Location tracking method in coordinator-based wireless network

• US 8,538,453 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Yun-hwa, Choi, Hyong-uk
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANOHARAN, MUTHUSWAMY GANAPATHY
• Application Number:
  US12/751,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20100189082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2612 Arrangements for wireless medium access control, e.g. by allocating physical layer transmission capacity H04B7/2615 - H04B7/2643 take precedence; provision for broadband connection H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network is provided. The location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network includes transmitting a first frame including its own identifier and time information to the wireless network by a device associated with the wireless network in order to disclose its location information; and receiving a second frame including the location information of the device transmitted from the wireless network by the device, as a response to the first frame.

Claims

1. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the location tracking method comprising:

receiving from a first device a first frame including an identifier of the first device and an identifier of a second device so that a coordinator of a first coordinator-based wireless network can track the second device, wherein the second device is in a second coordinator-based wireless network separate from the first coordinator-based wireless network;

transmitting from the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network a second frame including an identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, the identifier of the first device, and the identifier of the second device to a coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network;

receiving at the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network a third frame including the identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and location information of the second device, transmitted by the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network, as a response to the second frame; and

transmitting a fourth frame including the location information of the second device to the first device by the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network,

wherein the first coordinator-based wireless network is a network in which the coordinator assigns channel time to other devices within the first coordinator-based wireless network for data transmission, wherein computing capability and resources of the coordinator are highest among all devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, and

wherein if the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network receives at least three location calculating information of the second device, the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network selects three location calculating information that are determined based on their received signal strength values,

wherein the first and second wireless networks are based on the IEEE 802.15.4a protocol using Ultra Wideband (UWB) for the Physical Layer (PHY).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, at the time the first coordinator-based wireless network is initiated, comprise at least two network coordinators of previously established networks.

4. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the location tracking method comprising:

receiving from a first device a first frame including an identifier of the first device and an identifier of a second device, so that a coordinator of a first coordinator-based wireless network can track the second device, wherein the second device is in a second coordinator-based wireless network separate from the first coordinator-based wireless network;

transmitting from the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network a second frame including an identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, and the identifier of the second device to a coordinator of a second coordinator-based wireless network;

receiving at the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network a third frame including the identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device, as a response of the second frame, if the second device which received the second frame denies location tracking; and

transmitting from the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network a fourth frame including information about the second device denying location tracking to the first device,

wherein the first coordinator-based wireless network is a network in which the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network assigns channel time to other devices within the first coordinator-based wireless network for data transmission, wherein computing capability and resources of the coordinator are highest among all devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, and

wherein if the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network receives at least three location calculating information of the second device, the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network selects three location calculating information that are determined based on their received signal strength values,

wherein the first and second wireless networks are based on the IEEE 802.15.4a protocol using Ultra Wideband (UWB) for the Physical Layer (PHY).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, at the time the first coordinator-based wireless network is initiated, comprise at least two network coordinators of previously established networks.

7. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the location tracking method comprising:

receiving from a coordinator of a first coordinator-based wireless network a first frame including an identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, and an identifier of a second device, by a coordinator of a second coordinator-based wireless network, wherein the second device is in the second coordinator-based wireless network which is separate from the first coordinator-based wireless network;

transmitting from the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network a second frame including the identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, the identifier of the first device, and the identifier of the second device to the second device included in the second coordinator-based wireless network;

receiving from the second coordinator-based wireless network a plurality of third frames including the identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device, and location calculating information of the second device, by the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network;

calculating a location of the second device using the location calculating information of the second device by the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network; and

transmitting from the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network a fourth frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device and the calculated location of the second device to the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network,

wherein the first coordinator-based wireless network is a network in which the coordinator assigns channel time to other devices within the first coordinator-based wireless network for data transmission, wherein computing capability and resources of the coordinator are highest among all devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, and

wherein if the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network receives at least three location calculating information, the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network selects three location calculating information that are determined based on their received signal strength values,

wherein the first and second wireless networks are based on the IEEE 802.15.4a protocol using Ultra Wideband (UWB) for the Physical Layer (PHY).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, at the time the first coordinator-based wireless network is initiated, comprise at least two network coordinators of previously established networks.

10. A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the location tracking method comprising:

receiving, at a coordinator of a second coordinator-based wireless network from a coordinator of a first coordinator-based wireless network, a first frame including an identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, an identifier of a first device which requests location tracking of a second device, and an identifier of the second device, wherein the second device is included in a third coordinator-based wireless network;

transmitting to a coordinator of the third coordinator-based wireless network a second frame including the identifier of the first wireless network, the identifier of the first device, and the identifier of the second device by the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network;

receiving at the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network a third frame including the identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device, and location information of the second device transmitted by the third coordinator-based wireless network; and

transmitting from the coordinator of the second coordinator-based wireless network a fourth frame including the identifier of the first coordinator-based wireless network, the identifier of the first device, the identifier of the second device, and the location information of the second device to the coordinator of the first coordinator-based wireless network

wherein the first coordinator-based wireless network is a network in which the coordinator assigns channel time to other devices within the first coordinator-based wireless network for data transmission, wherein computing capability and resources of the coordinator are highest among all devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, and

wherein if the coordinator of the third coordinator-based wireless network receives at least three location calculating information of the second device, the coordinator of the third coordinator-based wireless network selects three location calculating information that are determined based on their received signal strength values,

wherein the first, second and third wireless networks are based on the IEEE 802.15.4a protocol using Ultra Wideband (UWB) for the Physical Layer (PHY).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the identifiers of the first and second devices are medium access control (MAC) addresses of the first and second devices, respectively.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the devices of the first coordinator-based wireless network, at the time the first coordinator-based wireless network is initiated, comprise at least two network coordinators of previously established networks.