The disclosed embodiments are directed to detecting a user activity based on patterns in location data. In an embodiment, a method comprises: obtaining, by a processor of a computing device, location data; detecting, by the processor, a pattern in the location data; determining, by the processor and based on the detected pattern, an activity associated with a mobile device; and adjusting, by the processor, one or more parameters of a location data filter configured to process the location data.

A method of tracking a location of a mobile device based on measurements of beacon signals transmitted between the mobile device and wireless reference nodes of a localization network. The method comprises: detecting motion of the mobile device; repeatedly applying a tracking algorithm to track the location of the mobile device, wherein the tracking algorithm is configured to estimate a current location of the mobile device by taking into account both (A) a current set of measurements of the beacon signals transmitted between the mobile device and at least some of the reference nodes and (B) one or more past sets of said measurements transmitted between the mobile device and at least some of the reference nodes; and adapting the tracking algorithm by, in dependence on the detected motion of the mobile device, adapting a relative significance attributed to the one or more sets of past measurements relative to the current set of measurements and by adapting the time-density of the beacon signals in dependence on the detected motion of the mobile device.

A portable computing device can be used to locate a vehicle in a parking structure. In particular, the portable computing device can communicate with a parking system that manages the parking structure and/or with a vehicle in order to locate the vehicle. Communications between the portable computing device, parking system and vehicle can be based on one or more wireless connections, such as Bluetooth and/or Bluetooth LE connections.

A method and system for disabling functions of a movement detection enabled device is provided. The method includes monitoring a movement detection signal of the movement detection enabled device in a vehicle and determining that the vehicle is currently in motion. An electronic tag in the vehicle is detected and instructions associated with the movement detection enabled device are retrieved. It is determined that the movement detection enabled device is located within a specified proximity to a driver location of the vehicle and that a user of the device is a driver of the vehicle. In response, specified functions of the movement detection enabled device are disabled.

A technique for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region. The wireless terminal measures samples of a predetermined form of energy in its vicinity. The disclosed technique then generates a characterization of a predetermined type of variation in the vicinity of the wireless terminal, based on the samples measured. Based on the characterization, the technique generates an estimate of whether the wireless terminal is moving or stationary. The technique then generates an estimate of the location of the wireless terminal, based on the estimate of whether the wireless terminal is moving or stationary. The location estimate can be based on i) applying a location estimate that is optimized for motion if the wireless terminal is estimated to be moving and ii) applying a different technique if the wireless terminal is estimated to be stationary.

A controller of a collaboration endpoint generates a primary audio signal for an ultrasonic source audio signal produced by a source audio speaker, a reference audio signal for the ultrasonic source audio signal, and, based on the reference audio signal, a predicted signal that is predictive of the primary audio signal. The controller produces a prediction error of the predicted signal by comparing the primary audio signal with the predicted signal and determines whether the prediction error is indicative of a motion of one or more persons near the collaboration endpoint.

The disclosure includes implementations for determining a position of a vehicle using millimeter wave narrow beamforming. A method may include receiving a set of training packets that each uniquely identify a position on a portion of a roadway where the vehicle is located. Each of the training packets included in the set may be associated with only one of the millimeter wave narrow beams. The method may include identifying a training packet included in the set of training packets that has a highest receive power level among the set of training packets. The method may include determining the position uniquely identified by the training packet having the highest receive power level. The method may include determining positional information for the vehicle based on the position uniquely identified by the training packet having the highest receive power level. The positional information may describe a location of the vehicle on the roadway.

A vehicle position measurement method includes a process of determining whether or not position information of an own vehicle is able to be acquired with predetermined quality from the outside, a process of acquiring position information of a nearby vehicle present in an area in which the own vehicle is capable of acquiring information when the position information is determined not to be able to be acquired with the predetermined quality, and a process of replacing the position information of the own vehicle with the acquired position information of the nearby vehicle.

The present invention concerns, inter alia, a method for generating location data for locating a mobile communication terminal (20) in a cellular communication network, said communication network being comprised of a number of radio cells (40, 50, 60). The basics are that the communication terminal (20) successively establishes a connection to a number of two or more radio cells (40, 50, 60) having the same and/or different field strengths, in that the communication terminal (20) maintains the connection to the respective radio cell (40, 50, 60) for a defined time period, and in that after the defined time period has elapsed, the communication terminal (20) terminates the connection to the radio cell (40, 50, 60) and establishes a connection to the next radio cell (40, 50, 60). The information items arising from this process are used on the network side to generate location data by means of which the communication terminal (20) can be located. The locating procedure is simple and inexpensive, particularly since no chargeable data connections are made.

A method is described of using the mobile device so as to control the drain of power from the power source of the mobile device, the mobile device having at least two location determination techniques having respective power drain characteristics, the method includes selecting the location determination technique having a lower power drain characteristic the greater the determined distance of the mobile device from a predetermined location or area, and selecting the location determination technique having the greater power drain characteristic the smaller the determined distance of the mobile device from a predetermined location or area. The method thus uses the least accurate technique when furthest away and the most accurate technique when closer to a predetermined location or area.