UTILIZING MOBILE WIRELESS ACCESS GATEWAYS FOR LOCATION AND CONTEXT PURPOSES

• US 20140364138A1
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Ronald K., Mayor, Robert, Marti, Lukas M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems of using a mobile WAP for location and context purposes are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective location of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. In some implementations, the server can identify a mobile wireless access gateway based on a distance comparison. Data indicating the mobility of a wireless access gateway can be used by a mobile device to initiate one or more actions, including managing power of the mobile device, modifying entrance and exit conditions of virtual fences and determining a context of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method performed by a server computer, the method comprising:

obtaining, from a mobile device, location coordinates and identifiers for a plurality of wireless access gateways detected by the mobile device;

determining that one or more mobile wireless access gateways of the plurality of wireless access gateways is mobile;

generating data for at least one mobile wireless access gateway to indicate the mobile wireless access gateway is mobile; and

storing the data in a data store,

where the method is performed by one or more hardware processors of the server computer.

2. The method of claim 1, where at least one mobile wireless access gateway is a wireless access point (WAP) and the identifier for the WAP is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device motion data generated by one or more sensors of the mobile device; and

using the motion data to determine or confirm a context of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, where the context associated with the mobile device is the user of the mobile device entering or exiting one of a car, bus, train, shuttle, boat or airplane.

5. The method of claim 3, where the motion data includes at least one of acceleration, speed or direction of travel of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, where initiating an action further comprises:

continuing a scan for wireless access gateways based on the data.

8. The method of claim 1, where initiating an action further comprises:

stopping a scan for wireless access gateways based on the data.

9. The method of claim 1, where initiating an action further comprises:

modifying an entrance or exit condition of a virtual fence based on the data.

10. The method of claim 1, where initiating an action on the mobile device further comprises:

determining a context of the mobile device based on the data; and

using the determined context to infer an activity or action associated with the user of the mobile device.

6. A method performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:

sending, to a server computer, identifiers for wireless access gateways detected by the mobile device;

receiving information, from the server computer, including data indicating that at least one of the wireless access gateways is mobile; and

initiating an action based on the data,

where the method is performed by one or more hardware processors of the mobile device.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

obtaining, from a mobile device, location coordinates and identifiers for a plurality of wireless access gateways detected by the mobile device;

determining that one or more mobile wireless access gateways of the plurality of wireless access gateways is mobile;

generating data for at least one wireless access gateway to indicate the mobile wireless access gateway is mobile; and

storing the data in a data store.

12. The system of claim 11, where at least one mobile wireless access gateway is a wireless access point (WAP) and the identifier for the WAP is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device motion data generated by one or more sensors of the mobile device; and

using the motion data to determine or confirm a context associated of the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 13, where the context associated with the mobile device is the user of the mobile device entering or exiting one of a car, bus, train, shuttle, boat or airplane.

15. The system of claim 13, where the motion data includes at least one of acceleration, speed or direction of travel of the mobile device.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

sending, to a server computer, identifiers for wireless access gateways observed by the mobile device;

receiving information, from the server computer, including data indicating that at least one of the wireless access gateways is mobile; and

initiating an action based on the data.

17. The system of claim 16, where initiating an action further comprises:

continuing a scan for wireless access gateways based on the data.

18. The system of claim 16, where initiating an action further comprises:

stopping a scan for wireless access gateways based on the data.

19. The system of claim 16, where initiating an action further comprises:

modifying an entrance or exit condition of a virtual fence based on the data.

20. The system of claim 16, where initiating an action further comprises:

determining a context of the mobile device based on the data; and

using the determined context to infer an activity or action associated with the user of the mobile device.