Method and apparatus for determining a geographic location of an electronic device

• US 20050181809A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karjoth, Guenter, Hild, Stefan G., Binding, Carl, Ruetsche, Erich, Dolivo, Francois, Dykeman, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US10/515,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181809A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods and devices for determining a geographic location of an electronic device are introduced. A range of radio frequencies at the electronic device'"'"'s location is scanned by a radio receiver (11). Characteristics (CH) of a geographically bound transmission system (3) within said scanned frequencies are identified by a control unit (21). A matching unit (5) matches these characteristics (CH) with stored characteristics (SCH) of geographically bound transmission systems of different geographical areas. The geographic location (LD) of said electronic device (1) is dependent on a result of said matching process.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a radio receiver,

an interface for transmitting data to a remote device; and

a control unit for making the radio receiver scan a range of frequencies, said control unit being designed for

identifying characteristics of a geographically bound transmission system within said scanned frequencies for determining a geographic location of said electronic device,

supplying said interface with said characteristics or derivatives thereof, and

requesting access to data from a server computer.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said geographically bound transmission system includes a broadcasting station.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said geographically bound transmission systems includes a data or voice communication system.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said characteristics include a distribution of occupied frequencies.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said characteristics include amplitude data in connection with an occupied frequency.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said characteristics include an identification code attached to an occupied frequency.

7. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a database containing characteristics of geographically bound transmission systems of different geographical areas.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said control unit comprises a matching unit for matching said identified characteristics with said stored characteristics.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said control unit is enabled for supplying an area code, said area code indicating the one of said stored characteristics, that correspond with the identified characteristics.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said device is a portable electronic device.

11. A server computer, comprising:

a receiver for receiving characteristics of a geographically bound transmission system from a frequency scanning radio receiver of an electronic device;

a database containing characteristics of geographically bound transmission systems of different geographical areas;

a matching unit for matching said received characteristics with said stored characteristics for determining a geographic location of said electronic device; and

an access authorization unit for giving access to requested server data dependent on said determined geographic location.

12. The server computer according to claim 11, further comprising a control unit being enabled for transmitting a request to said electronic device in dependence on a result of said matching process, said request making said electronic device'"'"'s radio receiver an additional range of frequencies.

13. The server computer according to claim 11, further comprising a selection unit for selecting or computing data dependent on said determined geographic location.

14. A method for determining a geographic location of an electronic device, comprising:

receiving characteristics of a geographically bound transmission system using a frequency scanning radio receiver of an electronic device;

matching said received characteristics with stored characteristics of geographically bound transmission systems of different geographical areas;

determining a geographic location of said electronic device dependent on a result of said matching process; and

giving access to requested server data dependent on said determined geographic location.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said electronic device is requested for further frequency scanning for refining the determination of said electronic device'"'"'s geographic location.

16. A method for supplying data for determining the location of an electronic device, comprising:

scanning a range of radio frequencies at the electronic device'"'"'s location;

identifying characteristics of a geographically bound transmission system within said scanned frequencies; and

supplying said characteristics or derivatives thereof for location determination purposes to a server computer; and

requesting access to data from a server computer.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein characteristics of a broadcasting station are identified.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein characteristics of a data or a voice communication system are identified.

19. A computer program product having computer readable program code, executable by a digital processing unit to perform a method comprising:

receiving characteristics of a geographically bound transmission system using a frequency scanning radio receiver of an electronic device;

matching said received characteristics with stored characteristics of geographically bound transmission systems of different geographical areas;

determining a geographic location of said electronic device dependent on a result of said matching process; and

giving access to requested server data dependent on said determined geographic location.

20. A computer program product having computer readable program code, executable by a digital processing unit of an electronic device to perform a method comprising:

scanning a range of radio frequencies;

identifying characteristics of a geographically bound transmission system within said scanned frequencies; and

supplying said characteristics or derivatives thereof for location determination purposes; and

requesting access to data from a server computer.