METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A LOCATION FOR A RF COMMUNICATION DEVICE BASED ON ITS PROXIMITY TO A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110237185A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles, Garrett, David, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Buer, Mark, Lundgren, David, Murray, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A mobile device may be operable to determine, based on a known location of the mobile device, a location for a RF communication device that communicates with the mobile device, whenever the mobile device is within proximate range of the RF communication device. The determined location for the RF communication device may be stored in a location database in a location server and/or a memory in the RF communication device. The stored location of the RF communication device may then be used to determine a location for other mobile devices that may communicate with the RF communication device and are within proximate range of the RF communication device. The RF communication device may comprise a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device and/or a near field communication (NFC) device. The determined location for the RF communication device may comprise the known location of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:

performing by one or more processors and/or circuits in a mobile device;

determining a location for a RF communication device based on a known location of said mobile device, wherein said RF communication device communicates with said mobile device within proximate range of said RF communication device; and

storing said determined location for said RF communication device in a remote storage device, wherein said stored location of said RF communication device is utilized for location-based services (LBS).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) enabled mobile device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said RF communication device comprises a RFID device that communicates with said RFID enabled mobile device which is within said proximate range of said RFID device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said determined location for said RFID device comprises said known location of said RFID enabled mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device comprises a near field communication (NFC) enabled mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said RF communication device comprises a NFC device that communicates with said NFC enabled mobile device, whenever said NFC enabled mobile device is within said proximate range of said NFC device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said determined location for said NFC device comprises said known location of said NFC enabled mobile device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said storage device comprises a location database in a location server.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said storage device comprises a memory in said RF communication device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said stored location of said RF communication device is used to determine a location for other mobile device that communicates with said RF communication device, whenever said other mobile device is within said proximate range of said RF communication device.

11. A system for communication, the system comprising:

one or more processors and/or circuits for use in a mobile device, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to;

determine a location for a RF communication device based on a known location of said mobile device, wherein said RF communication device communicates with said mobile device within proximate range of said RF communication device; and

store said determined location for said RF communication device in a remote storage device, wherein said stored location of said RF communication device is utilized for location-based services (LBS).

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said mobile device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) enabled mobile device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said RF communication device comprises a RFID device that communicates with said RFID enabled mobile device which is within said proximate range of said RFID device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said determined location for said RFID device comprises said known location of said RFID enabled mobile device.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said mobile device comprises a near field communication (NFC) enabled mobile device.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said RF communication device comprises a NFC device that communicates with said NFC enabled mobile device, whenever said NFC enabled mobile device is within said proximate range of said NFC device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said determined location for said NFC device comprises said known location of said NFC enabled mobile device.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said storage device comprises a location database in a location server.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said storage device comprises a memory in said RF communication device.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said stored location of said RF communication device is used to determine a location for other mobile device that communicates with said RF communication device, whenever said other mobile device is within said proximate range of said RF communication device.