SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF MOBILE DEVICES INDEPENDENT OF LOCATION FIXING HARDWARE

• US 20110159862A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: JACKSON, Bruce K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Implementations relate to systems and methods for determining a location of a mobile device. The mobile device can query other mobile devices within service range for identification information, and send the identification information to a remote server for storage therein. The remote server can receive location information from other mobile devices corresponding to the identification information. The mobile device can send a location query to the remote server, which can determine or calculate a location of the mobile device based on the identification and/or location information of the other mobile devices. The remote server can provide the location of the mobile device to the mobile device for use in associated mobile applications.

Claims

1. A system for enabling location services, comprising:

a server configured to;

maintain a record of location information for a set of mobile devices, wherein the location information for each mobile device is associated with an identification of each mobile device;

receive a request for a location from a mobile device, the request including a set of identifications for other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device;

determine the location of the mobile device utilizing available location information, from the record, associated with the received set of identifications; and

provide the determined location to the mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to:

receive the location information from the set of mobile devices; and

store, in the record, the location information of each mobile device associated with the identification of each mobile device and a time the location information was received.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the location information from the set of mobile devices is received periodically.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the location comprises one of averaging the available location information to determine the location, selecting the available location information most recently received associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location, or randomly selecting the available location information associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification comprises a self-configuring network device identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix.

7. A method for enabling location services, comprising:

maintaining a record of location information for a set of mobile devices, wherein the location information for each mobile device is associated with an identification of each mobile device;

receiving a request for a location from a mobile device, the request including a set of identifications for other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device;

determining the location of the mobile device utilizing available location information, from the record, associated with the received set of identifications; and

providing the determined location to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving the location information from the set of mobile devices; and

storing, in the record, the location information of each mobile device associated with the identification of each mobile device and a time the location information was received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the location information from the set of mobile devices is received periodically.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the location comprises one of averaging the available location information to determine the location, selecting the available location information most recently received associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location, or randomly selecting the available location information associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the identification comprises a self-configuring network device identifier.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix.

13. A system for enabling location services, comprising:

means for maintaining a record of location information for a set of mobile devices, wherein the location information for each mobile device is associated with an identification of each mobile device;

means for receiving a request for a location from a mobile device and providing the location to the mobile device, the request including a set of identifications for other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device; and

means for determining the location of the mobile device utilizing available location information, from the record, associated with the received set of identifications.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving the request is further configured to receive the location information from the set of mobile devices;

and

wherein the means for maintaining the record is further configured to store, in the record, the location information of each mobile device associated with the identification of each mobile device and a time the location information was received.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the location information from the set of mobile devices is received periodically.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein determining the location comprises one of averaging the available location information to determine the location, selecting the available location information most recently received associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location, or randomly selecting the available location information associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the identification comprises a self-configuring network device identifier.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the location information comprises one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix . . . .

19. A computer program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium storing instructions that causes a computer to perform location services when executed by the computer, comprising;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to maintain a record of location information for a set of mobile devices, wherein the location information for each mobile device is associated with an identification of each mobile device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive a request for a location from a mobile device, the request including a set of identifications for other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to determine the location of the mobile device utilizing available location information, from the record, associated with the received set of identifications; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to provide the determined location to the mobile device.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive the location information from the set of mobile devices; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to store, in the record, the location information of each mobile device associated with the identification of each mobile device and a time the location information was received.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the location information from the set of mobile devices is received periodically.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one instruction for causing the computer to determine the location comprises one of at least one instruction for causing the computer to average the available location information to determine the location, at least one instruction for causing the computer to select the available location information most recently received associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location, or at least one instruction for causing the computer to randomly select the available location information associated with one mobile device in the set of mobile devices as the determined location.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the identification comprises a self-configuring network device identifier.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the location information comprises one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix.

25. A mobile device, comprising:

a wireless interface to a server;

an self-configuring wireless network interface; and

a processor, communicating with the wireless interface and the self configuring wireless network interface, the processor being configured to initiate processing comprising;

identifying, via the self-configuring wireless network interface, a set of other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device;

requesting, from the server via the wireless interface, a location of the mobile device based on identifications of the set of other mobile devices; and

receiving, from the server via the wireless interface, the location of the mobile device.

26. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein identifying the set of other mobile devices, comprises:

broadcasting, via the self-configuring wireless network interface, an inquiry request to other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device; and

receiving, via the self-configuring wireless network interface, a response from the set of other mobile device, wherein the response includes the identifications of the set of other mobile devices.

27. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the identifications comprise self-configuring network device identifiers.

28. The mobile device of claim 25, the processor being further configured to initiate processing comprising—

providing the location to a component of the mobile device requesting the location.

29. The mobile device of claim 25, further comprising:

a memory, communicating with the processor, for storing the location.

30. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the location is based on at least one of one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix of the set of other mobile devices.

31. A method of determining location in a mobile device independent of location fixing hardware, comprising:

identifying a set of other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device;

requesting, from a server, a location of the mobile device based on identifications of the set of other mobile devices; and

receiving, from the server, the location of the mobile device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein identifying the set of other mobile devices, comprises:

broadcasting an inquiry request to other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device; and

receiving a response from the set of other mobile device, wherein the response includes the identifications of the set of other mobile devices.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the identifications comprise self-configuring network device identifiers.

34. The method of claim 31, the method further comprising:

providing the location to a component of the mobile device requesting the location.

35. The method of claim 31, the method further comprising:

storing the location in the mobile device.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the location is based on at least one of one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix of the set of other mobile devices.

37. A system for determining location in a mobile device independent of location fixing hardware, comprising:

means for identifying a set of other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device;

means for requesting, from a server, a location of the mobile device based on identifications of the set of other mobile devices; and

means for receiving, from the server, the location of the mobile device.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the means for identifying the set of other mobile device is configured to:

broadcast an inquiry request to other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device; and

receive a response from the set of other mobile device, wherein the response includes the identifications of the set of other mobile devices.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the identifications comprise self-configuring network device identifiers.

40. The system of claim 37, further comprising:

means for providing the location to a component of the mobile device requesting the location.

41. The system of claim 37, further comprising:

means for storing the location in the mobile device.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein the location is based on at least one of one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix of the set of other mobile devices.

43. A computer program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium storing instructions that causes a mobile device to determine location independent of location fixing hardware when executed by the mobile device, comprising;

at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to identify a set of other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device;

at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to request, from a server, a location of the mobile device based on identifications of the set of other mobile devices; and

at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to receive, from the server, the location of the mobile device.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to identify the set of other mobile devices, comprises:

at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to broadcast an inquiry request to other mobile devices within proximity of the mobile device; and

at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to receive a response from the set of other mobile device, wherein the response includes the identifications of the set of other mobile devices.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the identifications comprise self-configuring network device identifiers.

46. The computer program product of claim 43, further comprising:

at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to provide the location to a component of the mobile device requesting the location.

47. The computer program product of claim 43, the method further comprising:

at least one instruction for causing the mobile device to store the location in the mobile device.

48. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the location is based on at least one of one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) location fix of the set of other mobile devices, a Galileo system location fix, or a tower Trilateration fix of the set of other mobile devices.