Location-based services in a femtocell network

• US 8,463,296 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Kurt Donald, Mansfield, William Gordon, Flynn, Judson John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Application Number:
  US13/487,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 : when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 : Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• 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 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided to route traffic and signaling between a set of networked femto access points (APs) and enable location-based services. A femto AP in the set of femto APs is functionally linked to a routing platform that manages traffic and signaling, and is functionally connected to a controller component that relays data and control to a femto network platform. Routing platform can exchange signaling with one or more femto APs to enable, at least in part, location-based services based at least in part on identifier(s) for a femto AP, access privileges, or time-of-flight measurements that assess propagation timing between a mobile device and a femto AP. Routing platform can supply timing configuration to enable predetermined spatial resolution of location estimates. Location estimates can be recorded and conveyed to a consumer layer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, data indicative of an item associated with a mobile device;

based on the data, determining, by the system, location information associated with the item and determined by a set of femto access point devices that are linked via a routing platform device, wherein the determining comprises triangulating a position of a radio frequency identification tag linked to the item; and

in response to determining that the mobile device has entered a coverage area associated with a femto access point device of the set of femto access point devices, facilitating, by the system, a transmission of content of the radio frequency identification tag to the mobile device via the femto access point device, wherein the content is customized for the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission is a first transmission, the data is first data, and the method further comprises:

facilitating, by the system, a second transmission of second data associated with the location of the item to the mobile device via the femto access point device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission is a first transmission and the triangulating comprises facilitating a second transmission of a control packet within a pilot signal associated with the set of femto access point devices to initiate communication with the radio frequency identification tag.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the facilitating the second transmission comprises facilitating the second transmission of the control packet within the pilot signal that is disparate from a band of electromagnetic radiation employed for communication with a macro network device via the set of femto access point devices.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, a set of radio frequency data packets from the radio frequency identification tag as a function of facilitating the second transmission; and

determining, by the system, the content based on decoding the set of radio frequency data packets.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triangulating comprises determining the position of the radio frequency identification tag based on time of flight measurement data determined by the set of femto access point devices in accordance with a predetermined timing advance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the triangulating comprises determining the position of the radio frequency identification tag based on time of flight measurement data received from a global navigation satellite system receiver device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping, by the system, the location information with the item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises pricing information associated with the item and the method further comprises:

modifying, by the system, the pricing information based on identifier data associated with the mobile device.

10. A system, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the instructions to perform operations,comprising;

receiving location information associated with an item from a set of femto access point devices that are linked via a routing platform device, wherein the location information is determined by the set of femto access point devices as a function of signaling between the set of femto access point devices and a radio frequency identification tag linked to the item; and

in response to determining that a mobile device has entered a coverage area associated with a femto access point device of the set of femto access point devices, directing, to the mobile device via the femto access point device, content of the radio frequency identification tag that is customized for the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the determining that the mobile device has entered the coverage area, facilitating a transmission of the location information to the mobile device via the femto access point device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the signaling comprises facilitating a transmission of a set of control packets within respective pilot signals associated with the set of femto access point devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the respective pilot signals employ bands disparate from a set of electromagnetic radiation bands employed by the set of femto access point devices for communication with authorized devices within respective coverage areas associated with the femto access point devices.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the location information comprises time of flight measurement data that is determined based on a configurable timing advance.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving identifier data identifying the item via a femto network gateway device, and wherein the receiving the location information is in response to the receiving the identifier data.

16. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving data indicative of an item associated with a mobile device;

receiving, from a set of femto access point devices that are linked via a routing platform device, location information associated with the item collected as a function of signaling between the set of femto access point devices and a radio frequency identification tag associated with the item; and

in response to the mobile device being determined to be coupled to a femto access point of the set of femto access point devices, directing, to the mobile device via the femto access point device, content of the radio frequency identification tag that is customized for the mobile device.

17. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a location of the item based on an analysis of the location information; and

facilitating a transmission of data indicative of the location of the item to the mobile device via the femto access point device.

18. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the content comprises pricing information related to the item.

19. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the location information comprises time of flight measurement data that is determined based on a configurable timing advance.

20. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the content of radio frequency identification tag based on an actuation protocol.