Techniques for radio fingerprinting

• US 8,718,682 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Relay Inc. (Publicis Groupe SA)
• Original Assignee: Bandwidth Inc.
• Inventors: Brownworth, L. Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US14/064,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for radio fingerprinting. In some examples radio fingerprinting logic may be operative for execution on a processor component to receive a set of radio frequency signals from multiple mobile computing devices at a first time, store identification information for the set of radio frequency signals, receive a subset of the set of radio frequency signals from one of the multiple mobile computing devices at a second time, associate identification information for the subset of radio frequency signals to the one mobile computing device, and generate a multi-point radio fingerprint for the one mobile computing device based on the subset of radio frequency signals. Other examples are described and claimed.

Claims

1. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a set of instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device cause the computing device to:

passively receive a set of radio frequency signals from multiple mobile computing devices at a first time;

store identification information for the set of radio frequency signals;

receive a subset of the set of radio frequency signals from one of the multiple mobile computing devices at a second time;

associate the stored identification information for the subset of radio frequency signals to the one mobile computing device; and

generate a multi-point radio fingerprint for the one mobile computing device based on the subset of radio frequency signals, the subset of radio frequency signals comprising two or more different radio frequency technologies or standards.

2. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on the computing device cause the computing device to compare the identification information for the subset of radio frequency signals to the stored identification information.

3. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on the computing device cause the computing device to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a radio fingerprint database of a base station.

4. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 3, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on the computing device cause the computing device to determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on signal strength information for one or more of the subset of radio frequency signals and a known location of the base station.

5. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on the computing device cause the computing device to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a shared radio fingerprint database of a coordinating server station.

6. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 5, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on the computing device cause the computing device to:

receive arrival time information from the coordinating server station, the arrival time information comprising a time when the subset of radio frequency signals were received by multiple base stations; and

determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on the arrival time information and a known location of two or more of the multiple base stations.

7. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on the computing device cause the computing device to:

store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a radio fingerprint database of a base station;

send updated location information for the base station to one or more other base stations;

receive updated location information and signal strength information for the subset of radio frequency signals from the one or more other base stations; and

determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on a location of the base station, a determined location of the one or more other base stations and the received signal strength information.

8. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on the computing device cause the computing device to correlate temporary identification information for a first radio frequency signal of the subset of radio frequency signals with permanent identification information for a second radio frequency signal of the subset of radio frequency signals to generate the multi-point radio fingerprint.

9. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, the first radio frequency signal having a greater range than the second radio frequency signal.

10. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, the multi-point radio fingerprint comprising a generic identifier associated with the subset of radio frequency signals output by the one mobile computing device.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor component;

at least one Radio Frequency (RF) receiver component to passively receive a set of radio frequency signals from multiple mobile computing devices; and

radio fingerprinting logic to be executed by the processor component to receive the set of radio frequency signals from the at least one RF receiver component at a first time, store identification information for the set of radio frequency signals, receive a subset of the set of radio frequency signals from the at least one RF receiver component and associated with one of the multiple mobile computing devices at a second time, associate the stored identification information for the subset of radio frequency signals to the one mobile computing device, and generate a multi-point radio fingerprint for the one mobile computing device based on the subset of radio frequency signals, the subset of radio frequency signals comprising two or more different radio frequency technologies or standards.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one RF receiver component comprising a Software Defined Radio (SDR).

13. The apparatus of claim 11, the radio fingerprinting logic to compare the identification information for the subset of radio frequency signals to the stored identification information.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, the radio fingerprinting logic to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a radio fingerprint database of the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, the radio fingerprinting logic to determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on signal strength information for one or more of the subset of radio frequency signals and a known location of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, the radio fingerprinting logic to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a shared radio fingerprint database of a coordinating server station accessible by the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the radio fingerprinting logic to receive arrival time information from the coordinating server station, the arrival time information comprising a time when the subset of radio frequency signals were received by multiple base stations and determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on the arrival time information and a known location of two or more of the multiple base stations.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, the radio fingerprinting logic to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a radio fingerprint database of the apparatus, send updated location information for the apparatus to one or more other devices, receive updated location information and signal strength information for the subset of radio frequency signals from the one or more other devices, and determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on a location of the apparatus, a determined location of the one or more other devices and the received signal strength information.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, the radio fingerprinting logic to correlate temporary identification information for a first radio frequency signal of the subset of radio frequency signals with permanent identification information for a second radio frequency signal of the subset of radio frequency signals to generate the multi-point radio fingerprint.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the first radio frequency signal having a greater range than the second radio frequency signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, the multi-point radio fingerprint comprising a generic identifier associated with the subset of radio frequency signals output by the one mobile computing device.

22. A system, comprising:

a processor component;

memory coupled to the processor component;

one or more passive radio receivers coupled to the processor component;

one or more antennas coupled to the one or more radios; and

radio fingerprinting logic to be executed by the processor component to receive a set of radio frequency signals from the one or more passive radio receivers and associated with multiple mobile computing devices at a first time, store identification information for the set of radio frequency signals, receive a subset of the set of radio frequency signals from the one or more passive radio receivers and associated with one of the multiple mobile computing devices at a second time, associate the stored identification information for the subset of radio frequency signals to the one mobile computing device, and generate a multi-point radio fingerprint for the one mobile computing device based on the subset of radio frequency signals, the subset of radio frequency signals comprising two or more different radio frequency technologies or standards.

23. The system of claim 22, the one or more passive radio receivers comprising a Software Defined Radio (SDR).

24. The system of claim 22, the radio fingerprinting logic to compare the identification information for the subset of radio frequency signals to the stored identification information to generate the multi-point radio fingerprint, the multi-point radio fingerprint comprising a generic identifier associated with the subset of radio frequency signals output by the one mobile computing device.

25. The system of claim 22, the radio fingerprinting logic to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a radio fingerprint database of the apparatus and to determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on signal strength information for one or more of the subset of radio frequency signals and a known location of the apparatus.

26. The system of claim 22, the radio fingerprinting logic to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a shared radio fingerprint database of a coordinating server station accessible by the apparatus, to receive arrival time information from the coordinating server station, the arrival time information comprising a time when the subset of radio frequency signals were received by multiple base stations, and determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on the arrival time information and a known location of two or more of the multiple base stations.

27. The system of claim 22, the radio fingerprinting logic to store the multi-point radio fingerprint in a radio fingerprint database of the apparatus, send updated location information for the apparatus to one or more other devices, receive updated location information and signal strength information for the subset of radio frequency signals from the one or more other devices, and determine a location of the one mobile computing device based on a location of the apparatus, a determined location of the one or more other devices and the received signal strength information.

28. The system of claim 22, the radio fingerprinting logic to correlate temporary identification information for a first radio frequency signal of the subset of radio frequency signals with permanent identification information for a second radio frequency signal of the subset of radio frequency signals to generate the multi-point radio fingerprint.