Method, apparatus and system of configuring a wireless device based on location

• US 7,421,276 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Steer, David, Teo, Koon Hoo, Smith, Adrian David
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/682,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 370/462, 370/342, 709/230, 709/227
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/04 using association of physical positions and logical data in a dedicated environment, e.g. buildings or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention one or more radio units of a wireless device are used to measure or detect clues about the radio propagation environment and type of space that surrounds a wireless device. From the measurements, the wireless device may determine the type of location that it is located within, whether that is simply a determination between inside and outside or a more complex determination of the type of building or space that the wireless device is located within. In either case, this determination can be used to automatically change/adjust the radio system operation parameters the wireless device operates in accordance with. With the type of location determined, a wireless device may then automatically select the appropriate radio system operation parameters for the type of location that it is in and the corresponding regulations that apply.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a first antenna and a second antenna;

a system for determining whether or not the wireless device is either inside a building or outside a building; and

a parameter adjuster for changing the operation of the wireless device based on whether or not the wireless device is either inside a building or outside a building;

wherein, upon determining that the wireless device is inside a building, the parameter adjuster switches the wireless device to a first set of radio system operation parameters; and

upon determining that the wireless device is outside a building, the parameter adjuster switches to a second set of radio system operation parameters.

2. The wireless device of claim 1 in the form of a mobile wireless device capable of accessing a wireless network.

3. The wireless device of claim 1 in the form of a wireless access node for providing wireless access to wireless mobile devices and also communicating with other wireless access nodes.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the parameter adjuster switches the wireless device to a third set of radio system operation parameters upon failing to adequately determine whether or not the wireless device is either inside or outside a building.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the parameter adjuster switches the wireless device to a more restrictive one of the first and second set of radio system operation parameters upon failing to adequately determine whether or not the wireless device is either inside or outside a building.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising first and second radio modules to which the respective first and second antennas are coupled.

7. The wireless device of claim 6 wherein the first antenna is a transit link antenna and the second antenna is an access link antenna, and the first radio module is a transit link radio and the second radio module is an access link radio.

8. The wireless device of claim 6 operable to, prior to making a location determination, configure the first and second radio modules to operate with a common air interface.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the first radio module operates nominally according to 802.11a, the second radio module operates nominally according to 802.11b, and wherein configuring the first and second radio modules to operate with a common air interface comprises configuring them both to operate according to only one of 802.11a and 802.11b.

10. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the parameter adjuster operates automatically in response to a determination of whether or not the wireless device is either inside a building or outside a building.

11. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein the system for determining whether or not the wireless device is either inside a building or outside a building executes automatically upon power-up of the wireless device.

12. A wireless device comprising:

a first antenna and a second antenna;

a system for determining whether or not the wireless device is either inside a building or outside a building;

a test signal generator operable to transmit a test signal from the first antenna into the environment surrounding the wireless device; and

a received test signal analyzer operable to analyze direct and/or reflected components of the test signal from the environment surrounding the wireless device through the second antenna so as to derive at least one radio signal propagation characteristic for use in determining whether or not the wireless device is either inside a building or outside a building.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein each at least one radio signal propagation characteristic is selected from a group consisting of delay spread, delay speed, delay distance, attenuation profile, amplitude slope, polarization, and Doppler shift.