Abstract: A method of estimating the position of a user device is provided. The user device is initially in electronic communication with a positioning system controller through a communication network. The method comprises determining that a user device meets one or more proximity criteria with respect to an offline region where electronic communication between the user device and the positioning system controller, through the communication network, is expected to meet one or more failure criteria. Responsive thereto and in advance of the user device entering the said offline region, the positioning system controller transmitting local positioning data to the user device, the local positioning data comprising data concerning electromagnetic signal sources in the said offline region. The user device subsequently estimates its position while it is within the offline region by measuring signal data from a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources and processing the measured signal data and the local positioning data.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of estimating the position of a device, the method comprising: providing a database of location specific geographical descriptive data; obtaining location data relating to the position of the device; retrieving geographical descriptive data specific to an indoor region from the said database, the indoor region being selected dependent on the location data; and subsequently estimating the position of the device taking into account the retrieved data. The method can be used with existing or new positioning systems to improve the execution of the said positioning systems, particularly when the positioning system is being used indoors.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of estimating the position of a user device carried by a user, the method comprising: providing an initial position of the user device; measuring a vertical acceleration of the user device, thereby generating vertical acceleration data; measuring an orientation of the user device, thereby generating principal direction data; processing the vertical acceleration data to detect one or more steps taken by the user, and subsequently validating the detection of one or more of said one or more steps; generating one or more motion vectors in respect of the validated steps taken by the user using the principal direction data; and estimating an updated position of the user device by combining the motion vector(s) with the initial position. The method may be used by, for example, a smartphone to estimate its position, particularly where other positioning systems are unavailable.

Abstract: Disclosed is the estimation of the position of a user device (18) using radio beacons (B1-B4) which are operable at a plurality of transmit power levels. The radio beacons (B1-B4) may transmit their position and current transmit power level. Estimates of distance between a user device and a radio beacon can take into account both received signal strength and the current transmit power level of the radio beacon. The position of the user device (18) can be estimated taking into account whether a radio beacon (B1-B4)) can be detected at a given transmit power level. The transmit power level of the radio beacon may vary according to a cycle. The transmit power level of the radio beacon may be changed to facilitate positioning, for example in response to a signal from a user device. A radio beacon (B1-B4) changes transmit power level in a cycle. The radio beacon can reduce transmit power level responsive to a signal.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of managing a database of positioning data, the positioning data including electromagnetic signal source data for use by a positioning system, and the method comprising: receiving signal data relating to signals received from a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources; associating an appropriate one of a plurality of zone identifiers with each of the electromagnetic signal sources, each zone identifier being associated with a respective geographical zone; selecting a subset of the plurality of electromagnetic signal sources in dependence on their associated zone identifiers; processing the signal data relating to the subset of the plurality of electromagnetic signal sources to compute position estimates of the electromagnetic signal sources; and updating the database of electromagnetic signal source data in dependence on the computed position estimates.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of estimating the location of a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources, comprising: scanning at a first plurality of locations to generate signal source position data, the signal source position data representing estimates of the position of at least one of said signal sources; scanning at a second plurality of locations using a signal detection system to generate signal detection data, the signal detection data relating to signals received at the second plurality of locations from the signal sources; processing the signal source position data in dependence on the signal detection data to correct estimation errors in the signal source position data; and outputting the processed signal source position data.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of estimating the position of a user device (902), the method comprising: receiving signal data from a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources (W) having known locations; dividing the plurality of electromagnetic signal sources (W) into a plurality of groups (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5) of the signal sources; processing the received signal data to generate group position data representing the position of at least one group location (910, 912, 914, 916, 918), each group location being characteristic of the location of a respective group of the signal sources; and processing the group position data to generate position data representing an estimate of the position of the user device (902); and outputting the position data.

Abstract: Data concerning the strength of signals received from electromagnetic signal sources within a building is obtained at a plurality of points. Instead of storing the raw data for use in positioning, the data for each electromagnetic signal source is fitted to a function of received signal strength with distance from the electromagnetic signal source. This data is then used to estimate the position of a user device. The advantage of the invention is that the amount of data which requires to be stored is significantly reduced.

Abstract: A method of estimating the position of a user device is provided. The user device is initially in electronic communication with a positioning system controller through a communication network. The method comprises determining that a user device meets one or more proximity criteria with respect to an offline region where electronic communication between the user device and the positioning system controller, through the communication network, is expected to meet one or more failure criteria. Responsive thereto and in advance of the user device entering the said offline region, the positioning system controller transmitting local positioning data to the user device, the local positioning data comprising data concerning electromagnetic signal sources in the said offline region. The user device subsequently estimates its position while it is within the offline region by measuring signal data from a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources and processing the measured signal data and the local positioning data.

Abstract: A position determining unit has an assistance data processing and relaying module (software client) (1318) that obtains localized assistance data, such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) assistance data and/or non-GNSS (such as Wireless Positioning System) assistance data, from an assisting peer position determining unit and relays the localized assistance data to an assisted peer position determining unit. The relaying may be done via an assistance server. In a relaying GNSS position determining unit, such as a GPS receiver, the chip (1310) architecture has multi-frequency GNSS baseband (1311), GSM or UMTS baseband (1312) for long range communication and short range baseband (1313) such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi or UWB. The assistance data generating module (1316) generates localized assistance data at the relaying GNSS unit from the GNSS R.F. front end and/or GNSS baseband and/or microcontroller running the GNSS solutions software portion.

Abstract: A method of estimating the position of a user device is provided. The user device is initially in electronic communication with a positioning system controller through a communication network. The method comprises determining that a user device meets one or more proximity criteria with respect to an offline region where electronic communication between the user device and the positioning system controller, through the communication network, is expected to meet one or more failure criteria. Responsive thereto and in advance of the user device entering the said offline region, the positioning system controller transmitting local positioning data to the user device, the local positioning data comprising data concerning electromagnetic signal sources in the said offline region. The user device subsequently estimates its position whilst it is within the offline region by measuring signal data from a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources and processing the measured signal data and the local positioning data.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of estimating the location of a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources, comprising: scanning at a first plurality of locations to generate signal source position data, the signal source position data representing estimates of the position of at least one of said signal sources; scanning at a second plurality of locations using a signal detection system to generate signal detection data, the signal detection data relating to signals received at the second plurality of locations from the signal sources; processing the signal source position data in dependence on the signal detection data to correct estimation errors in the signal source position data; and outputting the processed signal source position data.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of estimating the location of a plurality of electromagnetic signal sources, comprising: scanning at a first plurality of locations to generate signal source position data, the signal source position data representing estimates of the position of at least one of said signal sources; scanning at a second plurality of locations using a signal detection system to generate signal detection data, the signal detection data relating to signals received at the second plurality of locations from the signal sources; processing the signal source position data in dependence on the signal detection data to correct estimation errors in the signal source position data; and outputting the processed signal source position data.