Techniques for estimating a position of a user device using optimized scanning
First Claim
1. A method for estimating a position of a user device, comprising:
- scanning, by a radio frequency (RF) module of the user device, for wireless local area network (WLAN) packets transmitted within range of the user device, the scanning to include a plurality of phases which are progressed through until WLAN information that identifies at least a threshold number of WLAN access points (APs) is obtained and then scanning is ceased, the plurality of phases including an active scanning phase in which the RF module transmits probe request packets and receives one or more probe response packets, and one or more passive scanning phases in which the RF module listens for one or more packets without first transmitting request packets;
extracting WLAN information indicating an identity of one or more WLAN APs from the one or more probe response packets or the one or more listened for packets; and
providing the WLAN information indicating the identity of the one or more WLAN APs to a WLAN positioning system (WPS) to obtain an estimate of the position of the user device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In various embodiments, position of a user device is estimated by scanning for WLAN packets transmitted within range of the user device, the scanning to include a plurality of phases which are progressed through until WLAN information sufficient to identify at least a threshold number of WLAN APs is obtained, the plurality of phases including an active scanning phase in which the RF module transmits probe request packets and receives one or more probe response packets, and one or more passive scanning phases in which the RF module listens for one or more packets without first transmitting request packets, extracting WLAN information indicating an identity of one or more WLAN APs from the one or more probe response packets or the one or more listened for packets, and providing the WLAN information to a WPS to obtain an estimate of the position of the user device.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for estimating a position of a user device, comprising:
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scanning, by a radio frequency (RF) module of the user device, for wireless local area network (WLAN) packets transmitted within range of the user device, the scanning to include a plurality of phases which are progressed through until WLAN information that identifies at least a threshold number of WLAN access points (APs) is obtained and then scanning is ceased, the plurality of phases including an active scanning phase in which the RF module transmits probe request packets and receives one or more probe response packets, and one or more passive scanning phases in which the RF module listens for one or more packets without first transmitting request packets; extracting WLAN information indicating an identity of one or more WLAN APs from the one or more probe response packets or the one or more listened for packets; and providing the WLAN information indicating the identity of the one or more WLAN APs to a WLAN positioning system (WPS) to obtain an estimate of the position of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for estimating a position of a user device, comprising:
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scanning, by a radio frequency (RF) module of the user device, for wireless local area network (WLAN) packets transmitted within range of the user device, the RF module having a RF filter bandwidth that allows WLAN packets on multiple WLAN channels of a WLAN protocol to simultaneously pass; extracting WLAN information indicating an identity of one or more WLAN APs from the WLAN packets simultaneously passed by the RF filter; and providing the WLAN information indicating the identity of the one or more WLAN APs to a WPS to obtain an estimate of the position of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method for estimating a position of a user device, comprising:
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determining a power-consumption mode and a wireless local area network access point (AP) association status of the user device; based on the power-consumption mode and the association status, performing at least one of active scanning in which the RF module transmits probe request packets and receives one or more probe response packets or passive scanning in which the RF module listens for one or more packets without first transmitting request packets; extracting WLAN information indicating an identity of one or more WLAN APs from the one or more probe response packets or the one or more listened for packets; and providing the WLAN information indicating the identity of the one or more WLAN APs to a WLAN positioning system (WPS) to obtain an estimate of the position of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A system configured to estimate a position of a user device, comprising:
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a user device including one or more radio frequency (RF) modules configured to scan for wireless local area network (WLAN) packets transmitted within range of the user device, the scanning to include a plurality of phases which are utilized until a condition is met, the plurality of phases including an active scanning phase in which the RF module transmits probe request packets and receives one or more probe response packets, and one or more passive scanning phases in which the RF module listens for one or more packets without first transmitting request packets, and a packet processing module configured to extract WLAN information indicating an identity of one or more WLAN APs from the one or more probe response packets or the one or more listened for packets; and a WPS executing at least in part on the user device or a server that is accessible to the user device, the WPS configured to take the identity of the one or more WLAN APs, compare the identity of the one or more WLAN APs to a reference database, and based on the comparison estimate a position of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification