Determining Location System Signal Quality

Abstract

Among other things, we describe a method that includes, on an electronic device, determining that a current quality metric of signals received by a location system of the electronic device does not meet a threshold quality metric, and based on the determination, selecting a recommendation for changing a position of the device in a manner that would alter the current quality metric. This aspect can also include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products stored on a storage device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 on an electronic device:   determining that a current quality metric of signals received by a location system of the electronic device does not meet a threshold quality metric; and   based on the determination, selecting a recommendation for changing a position of the device in a manner that would alter the current quality metric.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising computing data describing quality of the signals received by the location system, and determining, from a set of location system signal quality profiles, a signal quality profile that most closely matches the computed data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , where the computed data comprises at least one of a cumulative distribution function and a histogram. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , where the threshold quality metric comprises a determination that the signal quality profile that most closely matches the computed data is designated as a signal quality profile indicating low signal quality. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising determining a classification of a current activity of a user of the electronic device, and where the recommendation is selected based on the determined classification. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  where the classification is determined when the current quality metric does not meet the threshold quality metric, and where the classification is not determined when the current quality metric does meet the threshold quality metric. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising displaying, on a user interface of the electronic device, a visual representation of the recommendation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , where the current quality metric is determined based on a vector of signal to noise ratios of the received signals. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , where the current quality metric is selected from a set of quality metrics, and where the threshold quality metric is one or more of the quality metrics of the set. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , where the current quality metric comprises a cumulative distribution function computed based on multiple histograms computed over a time period. 
     
     
         11 . A computer program product stored on a storage device and configured to cause an electronic device to perform operations comprising:
 determining that a current quality metric of signals received by a location system of the electronic device does not meet a threshold quality metric; and   based on the determination, selecting a recommendation for changing a position of the device in a manner that would alter the current quality metric.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , the operations comprising computing data describing quality of the signals received by the location system, and determining, from a set of location system signal quality profiles, a signal quality profile that most closely matches the computed data. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , where the computed data comprises at least one of a cumulative distribution function and a histogram. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , where the threshold quality metric comprises a determination that the signal quality profile that most closely matches the computed data is designated as a signal quality profile indicating low signal quality. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , the operations comprising determining a classification of a current activity of a user of the electronic device, and where the recommendation is selected based on the determined classification. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15  where the classification is determined when the current quality metric does not meet the threshold quality metric, and where the classification is not determined when the current quality metric does meet the threshold quality metric. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , the operations comprising displaying, on a user interface of the electronic device, a visual representation of the recommendation. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , where the current quality metric is determined based on a vector of signal to noise ratios of the received signals. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , where the current quality metric is selected from a set of quality metrics, and where the threshold quality metric is one or more of the quality metrics of the set. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , where the current quality metric comprises a cumulative distribution function computed based on multiple histograms computed over a time period. 
     
     
         21 . An electronic device comprising:
 a location system configured to determine a current location of the electronic device; and   one or more processors configured for:   determining that a current quality metric of signals received by the location system does not meet a threshold quality metric; and   based on the determination, selecting a recommendation for changing a position of the device in a manner that would alter the current quality metric.