AUTOMATIC DATA ACCURACY MAINTENANCE IN A WI-FI ACCESS POINT LOCATION DATABASE

• US 20130267242A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: LAKHZOURI, Abdelmonaem, CURTICAPEAN, Florean, VISKARI, Joonas
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/30 Network data restoration; Network data reliability; Network data fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for maintaining data accuracy in an access point (AP) location database including a plurality of stored location data are disclosed that can automatically update the AP location database meanwhile maintaining the data accuracy in the database. In some embodiments, the AP location database server receives a first set of location measurements for a first AP from a first mobile device, determines a trustworthiness of the first set of location measurements based on a first comparison between the first set of location measurements and the location data for the first AP stored in the AP location database, and selectively updates the stored location data for the first AP in the AP location database with the received first set of location measurements in response to the determined trustworthiness.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining data accuracy in a Wi-Fi access point location database including a plurality of location entries each for storing location data for a corresponding one of a plurality of access points, the method comprising:

receiving a first set of location measurements for a first access point from a first mobile device;

determining a trustworthiness value of the first set of location measurements in response to a first comparison between the first set of location measurements and the location data for the first access point stored in the location database, wherein determining the trustworthiness value comprises performing an area recognition operation for at least some of the location measurements provided by the first mobile device during a predetermined time period; and

selectively updating the stored location data for the first access point in the location database using the first set of location measurements in response to the trustworthiness value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the location of the first access point in response to the first set of location measurements provided by the first mobile device; and

averaging the calculated location with the stored location data for the first access point to generate an averaged location for the first access point.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second set of location measurements for the first access point from a second mobile device, wherein the trustworthiness value is further determined in response to a second comparison between the first and second sets of location measurements.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third set of location measurements for a second access point from the first mobile device, wherein the trustworthiness value is further determined in response to a third comparison between the third set of location measurements and the location data for the second access point stored in the location database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the stored location data for the first access point is updated only if the trustworthiness value is greater than or equal to a trustworthiness threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second set of location measurements for the first access point from a second mobile device; and

determining a consistency value between the first and second sets of location measurements for the first access point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the stored location data for the first access point is updated only if the consistency value is greater than or equal to a consistency threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the trustworthiness value comprises:

comparing the first set of location measurements with each other to determine whether an inconsistent measurement exists in the first set of location measurements for the first access point; and

selectively ignoring the first set of location measurements in response to the existence of the inconsistent measurement.

9. (canceled)

10. A system of maintaining data accuracy in a Wi-Fi access point location database including a plurality of location entries each for storing location data for a corresponding one of a plurality of access points, the system comprising:

means for receiving a first set of location measurements for a first access point from a first mobile device;

means for determining a trustworthiness value of the first set of location measurements in response to a first comparison between the first set of location measurements and the location data for the first access point stored in the location database, wherein the means for determining the trustworthiness value is to perform an area recognition operation for at least some of the location measurements provided by the first mobile device during a predetermined time period; and

means for selectively updating the stored location data for the first access point in the location database using the first set of location measurements in response to the trustworthiness value.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for calculating the location of the first access point in response to the first set of location measurements provided by the first mobile device; and

means for averaging the calculated location with the stored location data for the first access point to generate an averaged location for the first access point.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving a second set of location measurements for the first access point from a second mobile device, wherein the trustworthiness value is further determined in response to a second comparison between the first and second sets of location measurements.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving a third set of location measurements for a second access point from the first mobile device, wherein the trustworthiness value is further determined in response to a third comparison between the third set of location measurements and the location data for the second access point stored in the location database.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the stored location data for the first access point is updated only if the trustworthiness value is greater than or equal to a trustworthiness threshold.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving a second set of location measurements for the first access point from a second mobile device; and

means for determining a consistency value between the first and second sets of location measurements for the first access point.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the stored location data for the first access point is updated only if the consistency value is greater than or equal to a consistency threshold.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the trustworthiness value comprises:

means for comparing the first set of location measurements with each other to determine whether an inconsistent measurement exists in the first set of location measurements for the first access point; and

means for selectively ignoring the first set of location measurements in response to the existence of the inconsistent measurement.

18. (canceled)

19. An access point location server, comprising:

a database including a plurality of location entries each for storing location data for a corresponding one of a plurality of access points; and

a processor to;

receive a first set of location measurements for a first access point from a first mobile device;

determine a trustworthiness value of the first set of location measurements in response to a first comparison between the first set of location measurements and the location data for the first access point stored in the location database, wherein determining the trustworthiness value comprises performing an area recognition operation for at least some of the location measurements provided by the first mobile device during a predetermined time period; and

selectively update the stored location data for the first access point in the location database using the first set of location measurements in response to the trustworthiness value.

20. The access point location server of claim 19, wherein the processor is to further:

calculate the location of the first access point in response to the first set of location measurements provided by the first mobile device; and

average the calculated location with the stored location data for the first access point to generate an averaged location for the first access point.

21. The access point location server of claim 19, wherein the processor is to further:

receive a second set of location measurements for the first access point from a second mobile device, wherein the trustworthiness value is further determined in response to a second comparison between the first and second sets of location measurements.

22. The access point location server of claim 19, wherein the processor is to further:

receive a third set of location measurements for a second access point from the first mobile device, wherein the trustworthiness value is further determined in response to a third comparison between the third set of location measurements and the location data for the second access point stored in the location database.

23. The access point location server of claim 22, wherein the stored location data for the first access point is updated only if the trustworthiness value is greater than or equal to a trustworthiness threshold.

24. The access point location server of claim 19, wherein the processor is to further:

receive a second set of location measurements for the first access point from a second mobile device; and

determine a consistency value between the first and second sets of location measurements for the first access point.

25. The access point location server of claim 24, wherein the stored location data for the first access point is updated only if the consistency value is greater than or equal to a consistency threshold.

26. The access point location server of claim 19, wherein the processor is to determine the trustworthiness value by:

comparing the first set of location measurements with each other to determine whether an inconsistent measurement exists in the first set of location measurements for the first access point; and

selectively ignoring the first set of location measurements in response to the existence of the inconsistent measurement.