COMMUNICATION DEVICE INCLUDING LOCAL LOCATION INFORMATION

• US 20110074547A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan
• Granted Patent: US 8,669,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236

Abstract

A device includes a processing module and a radio section. The processing module obtains location information regarding the device and converts it into a location signal. The radio section converts the location signal into a location wireless signal and transmits it within a local coverage area. A handheld device may use the location wireless signal to determine its location within a building.

Claims

1. A device comprises:

a processing module operably coupled to;

obtain location information regarding the device;

convert the location information into a location signal; and

a radio section operably coupled to;

convert the location signal into a location wireless signal; and

transmit, within a local coverage area, the location wireless signal.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprises at least one of:

a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver that is operable to generate at least a portion of the location information; and

a user interface operable to receive the location information.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the processing module further operably coupled to;

generate a query message requesting information from at least one neighboring device;

receive a response regarding the query message;

when the response includes neighboring device location information, determine the location information regarding the device based on the neighboring device location information; and

the radio section operably coupled to;

convert the query message into a wireless query signal;

transmit the wireless query signal;

receive a wireless response signal; and

convert the wireless response signal into the response.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprises:

the processing module further operably coupled to;

when the response does not include the neighboring device location information or no response is received, generate a message requesting the at least one neighboring device to request information from at least one of its neighboring devices;

receive a second response to the message;

when the second response includes device location information of the at least one of its neighboring devices, determine the location information regarding the device based on the device location information of the at least one of its neighboring devices; and

the radio section operably coupled to;

convert the message into a wireless signal;

transmit the wireless signal;

receive a wireless second response signal; and

convert the wireless second response signal into the second response.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the processing module further operably coupled to;

receive, via the radio section, a communication from a handheld device;

determine whether the communication is an initial communication with the handheld device;

when the communication is an initial communication, obtain, via the radio section, location information of the handheld device; and

determine the location information regarding the device based on, at least in part, the location information of the handheld device.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the processing module further operably coupled to;

indicate that the location signal is to be broadcasted;

or

generate the location signal in response to a location request; and

the radio section further operably coupled to;

transmit the location wireless signal as a broadcast wireless signal when the location signal is to be broadcasted;

or

transmit the location wireless signal in accordance with the location request.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the radio section comprises at least one of:

a radio frequency (RF) radio section that includes;

one or more RF transmitter sections, wherein an RF transmitter section of the one or more RF transmitter sections is operably coupled to;

convert the location signal into a location RF signal; and

transmit, within the local coverage area, the location RF signal;

a millimeter wave (MMW) radio section that includes;

one or more MMW transmitter sections, wherein an MMW transmitter section of the one or more MMW transmitter sections is operably coupled to;

convert the location signal into a location MMW signal; and

transmit, within the local coverage area, the location MMW signal.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

geographic coordinates;

altitude;

physical address of a building;

building floor number;

elevation;

physical building location descriptor; and

blueprints of the building.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operably coupled to convert the location information into the location signal by:

determine position of the device within the building based on at least one of the geographic coordinates, the altitude, the physical address of the building, the building floor number, the elevation, the physical building location descriptor, and the blueprints of the building;

determine geographic location based on the position of the device within the building; and

generate the location signal based on the geographic location.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operably coupled to:

obtain additional location information;

updating the location information based on the additional location information to produce updated location information; and

convert the updated location information into an updated location signal.

11. A device comprises:

a processing module operably coupled to;

determine whether geographic location data regarding the device exists;

when the geographic location data does not exist, generate a query message requesting location information from at least one neighboring device;

receive a response regarding the query message;

when the response includes neighboring device location information, determine the geographic location data regarding the device based on the neighboring device location information; and

a network interface section operably coupled to;

convert the query message into a network query signal;

transmit the network query signal;

receive a network response signal; and

convert the network response signal into the response.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processing module is further operably coupled to determine the geographic location data regarding the device by:

receiving the neighboring device location information via a wireless communication;

determining an angular position of the device with respect to the at least one neighboring device based on the wireless communication;

determining distance between the device and the at least one neighboring device based on the wireless communication; and

determining the geographic location data based on geographic location of the at least one neighboring device, the distance, and the angular position.

13. The device of claim 11 further comprises:

the processing module further operably coupled to;

when the response does not include the neighboring device location information or no response is received, generate a message requesting the at least one neighboring device to request information from at least one of its neighboring devices;

receive a second response to the message;

when the second response includes device location information of the at least one of its neighboring devices, determine the geographic location data regarding the device based on the device location information of the at least one of its neighboring devices; and

the network interface section further operably coupled to;

convert the message into a network signal;

transmit the network signal;

receive a second network response signal; and

convert the second network response signal into the second response.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the network interface section comprises at least one of:

a wireless network interface transceiver; and

a wireline network interface module.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the processing module is further operably coupled to:

when the geographic location data does exist, generate an update query message requesting updated location information from the at least one neighboring device;

receive, via the network interface, an update response regarding the update query message;

when the update response includes updated neighboring device location information, update the geographic location data regarding the device based on the updated neighboring device location information.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

geographic coordinates;

altitude;

physical address of a building;

building floor number;

elevation;

physical building location descriptor; and

blueprints of the building.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing module is further operably coupled to convert the location information into the location signal by:

determine position of the device within the building based on at least one of the geographic coordinates, the altitude, the physical address of the building, the building floor number, the elevation, the physical building location descriptor, and the blueprints of the building;

determine geographic location based on the position of the device within the building; and

generate the geographic location data based on the geographic location.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the processing module is further operably coupled to:

obtain additional location information; and

updating the geographic location data based on the additional location information to produce updated geographic location data.