Apparatus and method for mapping a location of wireless base stations in a mobile communication system

• US 7,539,485 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Kuniaki, Sekine, Shuichi, Shoki, Hiroki, Seto, Ichiro, Yoshida, Hiroshi, Toyoda, Takehiko, Ono, Naoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/924,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus used in a first mobile communication system with a plurality of wireless base stations, the first mobile communication system operated by a first provider, the apparatus including an acquiring unit, a location detecting unit configured to detect a present location of the apparatus, a storing unit configured to store first service location information with respect to the first provider, and a location information providing unit configured to calculate locally a location of the plurality of wireless base stations using the detected present location of the apparatus stored in the storing unit. The location information providing unit is configured to provide a user with information based on the first service location information and the second service location information.

Claims

1. An apparatus used in a first mobile communication system with a plurality of wireless base stations, the first mobile communication system operated by a first provider, the apparatus comprising:

first means for acquiring identification information of the plurality of wireless base stations;

second means for detecting a present location of the apparatus on acquiring the identification information of the plurality of wireless base stations;

third means for storing first service location information with respect to the first provider in which the identification information acquired by the first means is associated with the present location of the apparatus detected by the second means; and

fourth means for calculating locally a location of the plurality of wireless base stations using the detected present location of the apparatus stored in the third means, and to exchange locally calculated first service location information and second service location information with respect to a second provider through an ad hoc network with a second apparatus in a second mobile communication system that is operated by the second provider, wherein

the fourth means is configured to provide a user with information based on the first service location information and the second service location information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fourth means has map information, and is configured to add information of the calculated location of the plurality of wireless base stations to the map information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fourth means is configured to display the map information indicating the calculated location of the plurality of wireless base stations.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mobile communication system is a wireless local area network system being compliant with a standard of IEEE 802.11.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fifth means for communicating with the plurality of wireless base stations, the communication unit being adapted to a standard of IEEE 802.11.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cellular telephone unit configured to perform cellular communication with a cellular base station being a part of a cellular network.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first means is configured for acquiring identification information of the plurality of wireless base stations which is included in a signal transmitted from the plurality of wireless base stations.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first means is configured for acquiring identification information of the plurality of wireless base stations which is included in a signal transmitted from the cellular base station.