Method and system for locating a wireless network access point at a mobile computing device

• US 7,054,627 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Hillman, Garth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/134,833
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/465, 455/514, 455/183.2, 455/185.1, 370328-338, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A network includes an Internet connection element and a plurality of wireless device access points. Each of the plurality of wireless device access points includes a wireless transceiver and each of the plurality of wireless device access points is coupled to the Internet connection element. A location of at least one of the plurality of wireless device access points is represented on a map that is accessible via the Internet.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

an Internet connection element;

a plurality of wireless device access points, each of the plurality of wireless device access points including a wireless transceiver, each of the plurality of wireless device access points coupled to the Internet connection element;

a memory coupled to at least one of the plurality of wireless device access points, the memory storing location data corresponding to location information of the at least one wireless device access point;

wherein the location data is applied to a man database, such that the location information of the at least one wireless device access point is added onto a map corresponding to the map database,

wherein location information of the at least one wireless device access point is retrieved automatically from a global positioning system device or otherwise entered by a user, wherein the location information of the at least one wireless device access point is represented on a map that is accessible via the Internet.

2. The network of claim 1, further comprising a computer server, the computer server coupled to the Internet connection element via a distributed computer network.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein the computer server stores a map containing access point location information and wherein the map containing the access point location information is made available to a plurality of users via the distributed computer network.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the distributed computer network comprises the Internet.

5. The network of claim 4, further comprising a wireless wide area network element, the wireless wide area network element having access to the map stored within the computer server.

6. The network of claim 5, wherein the wireless wide area network element includes a wireless transceiver to communicate data associated with the map to a remote wireless computing device.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the wireless device access point represented on the map is selected from the plurality of wireless device access points based on the location of the represented wireless device access point and the location of a remote wireless computing device.

8. A mobile computing device comprising:

a computer processor;

a computer memory coupled to the computer processor;

a first radio element, the first radio element to provide for communication with a wireless network access point;

a second radio element, the second radio element to provide for communication with a wireless wide area network element;

wherein data retrieved via the second radio element is stored in the computer memory and the retrieved data includes map data that identifies location information with respect to the wireless network access point; and

wherein the wireless network access point is selected from a plurality of wireless network access points based on wireless network access point location information and the location of the mobile computing device.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 8, further comprising a global positioning system element responsive to the computer processor, the global positioning system element to provide user location data with respect to the mobile computing device.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the map includes a representation of the user location based on the location data retrieved from the global positioning system.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 8, wherein the map data includes data that identifies a location of a plurality of wireless network access points.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 8, further comprising a display device to display a map based on the map data.