Post-deployment calibration of wireless base stations for wireless position determination

• US 8,831,594 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Naguib, Ayman Fawzy, Aggarwal, Alok, Guo, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US13/671,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/423, 455/424, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are directed to calibrating a misconfigured wireless access point. One method may include receiving a position of mobile station(s) and wireless signal model measurements derived from packets exchanged between the mobile station(s) and a plurality of wireless access points, receiving positions and/or identities of the plurality of wireless access points used in determining the position of the mobile station(s), comparing a position of the mobile station(s) with wireless signal model measurements, and identifying a misconfigured wireless access point based upon the comparing. Another method may include receiving positions associated with a plurality of wireless access points, determining a position of a mobile station based upon a wireless signal model, comparing the position of the mobile station and the wireless signal model with the positions associated with the plurality of wireless access points, and determining whether at least one wireless access point is misconfigured.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a misconfigured wireless access point used for determining a position of a mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving a position of at least one mobile station;

receiving wireless signal model measurements based at least in part on packets exchanged between the at least one mobile station and a plurality of wireless access points;

determining angles of arrival at the at least one mobile station of signals from the plurality of wireless access points based on packets received from the plurality of wireless access points;

receiving information associated with the plurality of wireless access points used in determining the position of the at least one mobile station;

comparing the wireless signal model measurements with expected wireless signal model values to identify differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed a predetermined threshold;

identifying the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on the differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed the predetermined threshold; and

isolating a position of the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on at least one of the angles of arrival of signals from the plurality of wireless access points.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of a wireless signal model parameter and a new position of the misconfigured wireless access point based upon the wireless signal model measurements and positions of a plurality of mobile stations.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless signal model parameter includes at least one of time delays and signal strength adjustments associated with the misconfigured wireless access point.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the misconfigured wireless access point was removed from a network.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining positions of the plurality of wireless access points from at least one of a database and an annotated map.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein comparing the position of the at least one mobile station with wireless signal model measurements further comprises:

computing distances between the at least one mobile station and the plurality of wireless access points;

comparing the computed distances and distances based upon at least one wireless signal model; and

combining the comparisons to determine at least one misconfigured wireless access point from the plurality of wireless access points.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless signal model measurements include at least one of round trip time (RTT) and received signal strength associated with the exchanged packets.

8. The method of according to claim 1, wherein the information associated with the plurality of wireless access points includes at least one of positions of the plurality of wireless access points and identities of the plurality of wireless access points.

9. An apparatus for identifying a misconfigured wireless access point used for determining a position of a mobile station, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processing unit coupled to the wireless transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit, wherein the memory stores executable instructions and data for causing the processing unit to;

receive a position of at least one mobile station and wireless signal model measurements derived from packets exchanged between the at least one mobile station and a plurality of wireless access points;

determine angles of arrival at the at least one mobile station of signals from the plurality of wireless access points based on packets received from the plurality of wireless access points;

receive information associated with the plurality of wireless access points used in determining the position of the at least one mobile station,

compare the wireless signal model measurements with expected wireless signal model values to identify differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed a predetermined threshold,

identify the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on the differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed the predetermined threshold, and

isolate a position of the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on at least one of the angles of arrival of signals from the plurality of wireless access points in at the at least one mobile station.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for causing the processing unit to:

determine at least one of a wireless signal model parameter and a new position of the misconfigured wireless access point based upon the wireless signal model measurements and positions of a plurality of mobile stations.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the wireless signal model parameter includes at least one of time delays and signal strength adjustments associated with the misconfigured wireless access point.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising instructions for causing the processing unit to:

determine whether the misconfigured wireless access point was removed from a network.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for causing the processing unit to:

determine positions of the plurality of wireless access points from at least one of a database and an annotated map.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for causing the processing unit to:

compute distances between the at least one mobile station and the plurality of wireless access points,

compare the computed distances and distances based upon at least one wireless signal model, and

combine the comparisons to determine at least one misconfigured wireless access point from the plurality of wireless access points.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the wireless signal model measurements include at least one of round trip time (RTT) and received signal strength associated with the exchanged packets.

16. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the information associated with the plurality of wireless access points includes at least one of positions of the plurality of wireless access points and identities of the plurality of wireless access points.

17. An apparatus for identifying a misconfigured wireless access point used for determining a position of a mobile station, comprising:

means for receiving a position of at least one mobile station and wireless signal model measurements derived from packets exchanged between the at least one mobile station and a plurality of wireless access points;

means for determining angles of arrival at the at least one mobile station of signals from the plurality of wireless access points based on packets received from the plurality of wireless access points;

means for receiving information associated with the plurality of wireless access points used in determining the position of the at least one mobile station;

means for comparing the wireless signal model measurements with expected wireless signal model values to identify differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed a predetermined threshold;

means for identifying the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on the differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed the predetermined threshold; and

means for isolating a position of the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on at least one of the angles of arrival of signals from the plurality of wireless access points the at least one mobile station.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for determining at least one of a wireless signal model parameter and a new position of the misconfigured wireless access point based upon the wireless signal model measurements and positions of a plurality of mobile stations.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the wireless signal model parameter includes at least one of time delays and signal strength adjustments associated with the misconfigured wireless access point.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means for determining whether the misconfigured wireless access point was removed from a network.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for determining positions of the plurality of wireless access points from at least one of a database and an annotated map.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for computing distances between the at least one mobile station and the plurality of wireless access points;

means for comparing the computed distances and distances based upon at least one wireless signal model; and

means for combining the comparisons to determine at least one misconfigured wireless access point from the plurality of wireless access points.

23. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the wireless signal model measurements include at least one of round trip time (RTT) and received signal strength associated with the exchanged packets.

24. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the information associated with the plurality of wireless access points includes at least one of positions of the plurality of wireless access points and identities of the plurality of wireless access points.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer-readable instructions for identifying a misconfigured wireless access point used for determining a position of a mobile station, comprising instructions configured to cause a computer to:

receive a position of at least one mobile station and wireless signal model measurements derived from packets exchanged between the at least one mobile station and a plurality of wireless access points

determine angles of arrival at the at least one mobile station of signals from the plurality of wireless access points based on packets received from the plurality of wireless access points;

receive information associated with the plurality of wireless access points used in determining the position of the at least one mobile station,

compare the wireless signal model measurements with expected wireless signal model values to identify differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed a predetermined threshold,

identify the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on the differences between the expected wireless signal model values and the received wireless signal model measurements that exceed the predetermined threshold, and

isolate a position of the misconfigured wireless access point based at least in part on at least one of the angles of arrival of signals from the plurality of wireless access points in at the at least one mobile station.

26. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computer to:

determine at least one of a wireless signal model parameter and a new position of the misconfigured wireless access point based upon the wireless signal model measurements and positions of a plurality of mobile stations.

27. The computer-readable medium according to claim 26, wherein the wireless signal model parameter includes at least one of time delays and signal strength adjustments associated with the misconfigured wireless access point.

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computer to:

determine whether the misconfigured wireless access point was removed from a network.

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computer to:

determine positions of the plurality of wireless access points from at least one of a database and an annotated map.

30. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computer to:

compute distances between the at least one mobile station and the plurality of wireless access points;

compare the computed distances and distances based upon at least one wireless signal model; and

combine the comparisons to determine at least one misconfigured wireless access point from the plurality of wireless access points.

31. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the wireless signal model measurements include at least one of round trip time (RTT) and received signal strength associated with the exchanged packets.

32. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the information associated with the plurality of wireless access points includes at least one of positions of the plurality of wireless access points and identities of the plurality of wireless access points.