Providing location assistance information using data from smart meters

• US 8,849,304 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Pon, Rayman Wai
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, David
• Application Number:
  US13/598,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 340/870.02, 340/870.07, 700/292, 701/431, 705/22, 705/34, 715/771, 709/223
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for providing location assistance information using data from smart meters are presented. in some embodiments, a smart meter configured to measure service usage at a premises may transmit at least one data message to at least one wireless access point located at the premises, and the at least one data message may include information identifying a location of the smart meter. In addition, the at least one data message may be configured to cause the at least one wireless access point to provide, to at least one mobile device connected to the at least one wireless access point, the location of the smart meter as an estimated position of the at least one wireless access point.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a smart meter configured to measure service usage at a premises, at least one data message to at least one wireless access point located at the premises, the at least one data message including information identifying a location of the smart meter,

wherein the at least one data message is configured to cause the at least one wireless access point to provide, to at least one mobile device connected to the at least one wireless access point, the location of the smart meter as an estimated position of the at least one wireless access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes an address of the premises.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes an account number associated with the measured service usage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes geographic coordinates of the premises.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data message further includes an error factor specifying an amount of position error based on a size of the premises.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retransmitting, by the smart meter, the at least one data message based on a predefined schedule.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data message is transmitted separately from metering information specifying the measured service usage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the smart meter transmits the at least one data message to the at least one wireless access point via a wireless connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the smart meter transmits the at least one data message to the at least one wireless access point via a power-line communication connection.

10. A smart meter comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the smart meter to;

measure service usage at a premises; and

transmit at least one data message to at least one wireless access point located at the premises, the at least one data message including information identifying a location of the smart meter,

wherein the at least one data message is configured to cause the at least one wireless access point to provide, to at least one mobile device connected to the at least one wireless access point, the location of the smart meter as an estimated position of the at least one wireless access point.

11. The smart meter of claim 10, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes an address of the premises.

12. The smart meter of claim 10, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes an account number associated with the measured service usage.

13. The smart meter of claim 10, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes geographic coordinates of the premises.

14. The smart meter of claim 10, wherein the at least one data message further includes an error factor specifying an amount of position error based on a size of the premises.

15. The smart meter of claim 10, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the smart meter to:

retransmit the at least one data message based on a predefined schedule.

16. The smart meter of claim 10, wherein the at least one data message is transmitted separately from metering information specifying the measured service usage.

17. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computing devices to:

transmit, from a smart meter configured to measure service usage at a premises, at least one data message to at least one wireless access point located at the premises, the at least one data message including information identifying a location of the smart meter,

wherein the at least one data message is configured to cause the at least one wireless access point to provide, to at least one mobile device connected to the at least one wireless access point, the location of the smart meter as an estimated position of the at least one wireless access point.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes an address of the premises.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes an account number associated with the measured service usage.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the information identifying the location of the smart meter includes geographic coordinates of the premises.

21. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the at least one data message further includes an error factor specifying an amount of position error based on a size of the premises.

22. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, having additional computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, further cause the one or more computing devices to:

retransmit, from the smart meter, the at least one data message based on a predefined schedule.

23. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the at least one data message is transmitted separately from metering information specifying the measured service usage.