GPS-based CE device wireless access point mapping

• US 8,295,846 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hwang, Paul Jin, Carpio, Fredrik, Georgis, Nikolaos, Lo, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US12/715,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20110215969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 342/451
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A CE device can incorporate a GPS receiver and can be moved around a building with wireless access point (AP) signal strengths recorded at various locations. The optimum AP location is selected on the basis of the location-to-signal strength correlations.

Claims

1. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor and a visual display, the processor controlling the display;

position sensor in the housing and generating geographic position signals;

wireless receiver in the housing and receiving signals from a wireless access point (AP) configured to communicate with a wide area network and located at a current AP location;

the processor using the signals from the position sensor and wireless receiver to generate a correlation of wireless access point (AP) communication conditions with respective locations in a building, the processor presenting an indication on the display of a suggested location of the AP that is different from the current AP location, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location that is geographically between plural positions of equally good communication conditions, or wherein the suggested location of the AP is a furthest location from the current AP location having a corresponding communication condition that meets or exceeds a minimum threshold, wherein the processor presents on the display a map illustrating communication conditions as a function of position in the building.

2. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location with a highest communication condition.

3. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the device instructs a user to enter locations of wireless AP physical connections to a network, a respective communication condition being recorded for each wireless AP physical connection location entered, the suggested location of the AP being a wireless AP physical connection location with a higher communication index than communication indices associated with other wireless AP physical connection locations.

4. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor presents on the display a suggested location for disposing a wireless AP repeater communicating wirelessly with the wireless AP.

5. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor presents on the display a suggested most secure wireless AP location using the correlation of wireless access point (AP) communication conditions with respective locations.

6. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor and a visual display, the processor controlling the display;

position sensor in the housing and generating geographic position signals;

wireless receiver in the housing and receiving signals from a wireless access point (AP) configured to communicate with a wide area network and located at a current AP location;

the processor using the signals from the position sensor and wireless receiver to generate a correlation of wireless access point (AP) communication conditions with respective locations in a building, the processor presenting an indication on the display of a suggested location of the AP that is different from the current AP location, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location that is geographically between plural positions of equally good communication conditions, or wherein the suggested location of the AP is a furthest location from the current AP location having a corresponding communication condition that meets or exceeds a minimum threshold, wherein the communication condition includes signal strength (SS).

7. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor and a visual display, the processor controlling the display;

position sensor in the housing and generating geographic position signals;

wireless receiver in the housing and receiving signals from a wireless access point (AP) configured to communicate with a wide area network and located at a current AP location;

the processor using the signals from the position sensor and wireless receiver to generate a correlation of wireless access point (AP) communication conditions with respective locations in a building, the processor presenting an indication on the display of a suggested location of the AP that is different from the current AP location, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location that is geographically between plural positions of equally good communication conditions, or wherein the suggested location of the AP is a furthest location from the current AP location having a corresponding communication condition that meets or exceeds a minimum threshold wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location having a lowest communication index.

8. Method comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, location information indicating location of the device;

receiving, in the computing device, signals from a wireless access point (AP);

moving the computing device relative to the AP;

correlating at least first and second locations of the computing device to first and second AP communication indices; and

based on the correlating act, outputting a suggested location of the AP that is different from a current location of the AP, further comprising presenting a map on the device showing the first and second locations along with the first and second AP communication indices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location with a highest communication condition.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising instructing a user to enter locations of wireless AP physical connections to a network, recording a respective communication condition for each wireless AP physical connection location entered, the suggested location of the AP being a wireless AP physical connection location with a higher communication index than communication indices associated with other wireless AP physical connection locations.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising presenting a suggested location for disposing a wireless AP repeater communicating wirelessly with the wireless AP.

12. The method of claim 8, comprising presenting a suggested most secure wireless AP location using a correlation of wireless access point (AP) communication conditions with respective locations.

13. Method comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, location information indicating location of the device;

receiving, in the computing device, signals from a wireless access point (AP);

moving the computing device relative to the AP;

correlating at least first and second locations of the computing device to first and second AP communication indices; and

based on the correlating act, outputting a suggested location of the AP that is different from a current location of the AP, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location that is geographically between plural positions of equally good communication conditions.

14. Method comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, location information indicating location of the device;

receiving, in the computing device, signals from a wireless access point (AP);

moving the computing device relative to the AP;

correlating at least first and second locations of the computing device to first and second AP communication indices; and

based on the correlating act, outputting a suggested location of the AP that is different from a current location of the AP, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a furthest location from the current AP location having a corresponding communication condition that meets or exceeds a minimum threshold.

15. Method comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, location information indicating location of the device;

receiving, in the computing device, signals from a wireless access point (AP);

moving the computing device relative to the AP;

correlating at least first and second locations of the computing device to first and second AP communication indices; and

based on the correlating act, outputting a suggested location of the AP that is different from a current location of the AP, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location having a lowest communication index.

16. System comprising:

computing device including a position receiver and a wireless transceiver; and

wireless access point (AP) communicating with the computing device, the computing device determining communication indicia for respective locations of the computing device relative to the AP and based thereon outputting to a user a suggested best AP location, a suggested most secure AP location as indicated by a communication index, and a suggested AP repeater location.