System and method for sharing location information

• US 8,634,855 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belz, Steven M., Brandt, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/175,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20100015999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-4566, 455/414.1, 455/432.1, 455/437
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a portable communication device having a controller to request location information from one or more non-portable wireless access points, receive one or more location coordinates from the one or more non-portable wireless access points, determine which of the one or more non-portable wireless access points is closest to the portable communication device according to one or more wireless signals generated by the one or more non-portable wireless access points, and record the location coordinate supplied by the closest non-portable wireless access point. Each of the one or more non-portable wireless access points can determine its location coordinate with a location receiver. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable communication device comprising:

a memory; and

a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that are executable by the controller to perform operations comprising;

measuring, based on a wireless signal received from a wireless access point, a signal characteristic to determine which of multiple wireless access points is closest to the portable communication device to identify a closest wireless access point, wherein the wireless signal includes first location information associated with the wireless access point, and wherein the multiple wireless access points include the wireless access point;

recording a particular location coordinate supplied by the closest wireless access point in the memory; and

requesting second location information from a next closest wireless access point of the multiple wireless access points in response to a determination that the controller is unable to communicate with the closest wireless access point.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein each wireless access point of the multiple wireless access points is configured to determine a corresponding location coordinate using a location receiver, wherein the location receiver includes a global positioning system receiver.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the first location information includes a longitude and a latitude, and wherein the the operations further comprise converting the longitude and the latitude to a street address based on a map, the map stored at the memory or accessible via the internet.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the first location information includes a street address.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

triangulating a location relative to the wireless access point; and

adjusting the particular location coordinate supplied by the closest wireless access point based on the triangulated location.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that the controller can no longer communicate with the closest wireless access point; and

classifying the particular location coordinate of the closest wireless access point as potentially invalid.

7. The portable communication device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

recording the second location information received from the next closest wireless access point; and

after recording the second location information, sending the second location information to a particular communication device in response to receiving a request for the second location information from the particular communication device.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating a mobility history based on a plurality of location coordinates supplied by the wireless access point.

9. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the location receiver is coupled to or is included in the closest wireless access point.

10. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the location receiver corresponds to another portable communication device that includes a location detection device.

11. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein each of the multiple wireless access points is one of a wireless fidelity access point, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access point, or a cellular wireless access point.

18. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the signal characteristic includes a received signal strength, a time of arrival, an angle of arrival, or a combination thereof.

19. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise measuring the signal characteristic based on a plurality of signals received from the multiple wireless access points.

24. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a termination of a connection between the portable communication device and the closest wireless access point.

25. The portable communication device of claim 1, where the operations further comprise sending the particular location coordinate to a particular communication device in response to receiving a location request from the particular communication device.

12. A method comprising:

at a first non-location aware communication device, determining a location of the first non-location aware communication device based on a first determination of a closest location-aware communication device of multiple location-aware communication devices in communication with the first non-location aware communication device;

sending a location coordinate received from the closest location-aware communication device to a second non-location aware communication device; and

requesting a second location coordinate from a next closest location-aware communication device of the multiple location-aware communication devices in response to a second determination that the first non-location aware communication device is unable to communicate with the closest location-aware communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting the closest location-aware communication device based on a wireless signal received from the closest location-aware communication device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising calculating a triangulation point based on wireless signals received from the multiple location-aware communication devices.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting the location coordinate supplied by the closest location-aware communication device based on the calculated triangulation point.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein a particular location-aware communication device of the multiple location-aware communication devices calculates a triangulation point of the first non-location aware communication device based on wireless signals received from the first non-location-aware communication device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the triangulation point from the particular location-aware communication device; and

adjusting the location coordinate supplied by the closest location-aware communication device based on the triangulation point.

20. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

measuring, based on a wireless signal received from a wireless access point, signal characteristics to determine which wireless access point of multiple wireless access points is a closest wireless access point with respect to a portable communication device, wherein the wireless signal includes first location information associated with the wireless access point, and wherein the multiple wireless access points include the wireless access point;

recording a particular location coordinate supplied by the closest wireless access point; and

after recording the particular location coordinate supplied by the closest wireless access point, requesting second location information from a next closest wireless access point of the multiple wireless access points in response to a determination that the portable communication device is unable to communicate with the closest wireless access point.

21. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise detecting that the portable communication device is unable to communicate with the closest wireless access point.

22. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second location coordinate from the next closest wireless access point; and

recording the second location coordinate at the portable communication device.

23. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise sending a second location coordinate supplied by the next closest wireless access point to a particular communication device.