Electromagnetic Reflection Profiles

• US 20160041261A1
• Filed: 10/17/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Robert Raymond II, Li, Kevin A., Meuninck, Troy C., Pratt, James H., Schroeter, Horst J., Shahraray, Behzad
• Granted Patent: US 9,874,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/462 using multipath signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products determine electromagnetic reflective characteristics of ambient environments. A wireless communications device sends a cellular impulse and receives reflections of the cellular impulse. The cellular impulse and the reflections of the cellular impulse may be compared to determine the electromagnetic reflective characteristics of an ambient environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, global positioning system information representing a location associated with a network address associated with a mobile device;

querying, by the server, an electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location, the electronic database having electronic associations that relate different electromagnetic reflection characteristics to global positioning system coordinates representing different locations;

determining, by the server, a null entry in the electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location;

sending, by the server, an electronic command to the network address associated with the mobile device, the electronic command instructing the mobile device to send a reflection profile;

receiving, by the server, the reflection profile sent from the network address associated with the mobile device; and

replacing, by the server, the null entry in the electronic database with an indication of the reflection profile, the indication having an electronic association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing an electromagnetic noise in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing a signal to noise ratio in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing an interference in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing a distortion in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a query specifying the global positioning system information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising querying the electronic database for the global positioning system information specified by the query.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising retrieving the indication of the reflection profile from the electronic database having the electronic association with the global positioning system information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the reflection profile as a response to the query.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving global positioning system information representing a location associated with a network address associated with a mobile device;

querying an electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location, the electronic database having electronic associations that relate different electromagnetic reflection characteristics to global positioning system coordinates representing different locations;

determining a null entry in the electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location;

sending an electronic command to the network address associated with the mobile device, the electronic command instructing the mobile device to send a reflection profile;

receiving the reflection profile sent from the network address associated with the mobile device; and

replacing the null entry in the electronic database with an indication of the reflection profile, the indication having an electronic association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an electromagnetic noise in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a signal to noise ratio in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an interference in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a distortion in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a query specifying the global positioning system information.

16. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving global positioning system information representing a location associated with a network address associated with a mobile device;

querying an electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location, the electronic database having electronic associations that relate different electromagnetic reflection characteristics to global positioning system coordinates representing different locations;

determining a null entry in the electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location;

sending an electronic command to the network address associated with the mobile device, the electronic command instructing the mobile device to send a reflection profile;

receiving the reflection profile sent from the network address associated with the mobile device; and

replacing the null entry in the electronic database with an indication of the reflection profile, the indication having an electronic association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

17. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an electromagnetic noise in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

18. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a signal to noise ratio in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

19. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an interference in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

20. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a distortion in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.