Location mapping and determining using wireless devices

• US 20020184418A1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Blight, David
• Application Number:
  US09/867,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184418A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02525 Gathering the radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for providing location mapping and location determining is disclosed. The system and method use known location of other nearby devices to determine the location of a mobile wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of determining location of a mobile device having a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, comprising:

gathering a list of addresses of nearby devices in communications with a network;

sending a location request to a location service accessible through the network accessed wirelessly by the mobile device;

accessing a database of known device locations;

correlating the list of addresses with zone information of the database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the location service an estimated position of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated position includes a text based description.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an approximate position of the mobile device to the location service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the approximate position is determined by a global positioning system (GPS) device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a reply to the location service that the estimated position is incorrect.

7. A method of determining location of a mobile device having a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, comprising:

receiving a location request from a mobile device over a communications network;

receiving from a mobile device a list of addresses of devices nearby the mobile device that are in communications with the communications network;

accessing a database of known device locations;

correlating the list of addresses with zone information of the database; and

sending a location estimation to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the estimated position includes a text based description of the position.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving an approximate position of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the approximate position is determined by a global positioning system (GPS) device.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device that the estimated position is incorrect.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the location estimation includes a text based description of the mobile device location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the location estimation includes a graphical description of the mobile device location.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing an approximate position of the mobile device to the location service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the approximate position is determined by a global positioning system (GPS) device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a reply to the location service that the estimated position is incorrect.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless device includes a Bluetooth transceiver.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless device includes an IEEE 802.11 transceiver.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one other device includes a printer.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one other device includes a computer.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless device is configured to provide the estimated location of the wireless device on a graphical map.

12. A method of determining location of a mobile device having a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, comprising:

gathering a list of addresses of nearby devices in communications with a communications network;

sending a location request to a location service accessible through the network accessed wirelessly by the mobile device, the location service being configured to access a database of known device locations and to correlate the list of addresses with zone information of the database; and

receiving from the location service a location estimation of the mobile device.

18. A system for locating a wireless device in wireless communications with a communications network, comprising:

access points coupled to the communications network and being configured to communicate with the wireless device;

at least one other device in communication with the communications network;

a server coupled to the communications network, the server configured to receive location requests from the wireless device, the location request including a list of addresses of devices coupled to the communications network that are nearby the wireless device, the server configured to correlate the list of addresses with an estimated location, and the server is configured to send the estimated location to the wireless device.

24. A method for developing a database for a location determination service, comprising:

building a map of an area served by a network;

entering the locations of stationary and permanent devices and the associated device addresses into a database;

recording, using a test device, multiple locations accessible wireless addresses;

combining the map, the locations of stationary and permanent devices, and the accessible locations into the database; and

defining coverage zones of the area served by the network.