WO2010020706A1

WO2010020706A1 - Positioning in mobile device

Info

Publication number: WO2010020706A1
Application number: PCT/FI2009/050609
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sture Udd
Original assignee: Upc Konsultointi Oy
Priority date: 2008-08-18
Filing date: 2009-07-03
Publication date: 2010-02-25
Also published as: FI20085778A0

Abstract

A mobile station, comprising means for reading an optically readable code associated to a fixed geographical position, means for detecting, from the data representative of the optically readable code, an indicator configured to indicate that the code relates to the geographical position of the code, means for detecting, from the data representative of the optically readable code, one or more positioning symbols for providing the geographical position of the code, means for determining the geographical position of the code based on the one or more positioning symbols, and means for displaying a map around the geographical position of the code.

Description

POSITIONING IN MOBILE DEVICE

FIELD

The invention relates to code management functionality in a mobile device. The invention particularly relates to positioning based on optically readable codes.

BACKGROUND

Mobile stations, such as mobile phones, may interact with each other and other network devices via a mobile communication network. The communication of the mobile stations via the mobile communication network is so characteristic to the mobile stations that this approach continues to be dominant despite some evident deficiencies.

The availability of a communication network-based service may be dependent on several factors, such as the operation of the communication network serving the mobile station, the operation of a data communication network such as the Internet, or the operation of a server operating in the communication network and providing services to the mobile station.

SUMMARY

In an aspect, there is provided a mobile station comprising means for reading an optically readable code. The mobile station further comprises means for detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, an indicator configured to indicate that the code includes information of the geographical position of the code, means for detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, one or more positioning symbols for providing the geographical position of the code, wherein the positioning symbols include a first set of positioning symbols configured to provide a latitude of the code and a second set of positioning symbols configured to provide a longitude of the code, and means for displaying a map around the geographical position of the code.

In another aspect, there is provided a method comprising reading an optically readable code. The method further comprises detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, an indicator indicating that the code includes information of the geographical position of the code, detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, one or more positioning symbols providing the geographical position of the code, wherein the positioning sym- bols include a first set of positioning symbols configured to provide a latitude of the code and a second set of positioning symbols configured to provide a longitude of the code, and displaying a map around the geographical position of the code.

DRAWINGS

In the following the invention will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an arrangement; Figure 2 shows an embodiment of an apparatus; and

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a method.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an arrangement. The figure shows an object 102, which may be a building such as a hotel. A code, such as a two-dimensional data matrix code, is associated with the object. The purpose of the code associated with the object is to assist in determining the position of the object, and to show this information to a user of a mobile station 100.

The object may be any object as long as the geographical position of the code is substantially fixed. On the basis of the geographical position information, it is possible to distinguish which object the geographical position is associated with. Assuming that the object is a hotel, the code may be fixed to a wall of the hotel, for instance. The code may also be available in magazines or brochures available in the hotel. The mobile station 100 includes a functionality for reading or scanning the code 104. The functionality may include a built-in camera for scanning and taking a photo of the code. The functionality may further include a software functionality for interpreting the information from the photo. The mobile station may include a functionality to perform operations on the basis of the inter- preted information.

Figure 1 also shows a data structure 1 10 including the information extracted from the optically readable code 104. The extracted information may thus be a set of symbols, such as alphanumerical letters and/or numbers, for instance. In the example of Figure 1 , the data structure includes 1 1 symbol positions and each position may host one symbol. The converted information content in the data structure 110 may include a symbol "P" 112 indicating that the code includes positioning information of the object that it is associated with. The code is assumed to be readable at the location of the object and thus a code associated with a hotel, for in- stance, is assumed to be readable at the hotel. The data structure 110 also includes a first set of positioning symbols 114 and a second set of positioning symbols 116. The first set of positioning symbols 114 may describe the latitude of the code/object, and the second set of symbols may describe the longitude of the code/object. The positioning information may be provided as degrees, minutes, and/or seconds, for instance. The number of symbols in the data structure, which affects the accuracy of the positioning, may depend on the implementation.

Figure 1 illustrates, below the data structure 110, the view on the display 106 of the mobile station. Upon reading the code, the mobile station may display a map 120 on the display 106. The map may be drawn from the surroundings of the object 102, which is depicted by "x" in the map 120. The map 120 may also show some further places of interest, shown by "o", close to the object. The places of interest may be dining places or museums, for instance. The places of interest which are to be displayed may be selectable by the user of the mobile station 100. The mobile station 100 may also include zoom-in 122 and zoom-out symbols to allow zooming the map 120 on the display 106. Additionally, the mobile station may include alignment tools 126 to 132 to displace the view on the display to the right, left, up and down, respectively. When using the tools 122 to 132, the mobile station may retrieve the appropriate map from the memory of the device or from an external network.

The symbol referring to a positioning code may be situated in a predetermined position of the data structure 110. For instance, a software application loaded to the mobile station may know to look for the indicator of the positioning code from the first character position 112 in the data structure 110. Thus, when interpreting the data of the code 104, the mobile station 100 may find the character "P" in the first position 112, whereby the mobile station becomes aware of the fact that the code relates to a positioning functionality.

The data structure 110 may include one or more positioning symbols 114, 116. The positioning symbols may be placed in predetermined posi- tions in the data structure 110. For instance, when the mobile station has identified the indicator 112 of the positioning mode, the mobile station will know that the positioning symbols for the latitude are located in the character positions 2 to 6 and the positioning symbols for the longitude are located in the character positions 7 to 11.

In an embodiment, in Figure 1 , the user of the mobile station photo- graphs the positioning code 104 from a wall of the hotel for the purpose of obtaining a map of the surroundings of the hotel. The mobile station extracts the symbol "P" and positioning symbols 114, 116 from the code.

There are two alternatives for how the mobile station takes advantage of the positioning information, that is either by using the map information stored on the mobile station, or by using the map information loadable from a data network, such as the Internet. In the first alternative, the mobile station may have maps of a city stored therein. Thus, upon obtaining the positioning information from the code 104, the mobile station may select a suitable map from the stored maps, and the map may be displayed on the display of the mobile station. In the second alternative, the mobile station uses an external data network to obtain the map information. The mobile station may send the positioning information via a data network connection to a server, and may receive the appropriate map from the network to be displayed to the user of the mobile station. The arrangement of Figure 1 is usable even if the mobile station is not equipped with a positioning application such as global positioning system (GPS), or the GPS is temporarily unavailable.

In addition to the indicators 114 and 116 in the data structure, further parameters specifying the positioning information may be provided. For instance, the data structure may include an additional symbol indicating the format of the positioning data 114, 116. The format information may include the number of symbols for the provision of the latitude and longitude information.

Although Figure 1 refers to a data matrix code, any other optically readable code may be applied for the same purpose. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a device 200, which may be a mobile station, for instance. The mobile station 200 includes reading means 220 for reading/scanning an optically readable code. The reading means may include a built-in camera.

The mobile station may include an application 230 for extracting and utilizing the positioning information read from the optically readable code. The positioning unit may be implemented by software and/or hardware on the mobile station. In an embodiment, the application 230 may be provided on a processor on the mobile station.

The application 230 may include a converter 232 for converting a data matrix code read by the camera 220 into a data structure including a set of characters. The set of characters may include a string of ASCII characters, for instance. The application may further include a function identifier 234. The function identifier may search, from the set of characters, for a character "P" indicating that the code relates to positioning information of the code, that is, the code includes information of the geographical location of the code. The positioning unit 230 further includes a sub-function identifier

236. The sub-function identifier may find, from one or more predetermined positions of the data structure, one or more further indicators to interpret the information in the data structure. Such further indicators may include the format, such as the precision of the position information. The positioning unit 238 extracts the positioning information from the data structure. The positioning information may include the latitude and longitude of the code and thereby the object which the code is associated with.

The embodiment of Figure 2 shows also a memory 240. The memory may include previously loaded maps of a city, for instance. That is, before a journey to a travel destination, the person using the mobile station may download maps of the travel destination to be stored in the memory 240. Then, in the travel destination, the person may read positioning codes around the city and the mobile station 200 is always able to provide the right map, corresponding to the read code, to be displayed to the user. Figure 2 shows also a communication unit 242. The communication unit may use wireless or wired communication technology to connect the mobile station to a server 250 in an external data network, such as the Internet. Instead of using maps stored in the memory 240, the device may, using the positioning information determined by the positioning unit 238, retrieve a map from the server 250.

Figure 2 also shows a keyboard 224 and a display 206. By using the keyboard, the user may enter places of interest to be displayed on the map. Such places to be shown on the map may be hotels, shopping and dining places, taxi stations and bus stops, for instance. In an embodiment, the map also shows the positions of nearby positioning codes. The user may walk to another such code, read it and thereby update his/her map on the display of the mobile station.

The different units 232 to 242 on the application 230 may be implemented by means of software and/or hardware. The implementation may be provided on a processor of the mobile station, for instance. On the device 200, there may be provided a positioning mode provided by the application 230. To enter the positioning mode, the user of the mobile station may indicate this via the keyboard 224. In another embodiment, the mere reading of the code triggers the positioning mode in the device. That is, upon finding the letter "P", or some other symbol indicating the positioning code, from the first position of the extracted string of characters, the application 230 for handling the positioning mode is started.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a method. In 302, an optical code is read by using a mobile device. In 304, the device decodes the optical code and provides a set of symbols as an output of the functionality. Further in 304, the device detects, by finding a suitable symbol from the decoded data, that the code relates to a positioning functionality. Possible further parameters in the code and needed to obtain the relevant positioning information may also be detected from the code.

In 306, one or more positioning symbols are detected from the code. The positioning symbols may be alphanumerical letters or numbers, for instance.

In 308, a map corresponding to the positioning information is retrieved. The map may be retrieved from the memory of the device, or from the Internet, for instance. The map may be presented such that the determined positioning information resides in the center point of the map, for instance. The map may have a predetermined size in such a manner that 1 kilometer, for instance, around the code reading point is retrieved and displayed.

In 310, the map around the reading point of the code is displayed on the display of the mobile station. The current point, that is the reading point of the code, may be highlighted on the map by a red dot, for instance.

In various embodiments, the disclosed functionality may be implemented by way of a computer program product encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process of the above-described method. The computer program product may be implemented on a computer program distribution medium. The computer program distribution medium may be any of the known ways of distributing software, such as a computer read- able medium, a program storage medium, a record medium, a computer readable memory, a computer readable software distribution package, a computer readable signal, a computer readable telecommunication signal, and a computer readable compressed software package.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as the technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1 . A mobile station comprising: means for reading an optically readable code, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the mobile station further comprises: means for detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, an indicator configured to indicate that the code includes information of the geographical position of the code; means for detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, positioning symbols for providing the geographical position of the code, wherein the positioning symbols include a first set of positioning symbols configured to provide a latitude of the code, and a second set of positioning symbols configured to provide a longitude of the code; and means for displaying a map around the geographical position of the code.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 , further comprising: means for converting the optically readable code into a string of symbols; and means for detecting, from a predetermined position in the string of symbols, a symbol indicating that the code relates to the geographical position of the code.

3. The mobile station of claim 1 , further comprising: means for converting the optically readable code into a string of symbols; and means for detecting, from one or more predetermined positions in the string of symbols, one or more positioning symbols configured to provide the geographical position of the code.

4. The mobile station of claim 1 , further comprising: means for detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, a format indicator configured to indicate accuracy of the positioning information contained in the code; and means for displaying the accuracy information.

5. The mobile station of claim 1 , further comprising: means for storing a set of displayable maps; and means for retrieving the map to be displayed from the set of stored maps based on the geographical position of the code.

6. The mobile station of claim 1 , further comprising: means for applying a positioning mode, in which the following are activated: means for reading an optically readable code associated to a fixed geographical position, means for detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, an indicator configured to indicate that the code relates to the geographical position of the code, means for detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, one or more positioning symbols for providing the geographical position of the code, means for determining the geographical position of the code based on the one or more positioning symbols, and means for displaying a map around the geographical position of the code.

7. A method, comprising: reading an optically readable code, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by: detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, an indicator indicating that the code includes information of the geographical position of the code; detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, posi- tioning symbols providing the geographical position of the code, wherein the positioning symbols include a first set of positioning symbols configured to provide a latitude of the code, and a second set of positioning symbols configured to provide a longitude of the code; and displaying a map around the geographical position of the code.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: converting the optically readable code into a string of symbols; and detecting, from a predetermined position in the string of symbols, a symbol indicating that the code relates to the geographical position of the code.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: converting the optically readable code into a string of symbols; and detecting, from one or more predetermined positions in the string of symbols, one or more positioning symbols providing the geographical position of the code.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising: detecting, from data representing the optically readable code, a format indicator indicating accuracy of the positioning information contained in the code; and means for displaying the accuracy information.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising: storing a set of displayable maps; and retrieving the map to be displayed from the set of stored maps based on the geographical position of the code.

12. A computer program product configured to perform the method according to any preceding method claim, when run on a computer.