Location determination of internet-of-things devices based on access point emulation

• US 10,716,088 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• 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:
  US16/422,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20190281576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 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 system, comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving first data broadcast by a first device that does not function as a first access point device, wherein the first data causes a second device to identify the first device as the first access point device, and wherein the second device communicates the first data to the first device in response to the second device identifying the first device as the first access point device;

receiving a location of the second device, wherein the location of the second device corresponds to a time concurrent with the second device identifying the first device as the first access point device; and

assigning, in a location database, the location of the second device to the first device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising communicating the location to the first device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising communicating the location to a third device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device is a user equipment.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user equipment is a mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device is an access point device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is an internet-of-things device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the internet-of-things device is comprised in a vending machine.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the internet-of-things device is comprised in a cargo container.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a Wi-Fi device that enables the first device to function as the first access point device, and wherein the first device does not function as the first access point device to facilitate network connectivity via the first device.

11. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a storage device comprising a processor, first data transmitted from a first device, wherein the first device does not act as an access point device, and wherein the obtaining is in response to a second device identifying the first device as the access point device based on the first data;

substituting, by the storage device, first location data of the first device with second location data of the second device, wherein the second location data of the second device corresponds to a second device location at a time the second device identified the first device as the access point device based on the first data; and

enabling, by the storage device, access to the first location data of the first device in response to a query for a first device location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the enabling the access to the first location data of the first device is in response to receiving the query from the first device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the enabling the access to the first location data of the first device is in response to receiving the query from a third device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the obtaining the first data is in response to the second device identifying the first device as the access point device based on the first data, and wherein the second device is selected from a group of devices comprising a telecommunications device, a mobile device, a vehicle, an access point device, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the obtaining the first data transmitted from the first device comprises obtaining the first data transmitted from an internet-of-things device.

16. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving first data transmitted by a first device, via a second device, wherein the first device does not act as an access point device, and wherein the receiving is in response to the second device identifying the first device as the access point device based on the first data;

assigning first location data to the first device, wherein the assigning is based on second location data of the second device determined proximate in time to the second device identifying the first device as the access point device based on the first data; and

in response to a query for a first device location, providing the first location data.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the query is from the first device.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the query is from a third device.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the second device is a user equipment.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the first device is an internet-of-things device.