Electromagnetic reflection profiles

• US 10,393,868 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, II, Robert Raymond, Li, Kevin A., Meuninck, Troy C., Pratt, James H., Schroeter, Horst J., Shahraray, Behzad
• Primary Examiner(s): Fotakis, Aristocratis
• Application Number:
  US15/867,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20180136325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/462 using multipath signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products determine electromagnetic reflective characteristics of ambient environments. A wireless communications device sends a cellular impulse and receives reflections of the cellular impulse. The cellular impulse and the reflections of the cellular impulse may be compared to determine the electromagnetic reflective characteristics of an ambient environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a mobile device, radio signals;

determining, by the mobile device, a current location at which the radio signals are transmitted;

querying, by the mobile device, an electronic database for the current location, the electronic database electronically associating electromagnetic reflection profiles to locations;

determining, by the mobile device, that the electronic database lacks an entry that matches the current location at which the radio signals are transmitted;

transmitting, by the mobile device, an impulse in response to the electronic database lacking the entry that matches the current location, the impulse for determining an electromagnetic reflection profile at the current location; and

adding, by the mobile device, the entry to the electronic database describing the electromagnetic reflection profile at the current location at which the radio signals are transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an electromagnetic signal in response to the transmitting of the impulse.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the electromagnetic reflection profile based on the electromagnetic signal received in response to the transmitting of the impulse.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending the electromagnetic reflection profile via a network to a server.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending information associated with the electromagnetic signal via a network to a server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a command that instructs the mobile device to transmit the impulse.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the electromagnetic reflection profile.

8. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

transmitting radio signals;

determining a current location at which the radio signals are transmitted;

querying an electronic database for the current location, the electronic database electronically associating electromagnetic reflection profiles to locations;

determining that the electronic database lacks an entry that matches the current location at which the radio signals are transmitted;

transmitting an impulse in response to the electronic database lacking the entry that matches the current location, the impulse for determining an electromagnetic reflection profile at the current location; and

adding the entry to the electronic database describing the electromagnetic reflection profile at the current location at which the radio signals are transmitted.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an electromagnetic signal in response to the transmitting of the impulse.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise generating the electromagnetic reflection profile based on the electromagnetic signal received in response to the transmitting of the impulse.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise sending the electromagnetic reflection profile via a network to a server.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise sending information associated with the electromagnetic signal via a network to a server.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a command that instructs the system to transmit the impulse.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the electromagnetic reflection profile.

15. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

transmitting radio signals;

determining a current location at which the radio signals are transmitted;

querying an electronic database for the current location, the electronic database electronically associating electromagnetic reflection profiles to locations;

determining that the electronic database lacks an entry that matches the current location at which the radio signals are transmitted;

transmitting an impulse in response to the electronic database lacking the entry that matches the current location, the impulse for determining an electromagnetic reflection profile at the current location; and

adding the entry to the electronic database describing the electromagnetic reflection profile at the current location at which the radio signals are transmitted.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an electromagnetic signal in response to the transmitting of the impulse.

17. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise generating the electromagnetic reflection profile based on the electromagnetic signal received in response to the transmitting of the impulse.

18. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise sending the electromagnetic reflection profile via a network to a server.

19. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise sending information associated with the electromagnetic signal via a network to a server.

20. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a command that instructs the hardware processor to transmit the impulse.