PASSIVE POSITIONING UTILIZING BEACON NEIGHBOR REPORTS

• US 20150063228A1
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: ALDANA, Carlos Horacio
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• 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 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Techniques for providing neighbor reports for use in passive positioning of a client station are disclosed. An example method for broadcasting network neighbor reports according to the disclosure includes generating a beacon transmission, determining a neighbor report count value, if the neighbor report count value is greater than zero, then broadcasting the beacon transmission including at least a beacon frame and the neighbor report count value, and decrementing the neighbor report count value; if the neighbor report count value is equal to zero, then broadcasting the beacon transmission including at least a beacon frame and a neighbor report, and resetting the neighbor count value.

Claims

1. A wireless transceiver for providing network information to a broadcast area, comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

periodically broadcast a beacon transmission with a neighbor report count value at a first interval; and

periodically broadcast the beacon transmission with a neighbor report element at a second interval.

2. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the neighbor report count value is an integer value.

3. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to broadcast an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter format information element.

4. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report count value and the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element comprise a Media Access Control (MAC) control frame format.

5. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element includes a latitude value and a longitude value.

6. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element includes a civic location.

7. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element includes a visitation index to indicate an order in which one or more access points are to be visited.

8. A method for broadcasting network neighbor reports with an access point, comprising:

generating a beacon transmission;

determining a neighbor report count value;

if the neighbor report count value is greater than zero, then

broadcasting the beacon transmission including at least a beacon frame and the neighbor report count value;

decrementing the neighbor report count value;

if the neighbor report count value is equal to zero, then

broadcasting the beacon transmission including at least the beacon frame and a neighbor report; and

resetting the neighbor report count value.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the neighbor report comprises one or more neighbor record elements.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more neighbor record elements includes a latitude value, longitude value, and Z axis information.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more neighbor record elements includes a civic location.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein one or more access points are to be visited in an order based on a visitation index included in the neighbor report.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising broadcasting the beacon transmission including an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter element.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the AP-to-AP signaling parameter element includes an AP-to-AP Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) burst timeout value.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the AP-to-AP signaling parameter element includes a Minimum Delta Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) value.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein resetting the neighbor report count value includes setting the neighbor report count value to a value between 200 and 1000.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the beacon transmission is generated and broadcast at least every 100 milliseconds.

18. A method for determining a current position with a client station, comprising:

receiving a network beacon transmission with the client station;

determining a neighbor report count value based on the network beacon transmission;

receiving a neighbor report if the neighbor report count value equals zero;

determining a location of an access point in the neighbor report; and

calculating the current position of the client station based at least in part on the location of the access point in the neighbor report.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving at least one Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) message transmitted between two or more access points in a wireless network.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter element if the neighbor report count value equals zero.

21. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions for providing network information to a broadcast area with a wireless transceiver, the instructions comprising:

code for periodically broadcasting a beacon transmission with a neighbor report count value at a first interval; and

code for periodically broadcasting the beacon transmission with a neighbor report element at a second interval.

22. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 21 further comprising code for broadcasting an Access Point to Access Point (AP-to-AP) signaling parameter format information element.

23. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report count value and the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element comprise a Media Access Control (MAC) control frame format.

24. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element includes a latitude value and a longitude value.

25. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element includes a civic location.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the beacon transmission with the neighbor report element includes a visitation index to indicate an order in which one or more access points are to be visited.