Location-based services in a femtocell network

• US 8,755,820 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Kurt Donald, Mansfield, William Gordon, Flynn, Judson John
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US13/892,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 : when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 : Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• 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 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Traffic and signaling are routed between a set of networked femto access points (APs) and location-based services are enabled. A femto AP in the set of femto APs is functionally linked to a routing platform that manages traffic and signaling, and is functionally connected to a controller component that relays at least part of data and control to a femto network platform. The femto network platform allows access to one or more external networks. Routing platform can exchange signaling with one or more femto APs to enable, at least in part, location-based services based at least in part on identifier(s) for a femto AP, access privileges, or time-of-flight measurements that assess propagation timing between a mobile device and a femto AP. Routing platform can supply timing configuration to enable predetermined spatial resolution of location estimates. Location estimates can be recorded and conveyed to a consumer layer.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

in response to determining that a vehicle has been parked, instructing a set of femto access point devices to determine range estimate data associated with a device coupled to the vehicle, wherein the set of femto access point devices is linked via a routing platform device,

based on the range estimate data, determining location data indicative of a location estimate for the device, and

in response to determining that a user equipment related to the device has entered a coverage area associated with a femto access point device of the set of femto access point devices, facilitating a transmission of the location data to the user equipment via the femto access point device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the range estimate data is determined by the set of femto access point devices based on timing configuration data that configures a granularity associated with a resolution of the location estimate and wherein the operations further comprise:

controlling the timing configuration data to adjust the granularity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the timing configuration data specifies a clock source that provides a defined timing advance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the facilitating comprises facilitating the transmission via a text message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the facilitating comprises facilitating the transmission in response to determining that request data indicative of a request for the location data has been received.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the request data comprises code data indicative of an unstructured supplementary service data code.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission is a first transmission, the device is a first device, and the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that identifier data associated with the first device matches information within a data structure associated with a law enforcement agency, facilitating a second transmission of the location data to a second device associated with the law enforcement agency.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the coverage area is a first coverage area and the operations further comprise:

in response to the determining that the identifier data matches the information, tracking motion of the first device within a second coverage area of the set of femto access point devices.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the determining the location data comprises determining width data associated with a time-of-flight band that is determined using the defined timing advance.

10. A method, comprising:

directing, by a routing platform device comprising a processor, instruction data to a set of femto access point devices linked via the routing platform device, wherein the instruction data requests the set of femto access point devices to determine, in response to determining that a vehicle has been parked within a coverage area of the set of femto access point devices, range estimate data associated with a device coupled to the vehicle;

receiving, by the routing platform device, range estimate data from the set of femto access point devices to facilitate determining location data indicative of a location estimate for the device; and

in response to determining that a user equipment linked to the device has entered the coverage area, directing, by the routing platform device, the location data to the user equipment via a femto access point device of the set of femto access point devices.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting, by the routing platform device, timing configuration data that is employed by the set of femto access point devices to facilitate determining of the range estimate data, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the timing configuration data to configure a granularity associated with a resolution of the location estimate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting comprises selecting a clock source that is to be employed by the set of femto access point devices to facilitate the determining of the range estimate data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the location data comprises determining width data associated with a time-of-flight band that is determined based on a timing advance established by the clock source.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the routing platform device, request data indicative of a request for the location data from the user equipment, wherein the directing comprises directing the location data in response to the receiving the request data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving the request data comprises receiving the request data via a text message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving the request data comprises receiving code data indicative of an unstructured supplementary service data code.

17. A computer readable storage device comprising executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving range estimate data that is determined based on signaling between a set of femto access point devices and a device coupled to a vehicle located within a coverage area associated with the set of femto access point devices, wherein the set of femto access point devices are coupled via a routing platform device and wherein the range estimate data is determined based on determining that the vehicle has been parked; and

based on the range estimate data, determining location data indicative of a location estimate for the device, wherein the location data is transferred from the routing platform device to a user equipment related to the device in response to determining that the user equipment has registered with a femto access point device of the femto access point devices.

18. The tangible computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying timing configuration data employed by the set of femto access point devices to facilitate a determination of the range estimate data, wherein the timing configuration data specifies a granularity associated with a resolution of the location estimate.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the modifying the timing configuration data comprises specifying a clock source that is to be employed by the set of femto access point devices to facilitate the determining of the range estimate data.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the range estimate data comprises time of flight measurement data that is determined based on a configurable timing advance.