Autologging the presence of a wireless local area network

• US 8,527,621 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Litwin, Louis Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N
• Application Number:
  US10/567,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,665 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/223, 709/229, 709/238, 709/245, 709/250, 709/200, 370/311, 370/355, 370/252, 370/338, 370/310, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method includes scanning to detect presence of a wireless local area network WLAN, detecting presence of said wireless local area network, contacting a base station of said wireless local area network detected to request the location of said base station, and receiving location of said wireless area network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

scanning to detect a presence of a wireless local area network;

detecting the presence of said wireless local area network;

determining a media access control identification of a base station of said wireless local area network;

comparing the media access control identification of said base station to a database of known locations of base stations of wireless local area networks and not requesting a location from said base station if the base station is in said database;

requesting and receiving a location of said base station through said wireless local area network if said base station is not in said database; and

logging the media access control identification of said base station and the received location in said database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said location comprises a map coordinate location of said base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said location comprises one of a street address and longitude/latitude coordinates for said base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said logging of said location is one of an automated logging and a manual logging.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said location comprises global position coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises detecting signature sequences from a wireless local area network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises detecting energy fluctuations from said wireless local area network.

8. A wireless device comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory;

a means for scanning to detect a presence of a wireless local area network;

a means for detecting the presence of said wireless local area network;

a means for determining a media access control identification of a detected base station of said wireless local area network;

a means for comparing the media access control identification of said detected base station to a database of known locations of base stations of wireless local area networks and not requesting a location from said detected base station if the detected base station is in said database;

a means for requesting and receiving a location of said detected base station of said wireless local area network if said detected base station is not in said database; and

a means for logging the media access control identification of said detected base station and the received location in said database.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein said location comprises a map location of said base station.

10. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein said location comprises a street address for said base station.

11. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein said location comprises global position coordinates.

12. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein said detecting comprises detection of an energy signature from said wireless local area network.

13. The wireless device of claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying a location of a base station of a wireless local area network logged previously that is near said wireless device.

14. A mobile device operable to communicate with a wireless communication network and a wireless local area network (WLAN), configured for carrying out the following steps:

scanning to detect a presence of a wireless local area network;

detecting the presence of said wireless local area network;

determining a media access control identification of a base station of said wireless local area network;

comparing the media access control identification of said base station to a database of known locations of base stations of wireless local area networks and not requesting a location from said base station if the base station is in said database;

requesting and receiving a location of said base station through said wireless local area network if said base station is not in said database; and

logging the media access control identification of said base station and the received location in said database.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said location comprises a map coordinate location of said base station.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said location comprises a street address for said base station.

17. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said location comprises global position coordinates.

18. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising displaying a location of a logged bases station of a wireless local area network near a location input by a user.