ACCESS POINT WHICH SENDS GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONING INFORMATION FROM THE ACCESS POINT TO MOBILE TERMINALS AND MOBILE TERMINAL WHICH RECEIVES THE INFORMATION AND ESTIMATES THE POSITION THEREOF BASED ON SAID INFORMATION

• US 20110206025A1
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonica SA
• Original Assignee: Telefonica SA
• Inventors: Cadenas Gonzalez, Alejandro, Sanchez Esguevillas, Antonio Javier, Carro Martinez, Bélen
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to an access point (20) which sends geographical positioning information from the access point to mobile terminals (10) and to a mobile terminal which receives this information and estimates the position thereof based on said information. Geographical-locating architecture for WiFi 802.11 mobile terminals on ADSL access points generally consists of including geographical positioning information, i.e., the geographical coordinates of the access point during the registration phase thereof. The access point includes this geographical information in the information posted so that the mobile terminals can be connected to same. The mobile terminals can thus know the geographical location where they are located with an approximation that will depend directly on the number of access points that the mobile terminal can detect.

Claims

1. Access point for a non-cellular wireless communication system comprising means for sending data to one or more mobile terminals, characterized in that the means for sending the data are configured for sending geographical positioning information from the access point to the mobile terminals.

2. Access point according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for sending the data are configured for sending the geographical positioning information by means of broadcast.

3. Access point according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for sending the data are configured for sending the geographical positioning information in beacons.

4. Access point according to claim 3, characterized in that the means for sending the data are configured for sending the geographical positioning information in the Service Set Identifier.

5. Access point according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for obtaining the geographical positioning information of an entity located in a telephone network.

6. Access point according to claim 5, characterized in that the entity located in the telephone network is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

7. Access point according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for obtaining the geographical positioning information are configured for the access point to obtain said information in a registration or access permission checking step.

8. Access point according to claim 7, characterized in that the registration step is performed on a PPP protocol.

9. Access point according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an administration interface so that an access point administrator provides the geographical positioning information to the access point.

10. Access point according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for sending the data work according to the WiFi or WiMax protocol.

11. Communication system comprising an access point according to claim 5 and an entity located in a telephone network, characterized in that the entity is configured for obtaining information relating to the geographical positioning of the access point from a user database and sending it to the access point.

16. Computer program comprising code means suitable for performing the steps of claim 1, when said program is run in a computer.

12. Mobile terminal for a non-cellular wireless communication system comprising means for receiving data from at least one access point, characterized in that the means for receiving the data are configured for receiving geographical positioning information from the access point and in that the mobile terminal comprises means for estimating the position of the mobile terminal based on the geographical positioning information received from the access point.

13. Method implemented in an access point for a non-cellular wireless communication system, characterized in that it comprises an step of sending geographical positioning information from the access point to mobile terminals.

14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises an step of obtaining from the access point the geographical positioning information of an entity located in a telephone network.

15. Method implemented in a mobile terminal for a non-cellular wireless communication system, characterized in that it comprises an step of receiving geographical positioning information from at least one access point and estimating the position of the mobile terminal based on the geographical positioning information received from the access point.