Management-packet communication of GPS satellite positions

• US 8,675,539 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ngo, Terry F K
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAO, WEI PO ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/840,155
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350, 455/404.2, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• 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

Methods are disclosed for management-packet communication using management frames between various combinations of stations and access points to share application data, for example, a GPS ephemeris and/or its position data for at least one GPS satellite. The management-packet communications may push the application data, or operate in a pull mode based upon availability and requests. The methods may use infrastructure messaging and/or ad hoc or peer to peer messaging schemes. The apparatus supporting these methods include embodiments of integrated circuits, processors, program systems, installation packages, computer readable memories and servers.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a processor configured to support a Wireless Local Access Network (WLAN) and configured to use the WLAN to communicate a management-packet frame from a wireless access point to a mobile station without an established connection between the wireless access point and the mobile station, wherein the management-packet frame contains position data of a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite and contains a quality estimate of the position data, wherein the quality estimate indicates whether the position data is received directly from the GPS satellite, and wherein the quality estimate indicates a number of data transfers, including at least one or more of the management-packet frames, from the wireless access point to the mobile station since reception of the position data from the GPS satellite by the wireless access point.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein said WLAN is compliant with a wireless communication protocol.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication protocol is compliant with a version of an Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the management-packet frame comprises a beacon frame.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the beacon frame includes an Information Element to store the position data.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein said processor includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a finite state machine,

a computer, and

a computer accessible memory configured to be accessed by said computer to retrieve a program system to instruct said computer to communicate the management-packet frame.

7. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable memory coupled to the processor and having stored therein computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the integrated circuit to;

communicate a management-packet frame from a wireless access point to a mobile station over a wireless local area network (WLAN) without an established connection between the wireless access point and the mobile station, wherein the management-packet frame contains position data of a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite and contains a quality estimate of the position data, wherein the quality estimate indicates whether the position data is received directly from the GPS satellite, and wherein the quality estimate indicates a number of data transfers, including at least one or more of the management-packet frames, from the wireless access point to the mobile station since reception of the position data from the GPS satellite by the wireless access point.

8. A method of operating a Wireless Local Access Network (WLAN), the method comprising the steps of:

providing, within a management-packet frame, position data of a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite; and

transmitting the management-packet frame to a mobile station from an access point without an established connection between the access point and the mobile station, wherein the management-packet frame contains a quality estimate of the position data, and wherein the quality estimate indicates whether the position data is received directly from the GPS satellite, and wherein the quality estimate indicates a number of data transfers, including at least one or more of the management-packet frames, from the access point to the mobile station since reception of the position data from the GPS satellite by the access point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the management-packet frame comprises a beacon frame.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the beacon frame includes an Information Element to store the position data.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said WLAN is compliant with a wireless communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication protocol is compliant with a version of an Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

13. A method of operating a Wireless Local Access Network (WLAN), the method comprising the steps of:

providing, within a management-packet frame, position data of a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite; and

transmitting the management-packet frame from a first wireless device to a second wireless device without an established connection between the first and second wireless devices, wherein the management-packet frame contains a quality estimate of the position data, and wherein the quality estimate indicates whether the position data is received directly from the GPS satellite, and wherein the quality estimate indicates a number of data transfers, including at least one or more of the management-packet frames, from the first wireless device to the second wireless device since reception of the position data from the GPS satellite by the first wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the management-packet frame comprises a beacon frame.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the beacon frame includes an Information Element to store the position data.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said WLAN is compliant with a wireless communication protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless communication protocol is compliant with a version of an Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second wireless devices comprise mobile stations.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first wireless device comprises an access point and the second wireless device comprises a mobile station.