METHODS AND APPARATUS TO LOCATE A WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20100283679A1
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Baum, Avraham, Levy, David, Estevez, Leonardo William
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.49
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to locate a wireless device are described. A disclosed example method includes transmitting a request location message from a first wireless station to a second wireless station to determine a geographic location of a third wireless station, receiving a response location message at the first wireless station from the second wireless station identifying the geographic location of the third wireless station, wherein the second wireless station stores the geographic location of the third wireless station, determining a path from the first wireless station to a range of the third wireless station based on the received geographic location of the third wireless station, moving along a portion of the path with the first wireless station to the range of the third wireless station, and transmitting an association message from the first wireless station to the third wireless station to communicably couple the first wireless station to the third wireless station.

Claims

1. A method to locate a wireless device, the method comprising:

transmitting a request location message from a first wireless station to a second wireless station to determine a geographic location of a third wireless station;

receiving a response location message at the first wireless station from the second wireless station identifying the geographic location of the third wireless station, wherein the second wireless station stores the geographic location of the third wireless station;

determining a path from the first wireless station to a range of the third wireless station based on the received geographic location of the third wireless station;

moving along a portion of the path with the first wireless station to the range of the third wireless station; and

transmitting an association message from the first wireless station to the third wireless station to communicably couple the first wireless station to the third wireless station.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second request location message from the second wireless station to the third wireless station prior to transmitting the request location message from the first wireless station;

receiving a second response location message in the second wireless station from the third wireless station, wherein the second response location includes the geographic location of the third wireless station; and

storing the geographic location of the third wireless station within the second wireless station.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

downloading data to the third wireless station requested by the first wireless station;

caching the data on the third wireless station; and

forwarding the cached data to the first wireless station.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, prior to transmitting the response location message:

determining if a trust relationship is established with the first wireless station; and

prompting a user of the second wireless station to grant permission to transmit the response location message if the trust relationship is not established.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein determining the trust relationship includes accessing a server with the first wireless station to determine a media access control address of the third wireless station.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein transmitting the association message includes:

transmitting a measurement request message from the first wireless station to the third wireless station for network connection information; and

receiving a measurement response message in the first wireless station from the third wireless station.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request for data from the first wireless station to the third wireless station via the second wireless station prior to transmitting the request location message;

receiving a data response at the first wireless station from the third wireless station via the second wireless station indicating a presence of the data on the third wireless station; and

upon communicatively coupling the first wireless station to the third wireless station, receiving the requested data from third wireless station at the first wireless station via a direct wireless communication connection.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, determining a geographic location of the first wireless station and a geographic location of the second wireless station.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the path is determined by determining a distance and a direction to the third wireless station based on the geographic location of the third wireless station and the geographic location of the first wireless station.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, upon communicatively coupling the first wireless station to the third wireless station:

determining network congestion at the third wireless station interfering with communications with the first wireless station;

receiving a third response location message at the first wireless station providing a second geographic location of a fourth wireless station, the third wireless station storing a second geographic location of the fourth wireless station;

determining a second path from the first wireless station to a second range of the fourth wireless station based on the received second geographic location of the fourth wireless station;

moving along a portion of the second path with the first wireless station to the second range; and

transmitting a second association message from the first wireless station to the fourth wireless station to communicably couple the first wireless station to the fourth wireless station.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the request location message includes a media access control address of the first wireless station and the response location message includes a media access control address of the third wireless station.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic location is at least programmed into the third wireless station or determined by a global positioning system included within the third wireless station.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the third wireless station is at least one of a geographically fixed access point or a mobile wireless area network access point.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, updating the path to the third wireless station by determining a geographic location of the first wireless station while the first wireless station is moving.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a broadcast location request message from the third wireless station;

receiving a third response location message from each wireless station within the range of the third wireless station, wherein the third response location message includes a geographic location for the corresponding wireless station within the range of the third wireless station; and

providing a list including the geographic locations of the corresponding wireless stations within the range of the third wireless station of the first wireless station.

16. An apparatus to locate a wireless device, the apparatus comprising:

a message manager included within a first wireless station to;

transmit a request location message to a second wireless station to determine a geographic location of a third wireless station; and

receive a response location message from the second wireless station identifying the geographic location of the third wireless station;

a global positioning system processor to;

determine a path to a range of the third wireless station based on the received geographic location of the third wireless station; and

determine when the first wireless station is within the range of the third wireless station;

an application processor to transmit an association message to the third wireless station to communicably couple to the third wireless station.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein:

the message manager is to;

transmit a request for data to the third wireless station via the second wireless station prior to transmitting the request location message; and

receive a data response from the third wireless station via the second wireless station indicating a presence of the data on the third wireless station; and

the application processor is to receive the requested data from third wireless station via a direct wireless communication connection.

18. A machine-accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

transmit a request for data from a first wireless station to a third wireless station via a second wireless station;

receive a data response at the first wireless station from the third wireless station via the second wireless station indicating a presence of the data on the third wireless station;

transmit a request location message from the first wireless station to the second wireless station to determine a geographic location of the third wireless station;

receive a response location message at the first wireless station from the second wireless station identifying the geographic location of the third wireless station;

determine a path from the first wireless station to a range of the third wireless station based on the received geographic location of the third wireless station;

move along a portion of the path with the first wireless station to the range of the third wireless station;

transmit an association message from the first wireless station to the third wireless station to communicably couple the first wireless station to the third wireless station; and

receive the requested data from third wireless station at the first wireless station via a direct wireless communication connection.

19. A machine-accessible medium as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

transmit a second request location message from the second wireless station to the third wireless station prior to transmitting the request location message from the first wireless station;

receive a second response location message in the second wireless station from the third wireless station, wherein the second response location includes the geographic location of the third wireless station; and

store the geographic location of the third wireless station within the second wireless station.

20. A machine-accessible medium as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

determine network congestion at the third wireless station interfering with communications with the first wireless station;

receive a third response location message at the first wireless station providing a second geographic location of a fourth wireless station,

determine a second path from the first wireless station to a second range of the fourth wireless station based on the received second geographic location of the fourth wireless station;

move along a portion of the second path with the first wireless station to the second range; and

transmit a second association message from the first wireless station to the fourth wireless station to communicably couple the first wireless station to the fourth wireless station.