Method and apparatus for locating a wireless local area network in a wide area network

• US 20070019586A1
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nanda, Sanjiv, Gogic, Aleksandar, Jain, Nikhil, Deshpande, Manoj
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a mobile communication device that measures characteristics or attributes of a first communications network that vary according to physical location within that first communications network to create a fingerprint, or signature, of a location within the first communications network. When the fingerprint of the current location of the mobile device is created it can be compared to a known fingerprint associated with a second communication network to determine the mobile device'"'"'s proximity to the second communications network. For example, the first communications network may be a CDMA wide area wireless communication network and the second communications network may be a 802.11 wireless LAN.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device, comprising:

memory configured to store information relating to a first communications network; and

a processor configured to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network based on the information stored in the memory and one or more reference signals received from a second communications network.

2. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the information includes a fingerprint.

3. The wireless communications device of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network by creating a fingerprint for the wireless communications device using the one or more reference signals from the second communications network, and comparing the fingerprint for the wireless communications device to the fingerprint stored in the memory.

4. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to use relative phase information from the one or more reference signals to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network.

5. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to use relative signal strength of the one or more reference signals to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network.

6. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein one or more reference signals comprise pilot signals.

7. A wireless communications device, comprising:

memory configured to store information relating to a plurality of wireless LANs dispersed through a WAN; and

a processor configured to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of one of the wireless LANs based on the information stored in the memory and one or more reference signals from the WAN.

8. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein the information includes a fingerprint for each of the wireless LANs.

9. The wireless communications device of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of said one of the wireless LANs by creating a fingerprint for the wireless communications device using the one or more reference signals from the WAN, and comparing the fingerprint for the wireless communications device to the fingerprint stored in the memory for said one of the wireless LANs.

10. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to use relative phase information from the one or more reference signals to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of said one of the wireless LANs.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to use relative signal strength of the one or more reference signals to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein one or more reference signals comprise pilot signals.

13. Computer readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of communications, the method comprising:

accessing information in memory, the information relating to a first communications network;

processing one or more reference signals received from a second communications network; and

determining whether a wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network based on the information accessed from the memory and the one or more reference signals from the second communications network.

14. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein the information accessed from the memory includes a fingerprint, and wherein the determination of whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network further comprises creating a fingerprint for the wireless communications device using the one or more reference signals from the second communications network, and comparing the fingerprint for the wireless communications device to the fingerprint stored in the memory.

15. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises creating the information by detecting the first communications network during a search, establishing a fingerprint for the first communications network using the one or more reference signals from the second communications network, and storing the fingerprint in the memory.

16. A method of communications, comprising:

accessing information in memory, the information relating to a first communications network;

receiving one or more reference signals from a second communications network; and

determining whether a wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network based on the information accessed from the memory and the one or more reference signals from the second communications network.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the information accessed from the memory includes a fingerprint, and wherein the determination of whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network further comprises creating a fingerprint for the wireless communications device using the one or more reference signals from the second communications network, and comparing the fingerprint for the wireless communications device to the fingerprint stored in the memory.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising creating the information by detecting the first communications network during a search, establishing a fingerprint for the first communications network using the one or more reference signals from the second communications network, and storing the fingerprint in the memory.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more reference signals comprise pilot signals.

20. A wireless communications device, comprising:

means for storing information relating to a first communications network; and

means for determining whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network based on the information and one or more reference signals from a second communications network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the one or more reference signals comprise pilot signals.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the information accessed from the memory includes a fingerprint, and wherein the means for determining comprises means for creating a fingerprint for the wireless communications device using the one or more reference signals from the second communications network, and comparing the fingerprint for the wireless communications device to the fingerprint stored in the memory.