Wireless network positioning system

• US 20080306690A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arcadyan Technology Corporation (Compal Electronics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Arcadyan Technology Corporation (Compal Electronics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huang, Chien-Chang
• Application Number:
  US11/987,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306690A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention discloses a wireless network positioning system to add a function of positioning a mobile communication device to a wireless communication system, wherein a mobile communication device detects intensities of wireless signals from access points and transmits signal intensity data to a LAN server, and an algorithm is used to determine the position of the mobile communication device. Particularly, the present invention utilizes a WLAN architecture to position a mobile communication device in an indoor environment.

Claims

1. A wireless network positioning system comprising:

at least one local area network server administrating a wireless local area network;

a plurality of access points arranged in said wireless local area network and communicating with said local area network server, wherein each access point has a footprint and a piece of positional data, and said footprint overlaps footprints of neighboring said access points, and all said footprints jointly form a wireless communication coverage; and

at least one fixed wireless communication module arranged at a fixed position of said wireless communication coverage and receiving wireless signals of said access points to obtain a plurality of pieces of signal intensity data with said fixed position stored in said local area network server and functioning as a piece of fixed reference point data,

wherein said plurality of pieces of signal intensity data are respectively transmitted to said access points, which further transmit said signal intensity data to said local area network server, and said local area network server processes said signal intensity data and said fixed reference point data and utilizes an algorithm to work out a piece of positional data of a mobile communication device inside said wireless communication coverage.

2. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 1, wherein said local area network server is linked to an internet.

3. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless local area network is a wireless communication network meeting the IEEE802.11 standard.

4. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 1, wherein said access points are linked to said local area network server with a wireless method or a wired method.

5. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 1, wherein said fixed wireless communication module is arranged inside a computer.

6. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 5, wherein said computer is a desktop computer or a notebook computer.

7. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 1, wherein said fixed wireless communication module is arranged inside an intelligent household electric appliance, which is wirelessly linked to an internet.

8. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication device is an intelligent mobile phone, a pocket computer, a palm computer, or a notebook computer.

9. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 1, wherein said algorithm is a Euclidean distance algorithm.

10. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 9, wherein said algorithm further comprises a multi-point positioning method which compares said signal intensity data of said mobile communication device with said fixed reference point data to obtain an intensity attenuation ratio.

11. A wireless network positioning system comprising:

a mobile communication device, at least one local area network server and a plurality of access points, wherein said mobile communication device entering a wireless communication coverage, which is formed of footprints of wireless signals emitted by said plurality of access points and said mobile communication device scanning said wireless signals to outputting a plurality of pieces of signal intensity data, then said mobile communication device transmitting a positional information query and said signal intensity data to a local area network server utilizing an algorithm to work out a piece of positional information of said mobile communication device, and

said local area network transmitting said positional information to said mobile communication device.

12. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 11, wherein said local area network server administrates a wireless local area network and is linked to an internet.

13. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 11, wherein said mobile communication device is an intelligent mobile phone, a pocket computer, a palm computer, or a notebook computer.

14. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 11, wherein at least one fixed wireless communication module is arranged in at least one fixed position of said wireless communication coverage and receives wireless signals of said access points to obtain at least one piece of signal intensity data of said at least one fixed position.

15. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 14, wherein said fixed wireless communication module is arranged inside an intelligent household electric appliance wirelessly linked to an internet or inside a computer.

16. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 11, wherein said algorithm is a Euclidean distance algorithm.

17. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said algorithm further comprises a multi-point positioning method which compares said signal intensity data of said mobile communication device with fixed reference point data to obtain an intensity attenuation ratio.

18. A wireless network positioning system according to claim 11 further comprising storing said positional information in said local area network server.