Concept for Determining an Orientation of a Mobile Device

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This invention describes a method and device for determining the orientation (such as heading or direction) of a mobile device, using multiple directional antennas that measure the strengths of wireless signals (such as Wi-Fi) from stationary transmitters (like access points). By comparing the signal strengths received by antennas pointed in different directions, the device can accurately estimate its orientation and position relative to the transmitter locations, improving indoor positioning where GPS is unreliable.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Indoor navigation systems for smartphones and wearable devices in shopping malls, museums, airports, and hospitals.
• Electronic guiding systems for museums, providing augmented reality or context-based exhibits depending on user orientation.
• Robotic navigation in warehouses or stores without reliable GPS access.
• Assisted navigation for the visually impaired in complex indoor environments.
• Employee tracking and asset management in large commercial or industrial facilities.
• Enhanced location-based services (LBS) for advertisers or facility operators in urban or large buildings.
• Interactive gaming and augmented reality experiences based on accurate position and orientation inside buildings.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Greatly improves indoor positioning and orientation accuracy compared to conventional systems relying solely on GPS or magnetic compasses, which can suffer from interference.
• Robust against magnetic disturbances and signal drift, which often plague traditional approaches for orientation estimation.
• Works with existing Wi-Fi infrastructure, reducing hardware costs and enabling easy deployment in many buildings.
• Enables simultaneous determination of device position and orientation without the need for complex or expensive sensors like gyroscopes or accelerometers.
• Provides higher reliability and precision for pedestrian navigation and location-based services, especially in urban and indoor environments.
• Adaptable to devices with limited processing power or basic sensor arrays, broadening application to low-cost consumer electronics.

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Patent Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a mobile device comprising a receiver and an orientation determiner. The receiver comprises a plurality of antennas for receiving a signal from a stationary transmitter. Each antenna of the plurality of antennas is arranged to have a different receiving direction. The receiver is configured to detect a signal strength of the signal received with each antenna in order to obtain a plurality of detected signal strengths. The orientation determiner is configured to determine an orientation of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter based on the plurality of detected signal strengths.