MOBILE DEVICE GEOLOCATION

• US 20110241872A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahaffey, Kevin Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,232,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

GPS receivers are included in many mobile communications devices; however, there are circumstances where GPS is unavailable or undesirable to use. In an implementation, a device identifies nearby wireless signals, such as Wi-Fi access points and cell towers, and compares them to a database of known signals to determine an approximate location for the device. Because such a database can be large and change rapidly, it may not be appropriate to store the database entirely on a device. Instead, a server may store the database. In an implementation, to minimize the time required to determine a device'"'"'s location, the device may first transmit location-related information to a server and receive a subset of the database corresponding to an area near the device so that future locations nearby can be determined without needing to communicate with the server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting to a server first location-related information associated with a current location of a computing device;

receiving at the computing device second location-related information, the second location-related information including information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers at or near the current location;

storing the second location-related information at the computing device; and

determining at the computing device a new location of the computing device using the second location-related information stored at the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second location-related information includes a portion of a database having information identifying at least one of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points or a plurality of cell towers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the new location is determined without the computing device receiving communications from the server.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

transmitting to the server third location-related information associated with a second current location of the computing device;

receiving at the computing device fourth location-related information, different from the second location-related information, the fourth location-related information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers at or near the second current location;

storing the fourth location-related information at the computing device; and

determining at the computing device a second new location of the computing device using the fourth location-related information stored at the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

transmitting to the server the new location of the computing device;

receiving at the computing device third location-related information, the third location-related information including information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers at or near the new location;

storing the third location-related information at the computing device; and

in response to a request to determine a location of the computing device, determining at the computing device the location using the third location-related information stored at the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the request is from the server.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the request is from an application program on the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first location-related information includes GPS information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first location-related information includes Wi-Fi access point signal information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first location-related information includes cell-tower signal information.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting to a server from a computing device first location-related information associated with a current location of the computing device;

receiving at the computing device from the server second location-related information, the second location-related information including information identifying one or more Wi-Fi access points and one or more cell towers at or near the current location of the computing device;

caching the second location-related information at the computing device; and

determining at the computing device a new current location of the computing device using the second location-related information cached at the computing device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the second location-related information includes a portion of a database, the database having information identifying the one or more Wi-Fi access points at or near the current location of the computing device and information identifying other Wi-Fi access points.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the database is stored at a location remote from the computing device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the second location-related information includes a portion of a database, the database having information identifying the one or more cell towers at or near the current location of the computing device and information identifying other cell towers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the database is stored at a location remote from the computing device.

16. A method comprising:

transmitting to a server from a computing device first location-related information associated with a current location of the computing device;

receiving at the computing device from the server second location-related information, the second location-related information including information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers in an area around the current location of the computing device;

storing the second location-related information at the computing device; and

determining at the computing device a new current location of the computing device using the second location-related information stored at the computing device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the second location-related information includes a portion of a database, the database having information identifying at least one of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points or a plurality of cell towers.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the new current location is determined without the computing device receiving a GPS satellite signal.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising:

transmitting to the server from the computing device third location-related information associated with a second current location of the computing device;

receiving at the computing device fourth location-related information, different from the second location-related information, the fourth location-related information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers in an area around the second current location of the computing device;

storing the fourth location-related information at the computing device; and

determining at the computing device a second new current location of the computing device using the fourth location-related information stored at the computing device.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the area around the current location is a first area and the method further comprises:

when the computing device is in a second area, outside the first area, transmitting a request from the computing device to the server to receive third location-related information, the third location-related information including information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers in the second area;

storing the third location-related information at the computing device; and

determining at the computing device a current location within the second area at which the computing device is located using the third location-related information stored at the computing device.

21. A method comprising:

receiving at a server from a computing device first location-related information associated with a current location of the computing device; and

transmitting to the computing device from the server second location-related information, the second location-related information including information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers at or near the current location of the computing device.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the second location-related information includes a portion of a database having information identifying at least one of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points or a plurality of cell towers.

23. The method of claim 21 comprising:

receiving at the server third location-related information associated with a second current location of the computing device; and

transmitting to the computing device fourth location-related information, different from the second location-related information, the fourth location-related information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers at or near the second current location of the computing device.

24. The method of claim 21 comprising:

receiving at the server a new current location of the computing device; and

transmitting to the computing device from the server third location-related information, the third location-related information including information identifying at least one of one or more Wi-Fi access points or one or more cell towers at or near the new current location.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the first location-related information includes GPS information.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the first location-related information includes Wi-Fi access point signal information.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the first location-related information includes cell-tower signal information.