Patent ID: 7548731
Filing Date: 2009-06-16
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. A method for reducing power consumption of a positioning system having wireless beacons, comprising: providing a static beacon, said static beacon being a wireless transmitter having a known position, signal strength, and range, wherein a mobile device is positioned within the range of the static beacon and a position of the mobile device is determined based on a signal therefrom; detecting and identifying a plurality of foreign wireless transmitter devices, including obtaining a location for each of the plurality of foreign devices; evaluating the immobility of each of the plurality of foreign devices, including: selecting and amalgamating into the positioning system a subset of the plurality of foreign devices that are immobile, said subset selected based on the device type and the duration for which each foreign device remains stationary; and reducing the signal strength of said static beacon thereby reducing the range of the static beacon such that the mobile device is no longer positioned therein, wherein the mobile device is positioned within a range of said subset of the plurality of foreign devices that are immobile.