Method and Apparatus for Measuring Signals on a Plurality of Frequencies at a Mobile Device

• US 20190327628A1
• Filed: 04/18/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: JAIN, Amit, Kumar, Akash, Venkat Narayan, Govind Ram
• Granted Patent: US 11,051,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/011 Identifying the radio environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques are provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses in a mobile device to determine signal measurements on a plurality of frequencies and to provide signal measurements for position calculation on a location server or on the mobile device. Techniques are provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses on a mobile device to concurrently scan for signals across two or more frequencies while optimizing sending and/or utilizing signal measurements made at higher frequency bands or signal measurements of signals sent from devices at a shorter range.

Claims

1. A method of determining signal measurements on a plurality of frequencies at a mobile device, comprising:

conducting a first plurality of scans within a first frequency band using a first wireless LAN (WLAN) transceiver in the mobile device;

conducting a second plurality of scans within a second frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

conducting a third plurality of scans within a third frequency band using a second WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

determining location information comprising indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band, indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band, or indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band, or a combination thereof; and

sending the location information, from the mobile device to a location server, or determining a location of the mobile device using the location information or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises maximum response count or fewer indications of signal measurements.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting at least one probe request within the first frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

transmitting at least one probe request within the second frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device; and

transmitting at least one probe request within the third frequency band using the second WLAN transceiver in the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band are included in the sent location information instead of some or all of the indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band or some or all of the indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band or instead of some or all of the indications of signal measurements measured within both the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band are utilized to determine the location of the mobile device instead of the indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band and the indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein indications of signal measurements comprise indications of time of arrival or indications of signal strength or indications of frequency band or a combination thereof, and wherein each indication of the indications of signal measurements is associated with an access point identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a combined duration of the first plurality of scans and the second plurality of scans does not exceed a maximum response time and a duration of the third plurality of scans exceeds the maximum response time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the maximum response time comprises a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a duration of the first plurality of scans and a duration of the second plurality of scans are less than or equal to a duration of the third plurality of scans.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band is lower than the second frequency band and the second frequency band is lower than the third frequency band.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an almanac of access points from the location server;

and wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device based, at least in part, on the location information and the almanac of access points.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of scans and the second plurality of scans are conducted concurrent with at least part of the third plurality of scans.

13. A mobile device for determining signal measurements on a plurality of frequencies, comprising:

one or more processing units;

a first WLAN transceiver capable of operating in a first frequency band and in a second frequency band; and

a second WLAN transceiver capable of operating in a third frequency band;

wherein the one or more processing units are configured to;

conduct a first plurality of scans within the first frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

conduct a second plurality of scans within the second frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

conduct a third plurality of scans within the third frequency band using the second WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

determine location information comprising indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band, indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band, or indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band, or a combination thereof; and

send the location information, from the mobile device to a location server, or determining a location of the mobile device using the location information or a combination thereof.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the location information comprises maximum response count or fewer indications of signal measurements.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processing units are further configured to:

transmit at least one probe request within the first frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

transmit at least one probe request within the second frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device; and

transmit at least one probe request within the third frequency band using the second WLAN transceiver in the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band are included in the sent location information instead of some or all of the indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band or some or all of the indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band or instead of some or all of the indications of signal measurements measured within both the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band are utilized to determine the location of the mobile device instead of the indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band and the indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the indications of signal measurements comprise indications of time of arrival or indications of signal strength or indications of frequency band or a combination thereof, and wherein each indication of the indications of signal measurements is associated with an access point identifier.

19. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein a combined duration of the first plurality of scans and the second plurality of scans does not exceed a maximum response time and a duration of the third plurality of scans exceeds the maximum response time.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the maximum response time comprises a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter.

21. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein a duration of the first plurality of scans and a duration of the second plurality of scans are less than or equal to a duration of the third plurality of scans.

22. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the first frequency band is lower than the second frequency band and the second frequency band is lower than the third frequency band.

23. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processing units are further configured to receive an almanac of access points from the location server;

and wherein the one or more processing units configured to determine the location of the mobile device, are configured to determine the location of the mobile device based, at least in part, on the location information and the almanac of access points.

24. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processing units are further configured to conduct the first plurality of scans and the second plurality of scans concurrent with at least part of the third plurality of scans.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer-readable instructions to cause a processor to:

conduct a first plurality of scans within a first frequency band using a first WLAN transceiver in a mobile device;

conduct a second plurality of scans within a second frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

conduct a third plurality of scans within a third frequency band using a second WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

determine location information comprising indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band, indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band, or indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band, or a combination thereof; and

send the location information, from the mobile device to a location server, or determining a location of the mobile device using the location information or a combination thereof.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the computer-readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

conduct the first plurality of scans and the second plurality of scans concurrent with at least part of the third plurality of scans.

27. A mobile device for determining signal measurements in a plurality of frequency bands, comprising:

means for conducting a first plurality of scans within a first frequency band using a first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

means for conducting a second plurality of scans within a second frequency band using the first WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

means for conducting a third plurality of scans within a third frequency band using a second WLAN transceiver in the mobile device;

means for determining location information comprising indications of signal measurements measured within the first frequency band, indications of signal measurements measured within the second frequency band, or indications of signal measurements measured within the third frequency band, or a combination thereof; and

means for sending the location information, from the mobile device to a location server, or determining a location of the mobile device using the location information or a combination thereof.

28. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein the indications of signal measurements comprise indications of time of arrival or indications of signal strength or indications of frequency band or a combination thereof, and wherein each indication of the indications of signal measurements is associated with an access point identifier.

29. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein the first frequency band is lower than the second frequency band and the second frequency band is lower than the third frequency band.

30. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein the first plurality of scans and the second plurality of scans are conducted concurrent with at least part of the third plurality of scans.