METHOD FOR DETERMINING POSITION BASED ON NETWORK AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF

• US 20150092584A1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JUNG, Bu-Seop, LEE, Jun-Ho, CHUNG, Young-Kwan, CHOI, Jong-Mu
• Granted Patent: US 9,615,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/00 Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes gain control in transmitters or power amplifiers H03G3/3042
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for operating an electronic device is provided. The method includes determining, by the electronic device, a position estimation point according to state information of the electronic device. Further, the method includes transmitting a position estimation request message to an Access Point (AP) at the determined position estimation point with a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) connection not being performed, and receiving position information of the electronic device from the AP.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining, by the electronic device, a position estimation point according to state information of the electronic device;

transmitting a position estimation request message to an Access Point (AP) at the determined position estimation point with a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) connection not being performed; and

receiving position information of the electronic device from the AP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position estimation request message is configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the state information of the electronic device comprises at least one of velocity information of the electronic device and on/off information of a display screen.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the position estimation point according to the state information of the electronic device comprises:

comparing a velocity of the electronic device with a threshold velocity; and

determining the position estimation point based on a point at which the velocity of the electronic device becomes equal to or greater than the threshold velocity.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the position estimation point according to the state information of the electronic device comprises:

determining the position estimation point based on a point where an on/off state of the display screen of the electronic device changes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the position estimation request message to the AP at the determined position estimation point with the wireless LAN connection not being performed comprises:

exploring, by scanning, at least one AP that is to transmit the position estimation request message; and

transmitting the position estimation request message to the at least one explored AP at the position estimation point with the wireless LAN connection not being performed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting of the position estimation request message to the AP at the determined position estimation point with the wireless LAN connection not being performed comprises:

measuring a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of the at least one explored AP; and

transmitting the position estimation request message to at least one selected AP at the position estimation point with the wireless LAN connection not being performed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message requesting a transmission of the position information to the AP within a time set in advance from a point at which the position estimation request message has been transmitted,

wherein the receiving of the position information of the electronic device from the AP comprises receiving the position information of the electronic device from the AP via a response message in response to the message requesting the transmission of the position information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the message requesting the transmission of the position information and the response message are configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

10. A method for operating an Access Point (AP), the method comprising:

receiving, by the AP, a position estimation request message from an electronic device on which a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) connection has not been performed;

transmitting path loss information measured via the received position estimation request message to an AP controller;

receiving position information of the electronic device from the AP controller; and

transmitting the received position information to the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the position estimation request message is configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a message requesting a transmission of the position information from the electronic device,

wherein the transmitting of the received position information to the electronic device comprises transmitting the received position information to the electronic device via a response message in response to the message requesting the transmission of the position information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the position estimation request message and the response message are configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

14. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

a communication module;

a memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors,

wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a position estimation point according to state information of the electronic device;

transmit a position estimation request message to an Access Point (AP) at the determined position estimation point with a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) connection not being performed; and

receive position information of the electronic device from the AP.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the position estimation request message is configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the state information of the electronic device comprises at least one of velocity information of the electronic device and on/off information of a display screen.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to compare a velocity of the electronic device with a threshold velocity, and to determine the position estimation point based on a point at which the velocity of the electronic device becomes equal to or greater than the threshold velocity.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to determine the position estimation point based on a point where an on/off state of the display screen of the electronic device changes.

19. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to explore, by scanning, at least one AP that is to transmit the position estimation request message, and to transmit the position estimation request message to the at least one explored AP at the position estimation point with the wireless LAN connection not being performed.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to measure a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of the at least one explored AP, and to transmit the position estimation request message to at least one selected AP at the position estimation point with the wireless LAN connection not being performed.

21. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to transmit a message requesting a transmission of the position information to the AP within a time set in advance from a point at which the position estimation request message has been transmitted, and to receive the position information of the electronic device from the AP via a response message in response to the message requesting the transmission of the position information.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the message requesting the transmission of the position information and the response message are configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

23. An Access Point (AP) device comprising:

one or more processors;

a communication module;

a memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors,

wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a position estimation request message from an electronic device on which a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) connection has not been performed;

transmit path loss information measured via the received position estimation request message to an AP controller;

receive position information of the electronic device from the AP controller; and

transmit the received position information to the electronic device.

24. The AP device of claim 23, wherein the position estimation request message is configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

25. The AP device of claim 23, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to receive a message requesting a transmission of the position information from the electronic device, and to transmit the received position information to the electronic device via a response message in response to the message requesting the transmission of the position information.

26. The AP device of claim 25, wherein the position estimation request message and the response message are configured based on at least one of a protocol that does not require the wireless LAN connection and an action frame.

27. The AP device of claim 23, wherein the position estimation request message and the response message include an advertisement protocol information element.