System and Method for Integrated Wireless WAN/LAN Location of a Device
First Claim
1. A method for determining the physical location of a device that has both wireless wide area network (WAN) communication capability and wireless local area network (LAN) communication capability, the method comprising steps of:
- a. receiving a signal at the device from wireless WAN equipment that causes the device to initiate a wireless LAN location process; and
b. executing the wireless LAN location process to determine the physical location of the device.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for location tracking of devices having both wireless WAN and wireless LAN capability. A device with this dual communication capability may be triggered to initiate a wireless LAN location procedure in response to receiving a wireless WAN signal. The request for initiating the location process may be a user of the device itself, or any third party desiring knowledge about the location of the device. This process exploits the advantages of the wireless LAN location capabilities to use the wireless LAN link for accurate in-building location. Any location technique useful in a wireless LAN environment may be employed. The system and method are useful to locate any individual or object that is carrying or is tagged with device having wireless WAN and wireless LAN connectivity.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for determining the physical location of a device that has both wireless wide area network (WAN) communication capability and wireless local area network (LAN) communication capability, the method comprising steps of:
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a. receiving a signal at the device from wireless WAN equipment that causes the device to initiate a wireless LAN location process; and
b. executing the wireless LAN location process to determine the physical location of the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method in a device that has wireless wide area network (WAN) communication capability and wireless local area network (LAN) communication capability, the method comprising steps of:
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a. receiving a signal from wireless WAN equipment that is intended to initiate a location procedure to locate the device; and
b. initiating a wireless LAN location process in response to receiving the signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for determining the physical location of a device that has both wireless wide area network (WAN) communication capability and wireless local area network (LAN) communication capability, the method comprising steps of:
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a. transmitting a wireless signal from the device, wherein the wireless signal includes information that indicates a location procedure is to be performed with respect to the device; and
b. executing a wireless LAN location process to determine the physical location of the device. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A wireless communication device comprising:
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a. a radio receiver that receives wireless wide area network (WAN) signals;
b. a radio transceiver that transmits and receives wireless local area network (LAN) signals; and
c. a processor coupled to the radio receiver and to the radio transceiver that processes a signal received by the radio receiver from wireless WAN equipment that is intended to initiate a location procedure to enable the device to be located, and initiating a wireless LAN location process in response to receiving the signal. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A method for managing a process for locating a device that has both wireless wide area network (WAN) communication capability and wireless local area network (LAN) communication capability, the method comprising steps of:
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a. receiving from a party a request to locate the device;
b. verifying the party making the request and the device to be located;
c. sending a signal to wireless WAN equipment that caused the wireless WAN equipment to transmit a signal to the device the causes the device to initiate a wireless LAN location process; and
d. receiving location information determined from the wireless LAN location process and delivering the location information to the party.
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39. A method for determining the physical location of a device that has both wireless relatively long-range communication capability and wireless relatively short-range communication capability, the method comprising steps of:
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a. receiving a relatively long-range communication signal at the device from wireless equipment that causes the device to initiate a wireless short-range location process; and
b. executing the wireless short-range location process to determine the physical location of the device.
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40. A processor readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform steps of:
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a. processing a signal received from wireless WAN equipment that is intended to initiate a location procedure to locate a device that receives the signal; and
b. initiating a wireless LAN location process in response to receiving the signal.
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41. A processor readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform steps of:
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a. generating a wireless signal for transmission from the device, wherein the wireless signal includes information that indicates a location procedure is to be performed with respect to the device; and
b. initiating a wireless LAN location process to determine the physical location of the device.
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Specification