, is transmitted from the device to a remote electronic device. An image, representative of the sensed motion of the handheld electronic device and generated from the transmitted data, is rendered on a display of the remote electronic device and provides a user with visual feedback of the motion of the handheld electronic device. The image data may be generated by the handheld electronic device or by the remote electronic device.

Abstract: A communications system includes a first device with a first display, and a first processor configured to generate at least one coded image according to a selectable encoding scheme from among different encoding schemes, and display the coded image on the first display. A first communications device is coupled to the first processor. A second device includes a second camera configured to capture the coded image on the first display, a second communications device, and a second processor coupled to the second camera and the second communications device. The second processor is configured to send a status message, via the second and first communications devices to the first processor, related to whether the captured coded image is decodable based upon a currently selected encoding scheme.

Abstract: Methods and devices for determining a timestamp that represents a time a sensor sample was generated are described. In one aspect, a method includes: obtaining a sampling rate estimate for the sensor; determining an expected sample time based on the sampling rate estimate; detecting a sensor sample and assigning a reporting time to the detected sensor sample, the reporting time representing the time when the sensor sample was detected; and determining the timestamp for the sensor sample based on the expected sample time and the reporting time.

Abstract: A method of indicating an interference magnetic field at an electronic device includes: displaying a first arrow indicating a direction of magnetic north on a display of the electronic device, the direction of the first arrow corrected to remove interference caused by an interference magnetic field; and displaying a second arrow indicating a direction of a source of the interference magnetic field on a display of the electronic device.

Abstract: A mobile device comprising a pressure sensor for collecting pressure data, a position-determining subsystem for generating location data including altitude data, and a processor operatively coupled to a memory to generate an atmospheric model based on the pressure data and the location data. In one implementation, the processor is configured to determine an Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL) altitude using a position-determining subsystem, determine a pressure altitude using the pressure sensor, calculate a difference between the pressure altitude and the AMSL altitude, and calculate a temperature at sea level based on the AMSL altitude and pressure altitude. In one implementation, the processor performs a linear regression on an equation AMSL altitude=offset+ScaleFactor*PressureAltitude to solve for the offset and the ScaleFactor, and then estimates the temperature at sea level as 1-ScaleFactor=(T?15)/3. The model may be used to estimate ambient air temperature or weather conditions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises collecting three-dimensional location data for a plurality of locations using one or more mobile devices, wherein the location data includes coordinates of latitude and longitude and further includes corresponding altitude data and generating an elevation model based on the three-dimensional location data. Once the elevation model is generated, it is possible to identify which floor of a building the device is located on. This enables delivery of floor-specific location-based services to mobile devices inside multi-storey buildings.

Abstract: Described are methods and systems for controlling sensor use on an electronic device, the electronic device having a first sensor defining at least one first sensor axis, the method comprising: detecting a first sensor reading; determining an orientation of the electronic device; and, disabling the detection of the first sensor reading in respect an identified first sensor axis when the first sensor reading in respect of the identified first sensor axis is substantially not expected to change for at least a predetermined amount of time.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for stabilizing orientation values of an electronic device, the orientation values representing an orientation of the electronic device, the method comprising: obtaining first sensor readings from a first sensor; obtaining second sensor readings from a second sensor; evaluating the first sensor readings and the second sensor readings to determine whether the electronic device is stationary; locking the orientation values when the electronic device is stationary; collecting at least one of further first sensor readings and further second sensor readings while the orientation values are locked; determining whether the orientation of the electronic device is changing by more than a threshold amount based on one or more of the further first sensor readings and the further second sensor readings; and unlocking the orientation values for updating based on the further sensor readings when the orientation of the electronic device is changing by more than the threshold amount.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a processor-implemented method of determining a bias for an axis of a gyroscope. The method includes: obtaining a temperature reading; maintaining a plurality of bias estimators for the axis, each bias estimator associated with a temperature and configured to estimate a bias at the associated temperature, the plurality of bias estimators including a number of short term bias estimators for estimating biases for recently obtained temperatures and a number of long term bias estimators for estimating biases for temperatures obtained over a comparatively longer period of time; and determining a bias for the axis of the gyroscope based on the temperature reading and one or more of the bias estimators.

Abstract: A system and method of determining a position of an electronic device is presented herein. An image is displayed having at least one celestial object and a celestial object indicator for selecting a celestial object. The celestial object indicator is overlaid on the at least one celestial object. Data indicating a relative angle of the device with respect to the Earth in at least two dimensions is received at the processor. The time when the celestial object indicator is overlaid on the at least one celestial object is determined. The position of the electronic device is determined by comparing the location of the celestial object in the image data and relative angle information at the time of the indication to a database at least partially stored on the electronic device in response to an indication that the celestial object indicator is overlaid on the at least one celestial object.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides improved generation of images using a handheld electronic device. Motion of the handheld electronic device is detected using a sensor of the handheld electronic device and data, dependent upon the sensed motion, is transmitted from the device to a remote electronic device. An image, representative of the sensed motion of the handheld electronic device and generated from the transmitted data, is rendered on a display of the remote electronic device and provides a user with visual feedback of the motion of the handheld electronic device. The image data may be generated by the handheld electronic device or by the remote electronic device.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for calibrating a magnetometer on a mobile device. The method includes obtaining one or more pairs of magnetometer readings. Each pair includes a first reading and a second reading. For each pair of magnetometer readings, the method also includes determining a rotation axis direction and a rotation angle corresponding to a change in orientation of the mobile device between obtaining the first reading and the second reading and determining a rotation axis for the pair of magnetometer readings using the rotation axis direction and rotation angle. The method also includes determining a calibration parameter based on at least one property of one or more of the rotation axes.