Method providing positioning and navigation inside large buildings
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- scanning for available wireless local area network access points within a structure;
detecting a signal from at least one available wireless local area network access point among the available wireless local area network access points; and
retrieving location information of the at least one available wireless local area network access point, by querying the at least one available wireless local area network access point for locally configured data while in an unauthenticated state, via a query protocol, wherein the locally configured data comprises an 802.11u native query protocol AP location information definition extension indicative of the location information,wherein the scanning, the detecting, and the retrieving are performed by a mobile user device without associating with the at least one available wireless local area network access point.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Positioning and/or navigation of an electronic device within a building when GPS signals are unavailable is provided. The electronic device scans for available Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Points (APs) upon, e.g., entering a building. The electronic device detects a signal (e.g., beacon) from at least one available WLAN AP, whereupon the electronic device retrieves the indoor location of the available WLAN AP. The location information can be directly downloaded from the WLAN AP while in state-1 via, e.g., a Native Query Protocol which includes an extension to currently defined Native Query info elements that returns location information. Alternatively, the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the WLAN AP can be read from the beacon signal, which is then used to retrieve the location of the WLAN AP from an associated database. Additionally, various embodiments may be implemented with or via a mapping application or service, where the mapping application is able to display any floor'"'"'s floor plan of a building and determine/obtain the position of the electronic device inside the building relative to the floor plan.
188 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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scanning for available wireless local area network access points within a structure; detecting a signal from at least one available wireless local area network access point among the available wireless local area network access points; and retrieving location information of the at least one available wireless local area network access point, by querying the at least one available wireless local area network access point for locally configured data while in an unauthenticated state, via a query protocol, wherein the locally configured data comprises an 802.11u native query protocol AP location information definition extension indicative of the location information, wherein the scanning, the detecting, and the retrieving are performed by a mobile user device without associating with the at least one available wireless local area network access point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, scan for available wireless local area network access points within a structure; detect a signal from at least one available wireless local area network access point among the available wireless local area network access points; and retrieve location information of the at least one available wireless local area network access point, by querying the at least one available wireless local area network access point for locally configured data while in an unauthenticated state, via a query protocol, wherein the locally configured data comprises an 802.11u native query protocol AP location information definition extension indicative of the location information, wherein the apparatus is included in a mobile user device that does not associate with the at least one available wireless local area network access point during the scanning, the detecting, and the retrieving. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:
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scanning for available wireless local area network access points within a structure; detecting a signal from at least one available wireless local area network access point among the available wireless local area network access points; and retrieving location information of the at least one available wireless local area network access point, by querying the at least one available wireless local area network access point for locally configured data while in an unauthenticated state, via a query protocol, wherein the locally configured data comprises an 802.11u native query protocol AP location information definition extension indicative of the location information, wherein the scanning, the detecting, and the retrieving are performed by a mobile user device without associating with the at least one available wireless local area network access point. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification