Location tracking method in coordinator-based wireless network

• US 20060018295A1
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Hyong-uk, Choi, Yun-hwa
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2612 Arrangements for wireless medium access control, e.g. by allocating physical layer transmission capacity H04B7/2615 - H04B7/2643 take precedence; provision for broadband connection H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network is provided. The location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network includes transmitting a first frame including its own identifier and time information to the wireless network by a device associated with the wireless network in order to disclose its location information; and receiving a second frame including the location information of the device transmitted from the wireless network by the device, as a response to the first frame.

Claims

1. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first frame including an identifier and time information to the wireless network by a device associated with the wireless network in order to disclose location information of the device; and

receiving a response frame including the location information of the device transmitted from the wireless network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time information is a transmission time of the first frame.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is a medium access control (MAC) address of the device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is a device that requests a probe for verifying the existence of the wireless network, receives a probe response from the wireless network verifying the existence of the wireless network, requests to be associated with the wireless network and receives an association response from the wireless network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is a device that receives a beacon from the wireless network verifying the existence of the wireless network, requests to be associated with the wireless network and receives an association response from the wireless network.

7. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first frame including identifiers of a first device and a second device to the wireless network so that the first device associated to the wireless network becomes aware of a location of the second device; and

receiving a response frame including location information of the second device transmitted from the wireless network by the first device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first device is a device which requests a probe for verifying the existence of the wireless network, receives a probe response from the wireless network verifying the existence of the wireless network, requests to be associated with the wireless network and receives an association response from the wireless network.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first device is a device which receives a beacon from the wireless network verifying the existence of the wireless network, requests to be associated with the wireless network and receives an association response from the wireless network.

12. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device and an identifier of the second device from the wireless network by the second device; and

transmitting a second frame including the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and time information of the second device to the wireless network by the second device, as a response to the first frame.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the time information is a transmission time of the second frame.

16. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, and an identifier of the second device from the wireless network by the second device;

determining whether location tracking is allowed; and

if location tracking is allowed, transmitting from the second device a second frame including the identifier of the first device, and the identifier and the time information of the second device to the wireless network, as a response to the first frame.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the determining operation comprises assessing an value inputted by the user of the second device allowed or denied location tracking.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the determining operation comprises determining by comparing a value which is previously set in the second device with the identifier of the first device.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein, when it is found in the determining operation that location tracking is denied, the second frame includes the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

22. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier and time information of a device transmitted by the device;

obtaining location calculating information used in calculating a location of the device using the time information; and

transmitting a second frame including the identifier of the device and the location calculating information to a network coordinator.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the time information is a transmission time of the first frame.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the location calculating information is a difference between reception time and transmission time of the first frame.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the identifier of the device is a medium access control (MAC) address of the device.

27. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, and an identifier of a second device and time information of the second device transmitted by the second device;

obtaining location calculating information used in calculating a location of the second device using the time information; and

transmitting a second frame including the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and the location calculating information to a network coordinator.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the time information is a transmission time of the first frame.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the location calculating information is a difference between reception time of the first frame and transmission time of the first frame.

31. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of frames including an identifier of a device and location calculating information of the device from the network;

calculating a location of the device using the location calculating information; and

transmitting a frame including location information to the device.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the identifier of the device is a medium access control (MAC) address of the device.

34. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of frames including an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, an identifier of a second device and location calculating information of the second device from a network;

calculating a location of the second device using the location calculating information; and

transmitting a frame including the location of the second device to the first device.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

37. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, and an identifier of a second device from a network;

transmitting the first frame to the second device of the network;

receiving a second frame which notifies that location tracking has been denied from the second device; and

transmitting the second frame to the first device.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the wireless network uses IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

40. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first device and an identifier of a second device transmitted by the first device so that a coordinator of a first wireless network can track the second device;

transmitting a second frame including an identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device to a coordinator of a second wireless network by the coordinator of the first wireless network;

receiving a third frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and location information of the second device transmitted by the coordinator of the second wireless network, by the coordinator of the first wireless network, as a response to the second frame; and

transmitting a fourth frame including the location information of the second device to the first device by the coordinator of the first wireless network.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the first and second wireless networks use IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

43. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first device and an identifier of a second device transmitted by the first device so that a coordinator of a first wireless network can track the second device;

transmitting a second frame including an identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device to a coordinator of a second wireless network by the coordinator of the first wireless network;

receiving a third frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device by the coordinator of the first wireless network, as a response of the second frame, if the second device which received the second frame denies location tracking; and

transmitting a fourth frame including information about the second device denying location tracking to the first device by the coordinator of the first wireless network.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the first and second wireless networks use IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

46. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first wireless network, an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, and an identifier of a second device transmitted by a coordinator of the first wireless network, by a coordinator of a second wireless network;

transmitting a second frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device to the second device associated with the second wireless network by the coordinator of the second wireless network;

receiving a plurality of third frames including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and location calculating information of the second device from the second wireless network by the coordinator of the second wireless network;

calculating a location of the second device using the location calculating information of the second device by the coordinator of the second wireless network; and

transmitting a fourth frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and the calculated location information of the second device to the coordinator of the first wireless network by the coordinator of the second wireless network.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the first and second wireless networks use IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

48. The method according to claim 46, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

49. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first frame including an identifier of a first wireless network, an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, and an identifier of a second device transmitted by a coordinator of the first wireless network;

transmitting a second frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device to a coordinator of a third wireless network by a coordinator of the second wireless network;

receiving a third frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and location information of the second device transmitted by the third wireless network, by the coordinator of the second wireless network; and

transmitting a fourth frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and the location information of the second device to the coordinator of the first wireless network by the coordinator of a second wireless network.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein the first, second and third wireless networks use IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

51. The method according to claim 49, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.