Location determination based on access point emulation

• US 10,349,375 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marten, David Gordon, McConney, Rick, Martin, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US15/353,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20180139718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Determining a location for a non-access point device based on non-access point device emulation of an access point (AP) device is disclosed. A non-AP device can pass itself off as an actual AP device to piggyback of location reporting by user equipment (UE). Where a UE observes an emulated AP, e.g., a non-AP device masquerading as an AP device, the observance of the emulated AP can be reported, along with UE location information captured at the time of the observance, to a network database. The UE location information can be used to determine a location of the emulated AP. The location of the emulated AP can be retrieved from the database in response to a query identifying the emulated AP. This can enable the non-AP device to query its own location as observed by the UE. This can enable other devices to receive the location of the non-AP device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

broadcasting emulated data resulting in broadcast emulated data, wherein the emulated data emulates access point data broadcast by an access point device such that the device appears to be the access point device, wherein the emulated data comprises a unique identifier associated with the device, wherein the emulated data is correlated to observing device location data, via a data storage device, and wherein the observing device location data is determined by an observing device in response to the observing device receiving the broadcast emulated data;

receiving location data from the data storage device, wherein the location data is based on the observing device location data as correlated to the emulated data; and

determining a device location of the device based on the location data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the observing device is a user equipment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user equipment is a mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the observing device is an access point device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the observing device location data is determined by the observing device via a global positioning system device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the access point device is a Wi-Fi access point device that implements a Wi-Fi protocol, wherein the emulated data emulates Wi-Fi access point data in order for the observing device to accept the broadcast emulated data as the Wi-Fi access point data, and wherein the Wi-Fi protocol is based on an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'"'"' (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the emulated data is generated by an access point device, and wherein an adaptation of the device prevents a connection between the observing device and a network via the access point device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the emulated data is generated by an access point emulator device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the access point emulator device does not comprise the access point device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the access point emulator device comprises an application specific integrated circuit device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the access point emulator device comprises a field programmable logic array device.

12. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a storage device comprising a processor, emulated access point information via a receiving device, wherein the emulated access point information was transmitted to the receiving device by a first device emulating an access point device;

obtaining, by the storage device, receiving device location information corresponding to a first location of the receiving device when the receiving device received the emulated access point information transmitted by the first device;

correlating, by the storage device, the receiving device location information to the emulated access point information; and

in response to a query received by the storage device, enabling, by the storage device, access to the receiving device location information as correlated to the emulated access point information to facilitate determining a second location of the first device based on the receiving device location information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving device is a mobile device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first device emulates the access point device by emulating implementation of a Wi-Fi protocol, and wherein the Wi-Fi protocol is based on an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'"'"' (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first device does not comprise a chipset that enables communication between the receiving device and a network device of a network via a Wi-Fi protocol.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first device comprises a chipset that implements a Wi-Fi protocol, and wherein an adaptation of the first device prevents access to network devices of a network via the Wi-Fi protocol.

17. A network device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a unique identifier via a user equipment device, wherein the unique identifier has been transmitted to the user equipment device by a first device emulating an access point device;

receiving user equipment location information corresponding to a first location of the user equipment device at a time that the user equipment device received the unique identifier that was transmitted by the first device;

storing location information correlated to the unique identifier and determined from the user equipment location information; and

in response to receiving a query based on the unique identifier, enabling access to the location information to facilitate determining a second location of the first device based on the location information.

18. The network device of claim 17, wherein the receiving the query comprises receiving the query from the first device.

19. The network device of claim 17, wherein the receiving the query comprises receiving the query from a second device different from the first device.

20. The network device of claim 17, wherein the first device emulating the access point device is the first device emulating a Wi-Fi access point device implementing a Wi-Fi protocol, and results in the first device appearing as the Wi-Fi access point device to the user equipment device despite the first device not being able to perform as the Wi-Fi access point device, and wherein the Wi-Fi protocol is a protocol based on an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'"'"' (IEEE) 802.11 standard.