Location-based services that choose location algorithms based on number of detected wireless signal stations within range of user device
First Claim
1. A method of locating a user-device having a wireless signal receiver, comprising:
- providing a reference database of locations of wireless signal stations in a target area;
receiving messages transmitted by the wireless signal stations within range of the wireless signal receiver, each message identifying the wireless signal station sending the message;
calculating the signal strength of the messages received by the wireless signal receiver;
accessing the reference database to obtain the locations for the identified wireless signal stations;
based on the number of wireless signal stations identified via received messages, choosing a corresponding location-determination algorithm from a plurality of location-determination algorithms, said chosen algorithm being suited for the number of identified wireless signal stations; and
using the locations for the identified wireless signal stations and the signal strengths of said received messages and the chosen location-determination algorithm to determine the location of the user-device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A location beacon database and server, method of building location beacon database, and location based service using same. Wi-Fi access points are located in a target geographical area to build a reference database of locations of Wi-Fi access points. At least one vehicle is deployed including at least one scanning device having a GPS device and a Wi-Fi radio device and including a Wi-Fi antenna system. The target area is traversed in a programmatic route to avoid arterial bias. The programmatic route includes substantially all drivable streets in the target geographical area and solves an Eulerian cycle problem of a graph represented by said drivable streets. While traversing the target area, periodically receive the GPS coordinates of the GPS device. While traversing the target area, detecting Wi-Fi signals from Wi-Fi access points in range of the Wi-Fi device and recording identity information of the detected Wi-Fi access point in conjunction with GPS location information of the vehicle when the detection of the Wi-Fi access point was made. The location information is used to reverse triangulate the position of the detected Wi-Fi access point; and the position of the detected access point is recorded in a reference database.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of locating a user-device having a wireless signal receiver, comprising:
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providing a reference database of locations of wireless signal stations in a target area; receiving messages transmitted by the wireless signal stations within range of the wireless signal receiver, each message identifying the wireless signal station sending the message; calculating the signal strength of the messages received by the wireless signal receiver; accessing the reference database to obtain the locations for the identified wireless signal stations; based on the number of wireless signal stations identified via received messages, choosing a corresponding location-determination algorithm from a plurality of location-determination algorithms, said chosen algorithm being suited for the number of identified wireless signal stations; and using the locations for the identified wireless signal stations and the signal strengths of said received messages and the chosen location-determination algorithm to determine the location of the user-device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of locating a user-device having a wireless signal receiver, comprising:
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providing a reference database of wireless signal station information about wireless signal stations in a target area; in response to a user application request to determine a location of a user-device having a wireless signal receiver, receiving messages from wireless signal stations within range of the wireless signal receiver, each message identifying the wireless signal station sending the message; determining attributes of the messages received by the wireless signal receiver; accessing the reference database to obtain information about the identified wireless signal stations; based on the number of wireless signal stations identified via received messages, choosing a corresponding location-determination algorithm from a plurality of location-determination algorithms, said chosen algorithm being suited for the number of identified wireless signal stations; and using the information about the identified wireless signal stations and the determined attributes of said received messages and the chosen location-determination algorithm to determine the location of the user-device. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification