Position discovery using short range mobile devices

• US 20010021654A1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Squibbs, Robert Francis, Spratt, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,757,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/500
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A position-discovery method is provided for a mobile device equipped with non-wired short-range communication means for receiving locally-transmitted messages. At least some of the messages include position data concerning the originating point of the message. The device determines its position as being that of the most common originating point for messages in a set of most recently received messages.

Claims

1. A position-discovery method for a mobile device equipped with non-wired short-range communication means for receiving locally-transmitted messages, at least some of the messages including position data concerning the originating point of the message, the device determining its position by using position data from a set of most recently received messages taking account of the relative prominence of the originating points of those messages.

2. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the device determines its position as being that of the most common originating point for messages in said set of most recently received messages.

3. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the device determines its position as a weighted average of the positions of the originating points of the messages in said set of most recently received messages.

4. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein said set is defined by a receiving time window.

5. A position-discovery method for a mobile device that participates in a process for locally diffusing information for presentation to users of mobile devices, this process involving propagating the information from an originating point in messages passed from device to device by non-wired short-range communication means of the devices, the number of copies of a message in propagation initially tending to increase due to the propagation activities of the receiving devices and then dying away as the devices implement propagation limitation measures for the message, at least some of the messages including position data concerning the originating point of the message;

wherein the device determines its position by using position data from a set of most recently received messages taking account of the relative prominence of the originating points of those messages.

6. A method according to

claim 5

, wherein the device determines its position as being that of the most common originating point for messages in said set of most recently received messages.

7. A method according to

claim 5

, wherein the device determines its position as a weighted average of the positions of the originating points of the messages in said set of most recently received messages.

8. A method according to

claim 5

, wherein said set is defined by a receiving time window.

9. A mobile device for locally diffusing information in messages to other devices for presentation to their users, at least some of the messages including position data concerning the originating point of the message;

the mobile device comprising;

a message store;

a short-range wireless receiver for receiving said messages;

an originating-point monitor for monitoring the originating points of a set of most recently received messages; and

a location determination unit for determining the position of the device by using position data from said set of most recently received messages and taking account of the relative prominence of the originating points of those messages as monitored by the originating-point monitor.

10. A device according to

claim 9

, wherein the location determination unit is operative to determines the position of the device as being that of the most common originating point for messages in said set of most recently received messages.

11. A device according to

claim 9

, wherein the location determination unit is operative to determines the position of the device as a weighted average of the positions of the originating points of the messages in said set of most recently received messages.

12. A device according to

claim 9

, wherein said set is defined by a receiving time-window preset in the originating-point monitor.