Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for combining observations obtained at two different mobile devices attached to a human user for performing a navigation operation. For example, observations of a signal acquired at a first mobile device may be selected for computing a position fix based, at least in part, on a utility indicator associated with the observations.

The present disclosure pertains to utilizing hardware and software to control and record environmental and other data obtained from sensors and other devices, placed throughout a facility, and analyzing and displaying the information in a detailed status report of the environmental conditions inside facility, and once analyzed, the software can provide recommendations to implement measures that increase the efficiency of the facility.

A method for mapping a surface using signals transmitted from a single transmitter comprises: receiving signals transmitted from the single transmitter, where each signal has a different propagation path; determining a motion of an antenna of the receiver; generating phasor sequences, where each phasor sequence represents a hypothesis based on antenna motion and a direction of arrival estimate for each received signal; compensating the received signals, local signals, or correlation results from correlating the received signals with the local signals using the phasor sequences based on the hypotheses to generate compensated correlation results; determining a preferred hypothesis in the hypotheses for each received signal that optimizes each correlation result; identifying a direction of arrival for each received signal using the determined hypothesis; determining a point of reflection from the direction of arrival of each received signal; and combining the points of reflection into one or more reflective surfaces.

A tracking device is described. The tracking device receives, from a management server, pressure measurement thresholds. The tracking device monitors pressure measurements of the asset. Based on the pressure measurements, the tracking device enters an active mode of operation. When operating in the active mode of operation, the tracking device transmits sensor measurements of the asset to the management server. The tracking device determines new pressure measurements of the asset. Based on the new pressure measurements, the tracking device enters a passive mode of operation. When operating in the passive mode of operation, no data is transmitted or received from/to the tracking device to/from the management server.

Disclosed is an apparatus, system, and/or method for optimizing usage of a cart within a perimeter, the cart having one or more casters. The apparatus, system and/or method includes one or more beacons positionable within the perimeter and operable for one-way transmission of beacon data. A brake assembly, mountable on the one or more casters of the cart, uses a motion sensor to detect movement of the cart, a brake for arresting the motion of the cart, a scanner for receiving the beacon data transmitted from the one or more beacons; and a brake assembly processor for: (i) automatically applying a beacon algorithm to decode the beacon data; (ii) using the decoded beacon data to identify a beacon sequence as a locking signature condition or an unlocking signature condition and/or determine the location of the cart within the perimeter; and/or (iii) electronically receive and/or transmit the beacon data. The apparatus, system and/or method is operable to optimize the usage of the cart by engaging the brake if the decoded beacon data is identified as the locking signature condition or disengaging the brake if the decoded beacon data is identified as the unlocking signature condition.

In one embodiment, an asynchronous wireless system for localization of nodes comprises a first wireless node being configured to receive a first communication from a third wireless node having an unknown location, to determine time difference of arrival (TDoA) information of the reception of the first communication between each of the first and a second wireless node, to determine TDoA ranging including a relative or absolute position of the third wireless node using the time difference of arrival information, and to synchronize the first and second wireless nodes based on a second communication with the synchronization being decoupled in time from the first communication. In another embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises receiving, with first and second wireless anchor nodes, packets from a wireless arbitrary device and performing time difference of arrival ranging upon reception of the packets between each of the first and the second wireless anchor nodes.

Location polygons are defined along traffic lanes and parking spaces to facilitate determination of the location of a vehicle relative to features associated with the location polygons. The location polygons are used, in one application, to identity entrance and exit of a special toll lane along a roadway, and to ensure that the vehicle properly enters and exits the tolling lane. The location polygons define geofenced regions, and each definition for a geofenced region can include one or more rules that are used to evaluate location information reported by a user's equipment. The rules dictate whether an action it taken or inhibited, such as charging a toll or not charging a toll, based on other location information reported by the user's equipment.

Calibrating an unstable sensor of a mobile device. Systems and methods for calibrating a sensor of a mobile device determine a first estimated position of the mobile device without using any measurement from the sensor of the mobile device, generate a second estimated position of the mobile device using a measurement from the sensor, estimate a sensor error of the sensor using the first estimated position and the second estimated position, and use the sensor error to determine a calibration value for adjusting one or more measurements from the sensor.

A positioning device includes a processor configured to calculate a first neighboring time at which the mobile device becomes closest to a first base station in the plurality of base stations based on the received signal strength data and a second neighboring time at which the mobile device becomes closest to a second base station of the plurality of base stations, and convert the relative movement data in the second storage device into position coordinates data specifying an absolute position of the mobile device in an absolute coordinate system using the first base station as a reference point from the first neighboring time to the second neighboring time.

A portable electronic device includes a processor configured to determine a first scan interval, and a transceiver configured to receive a first beacon signal using the first scan interval as an interval. The processor is further configured to obtain a first positioning result according to received signal strength of beacon signals received by a transceiverin m continuous first scan intervals, and determine an average quantity of scans according to the first positioning result, the transceiver is further configured to receive a second beacon signal using an increased second scan interval as an interval when the average quantity of scans is greater than a preset value, and the processor is further configured to obtain a second positioning result according to received signal strength of beacon signals received in p continuous second scan intervals, where m and p are integers greater than one.