Methods, Devices, and Computer Readable Storage Devices for Collecting and Reporting Location Data with a High Accuracy

• US 20170303232A1
• Filed: 07/03/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin, Mark, Meredith, Sheldon Kent
• Granted Patent: US 10,251,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A mobile communication device collects and reports location data associated with itself and with mobile communication devices within a proximity. The mobile communication device determines its location and detects the presence of another communication device located within the proximity of the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device determines a location of the other mobile communication device. The mobile communication device reports its location and the location of the other mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A first mobile communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

determining a location of the first mobile communication device,

determining a location of a second mobile communication device located within a proximity of the first mobile communication device, and

reporting the location of the first mobile communication device and the location of the second mobile communication device, wherein at least one of determining the location of the first mobile communication device, determining the location of the second mobile communication device, or reporting the location of the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device is repeatedly performed at a frequency, wherein the frequency depends, at least in part, on a characterization of a crowd size associated with the location of the first mobile communication device such that when the location of the first mobile communication device is characterized as being associated with a large crowd size, the frequency is higher than when the location of the first mobile communication device is characterized as being associated with a small crowd size.

2. The first mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a presence of the second mobile communication device located within the proximity of the first mobile communication device, wherein detecting the presence of the second mobile communication device comprises receiving a short-range radio signal from the second mobile communication device.

3. The first mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein determining the location of the second mobile communication device comprises determining the location of the second mobile communication device based on a signal strength of the short-range radio signal received from the second mobile communication device.

4. The first mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

after receiving the short-range radio signal from the second mobile communication device, determining whether an address associated with the short-range radio signal matches identification information stored on a subscriber database of a network; and

in response to determining that the address associated with the short-range radio signal matches identification information stored on the subscriber database of the network, determining that the second mobile communication device emitting the short-range radio signal is a mobile communication device instead of a fixed communication device.

5. The first mobile communication device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise reporting, along with the location of the second mobile communication device, information indicating that the second mobile communication device is a mobile communication device.

6. The first mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the frequency further depends upon whether the location of the first mobile communication device is static or dynamic.

7. The first mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the second mobile communication device determines the location of the second mobile communication device, detects a presence of the first mobile communication device within a proximity of the second mobile communication device, determines the location of the first mobile communication device, and reports the location of the first mobile communication device and the location of the second mobile communication device.

8. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first mobile communication device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a location of the first mobile communication device;

determining a location of a second mobile communication device located within a proximity of the first mobile communication device; and

reporting the location of the first mobile communication device and the location of the second mobile communication device, wherein at least one of determining the location of the first mobile communication device, determining the location of the second mobile communication device, or reporting the location of the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device is repeatedly performed at a frequency, wherein the frequency depends, at least in part, on a characterization of a crowd size associated with the location of the first mobile communication device such that when the location of the first mobile communication device is characterized as being associated with a large crowd size, the frequency is higher than when the location of the first mobile communication device is characterized as being associated with a small crowd size.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a presence of the second mobile communication device located within the proximity of the first mobile communication device, wherein detecting the presence of the second mobile communication device comprises receiving a short-range radio signal from the second mobile communication device.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the second mobile communication device comprises determining the location of the second mobile communication device based on a signal strength of the short-range radio signal received from the second mobile communication device.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

after receiving the short-range radio signal from the second mobile communication device, determining whether an address associated with the short-range radio signal matches identification information stored on a subscriber database of a network; and

in response to determining that the address associated with the short-range radio signal matches identification information stored on the subscriber database of the network, determining that the second mobile communication device emitting the short-range radio signal is a mobile communication device instead of a fixed communication device.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise reporting, along with the location of the second mobile communication device, information indicating that the second mobile communication device is a mobile communication device.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the frequency further depends upon whether the location of the first mobile communication device is static or dynamic.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the second mobile communication device determines the location of the second mobile communication device, detects a presence of the first mobile communication device within a proximity of the second mobile communication device, determines the location of the first mobile communication device, and reports the location of the first mobile communication device and the location of the second mobile communication device.

15. A method comprising:

determining, by a first mobile communication device comprising a processor, a location of the first mobile communication device;

determining, by the first mobile communication device, a location of a second mobile communication device located within a proximity of the first mobile communication device; and

reporting, by the first mobile communication device, the location of the first mobile communication device and the location of the second mobile communication device, wherein at least one of determining the location of the first mobile communication device, determining the location of the second mobile communication device, or reporting the location of the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device is repeatedly performed at a frequency, wherein the frequency depends, at least in part, on a characterization of a crowd size associated with the location of the first mobile communication device such that when the location of the first mobile communication device is characterized as being associated with a large crowd size, the frequency is higher than when the location of the first mobile communication device is characterized as being associated with a small crowd size.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a presence of the second mobile communication device located within the proximity of the first mobile communication device, wherein detecting the presence of the second mobile communication device comprises receiving a short-range radio signal from the second mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the location of the second mobile communication device comprises determining the location of the second mobile communication device based on a signal strength of the short-range radio signal received from the second mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

after receiving the short-range radio signal from the second mobile communication device, determining whether an address associated with the short-range radio signal matches identification information stored on a subscriber database of a network; and

in response to determining that the address associated with the short-range radio signal matches identification information stored on the subscriber database of the network, determining that the second mobile communication device emitting the short-range radio signal is a mobile communication device instead of a fixed communication device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising reporting, along with the location of the second mobile communication device, information indicating that the second mobile communication device is a mobile communication device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the frequency further depends upon whether the location of the first mobile communication device is static or dynamic.