Geographically localizing mobile communication devices

• US 8,243,730 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Bernard, Goel, Samir, Jain, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/177,812
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/567, 370/389, 370/395.54, 709/220, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

This specification describes technologies relating to geographically localizing mobile communication devices. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes receiving information corresponding to a location of a wireless landmark in a mobile communication network. The method also includes communicating with the wireless landmark to estimate the location of a first node in the mobile communication network proximate to the wireless landmark. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining an estimated location of a mobile device comprising:

obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a mobile device;

accessing, by one or more computers, a first quasi-static look-up table that includes associations between mobile devices and last hop routers serving the mobile devices to determine an IP address of a router that serves the mobile device, based on the IP address of the mobile device;

accessing, by the one or more computers, a second quasi-static look-up table that includes associations between IP addresses of routers and geographic locations associated with the routers to determine a geographic region corresponding to the router based on the IP address of the router, the second quasi-static look-up table being different than the first quasi-static look-up table; and

outputting the estimated location of the mobile device based on the geographic region corresponding to the router.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 the look-up table that includes associations between the IP addresses of the routers the geographic locations associated with the routers comprises a quasi-static look-up table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP address of the router is obtained from a first database, and the geographic region corresponding to the IP address of the router is obtained from a second database that differs from the first database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the router comprises a last-hop router serving the mobile device.

5. A system for providing location estimates of mobile devices, the system comprising:

a first quasi-static database including associations between mobile devices and last-hop routers serving the mobile devices; and

a second quasi-static database including associations between IP addresses of routers and geographic locations associated with the routers the second quasi-static database being different than the first quasi-static database;

a processor configured to access the first database to determine an IP address of a router that serves a mobile device based on an IP address of the mobile device and access the second database to determine a geographic region corresponding to the router based on the IP address of the router; and

an output device configured to output an estimated location of the mobile device based on the geographic region corresponding to the router.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first database comprises a look-up table that associates the mobile device'"'"'s IP address to a last-hop router most frequently serving the mobile device.

7. A computer program product tangibly stored on a computer readable medium and comprising instructions to:

obtain an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a mobile device;

access a first quasi-static look-up table that includes associations between mobile devices and last hop routers serving the mobile devices to determine an IP address of a router that serves the mobile device, based on the IP address of the mobile device;

access a second quasi-static look-up table that includes associations between IP addresses of routers and geographic locations associated with the routers to determine a geographic region corresponding to the router based on the IP address of the router, the second quasi-static look-up table being different than the first quasi-static look-up table; and

output an estimated location of the mobile device based on the geographic region corresponding to the router.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the instructions to determine the IP address of the router that serves the mobile device comprise instructions to access a look-up table that associates the mobile device'"'"'s IP address to a last-hop router most frequently serving the mobile device.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the instructions to determine the geographic region corresponding to the router comprise instructions to access a look-up table that associates the IP address of the router with the geographic region.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein:

the instructions to determine the IP address of the router that serves the mobile device comprise instructions to obtain the IP address from a first database that includes associations between mobile devices and last hop routers serving the mobile devices; and

the instructions to determine the geographic region corresponding to the router based on the IP address of the router comprise instructions to obtain the geographic region from a second database that includes associations between IP addresses of routers and geographic locations associated with the routers, the second database differing from the first database.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the router comprises a last-hop router serving the mobile device.