Passive positioning utilizing beacon neighbor reports

• US 10,499,262 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Aldana, Carlos Horacio
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong M
• Application Number:
  US15/486,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20170223553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Techniques for providing neighbor reports for use in passive positioning of a client station are disclosed. An example method for broadcasting network neighbor reports according to the disclosure includes generating a beacon transmission, determining a neighbor report count value, if the neighbor report count value is greater than zero, then broadcasting the beacon transmission including at least a beacon frame and the neighbor report count value, and decrementing the neighbor report count value; if the neighbor report count value is equal to zero, then broadcasting the beacon transmission including at least a beacon frame and a neighbor report, and resetting the neighbor count value.

Claims

1. An access point for providing network information to a broadcast area, comprising:

a memory;

a wireless transceiver; and

at least one processor, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to;

broadcast a beacon transmission with a neighbor report count value at a first interval of time, wherein the neighbor report count value indicates a number of subsequent beacon transmissions to be broadcast before a neighbor report is provided; and

broadcast the beacon transmission with the neighbor report and an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter format information element at a second interval of time, wherein the second interval of time is greater than the first interval of time and the AP-to-AP signaling parameter format information element includes a AP-to-AP switch period to indicate a duration of time during which the wireless transceiver will transmit one or more Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) packets to a second access point.

2. The access point of claim 1 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is greater than the first interval of time.

3. The access point of claim 1 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is less than the first interval of time.

4. The access point of claim 1 wherein the neighbor report includes a Basic Service Set Identification (BSSID) value associated with the second access point.

5. The access point of claim 1 wherein the neighbor report includes a plurality of BSSID values associated with a plurality of access points and the AP-to-AP switch period indicates the duration of time during which the wireless transceiver will transmit one or more FTM packets to each access point in the plurality of access points.

6. The access point of claim 5 wherein the neighbor report includes a visitation index for each of the plurality of access points to indicate an order in which the wireless transceiver will send FTM packets to the respective access points.

7. The access point of claim 5 wherein the neighbor report includes a channel number for each of the plurality of access points to indicate a channel on which the wireless transceiver will send FTM packets to the respective access point.

8. A method of providing network information to a broadcast area with a wireless transceiver, comprising:

broadcasting a periodic beacon transmission with a neighbor report count value at a first interval of time, wherein the neighbor report count value indicates a number of subsequent beacon transmissions to be broadcast before a neighbor report is provided; and

broadcasting the periodic beacon transmission with the neighbor report and an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter format information element at a second interval of time, wherein the second interval of time is greater than the first interval of time and the AP-to-AP signaling parameter format information element includes a AP-to-AP switch period to indicate a duration of time during which the wireless transceiver will transmit one or more Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) packets to an access point.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is greater than the first interval of time.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is less than the first interval of time.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the neighbor report includes a Basic Service Set Identification (BSSID) value associated with the access point.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the neighbor report includes a plurality of BSSID values associated with a plurality of access points and the AP-to-AP switch period indicates the duration of time during which the wireless transceiver will transmit one or more FTM packets to each access point in the plurality of access points.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the neighbor report includes a visitation index for each of the plurality of access points to indicate an order in which the wireless transceiver will send FTM packets to the respective access points.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the neighbor report includes a channel number for each of the plurality of access points to indicate a channel on which the wireless transceiver will send FTM packets to the respective access point.

15. An apparatus for providing network information to a broadcast area with an access point, comprising:

means for broadcasting a periodic beacon transmission with a neighbor report count value at a first interval of time, wherein the neighbor report count value indicates a number of subsequent beacon transmissions to be broadcast before a neighbor report is provided; and

means for broadcasting the periodic beacon transmission with the neighbor report and an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter format information element at a second interval of time, wherein the second interval of time is greater than the first interval of time and the AP-to-AP signaling parameter format information element includes a AP-to-AP switch period to indicate a duration of time during which the access point will transmit one or more Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) packets to a second access point.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is greater than the first interval of time.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is less than the first interval of time.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the neighbor report includes a Basic Service Set Identification (BSSID) value associated with the second access point.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the neighbor report includes a plurality of BSSID values associated with a plurality of access points and the AP-to-AP switch period indicates the duration of time during which the means for broadcasting will transmit one or more FTM packets to each access point in the plurality of access points.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the neighbor report includes a visitation index for each of the plurality of access points to indicate an order in which the means for broadcasting will send FTM packets to the respective access points.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the neighbor report includes a channel number for each of the plurality of access points to indicate a channel on which the means for broadcasting will send FTM packets to the respective access point.

22. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to provide network information to a broadcast area with a first access point, comprising:

code for broadcasting a periodic beacon transmission with a neighbor report count value at a first interval of time, wherein the neighbor report count value indicates a number of subsequent beacon transmissions to be broadcast before a neighbor report is provided; and

code for broadcasting the periodic beacon transmission with the neighbor report and an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter format information element at a second interval of time, wherein the second interval of time is greater than the first interval of time and the AP-to-AP signaling parameter format information element includes a AP-to-AP switch period to indicate a duration of time during which the access point will transmit one or more Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) packets to a second access point.

23. The storage medium of claim 22 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is greater than the first interval of time.

24. The storage medium of claim 22 wherein the AP-to-AP switch period is less than the first interval of time.

25. The storage medium of claim 22 wherein the neighbor report includes a Basic Service Set Identification (BSSID) value associated with the second access point.

26. The storage medium of claim 22 wherein the neighbor report includes a plurality of BSSID values associated with a plurality of access points and the AP-to-AP switch period indicates the duration of time during which the first access point will transmit one or more FTM packets to each access point in the plurality of access points.

27. The storage medium of claim 26 wherein the neighbor report includes a visitation index for each of the plurality of access points to indicate an order in which the first access point will send FTM packets to the respective access points.

28. The storage medium of claim 26 wherein the neighbor report includes a channel number for each of the plurality of access points to indicate a channel on which the first access point will send FTM packets to the respective access point.