Sharing timed fingerprint location information

• US 9,008,684 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tipton, Rick, Meredith, Sheldon, Austin, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US13/284,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter provides for sharing timed fingerprint location information. In an aspect, timed fingerprint location information can be associated with a location of a user equipment. This timed fingerprint location information can be shared with other devices. As such, with proper analysis, these other devices can employ the shared timed fingerprint location information to determine their location. In an aspect, the other devices can determine that they are located at the same location as the user equipment. However, a level of error can be inherent in the location determined from shared timed fingerprint location information. In some embodiments, this error can be compensated for.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

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

receiving timed fingerprint location information associated with a user equipment, wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises a first differential time value for a NodeB site pair comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential time value for another NodeB site pair comprising a third NodeB device, wherein the first and second differential time values are correlated to geographic location information determined before the timed fingerprint location information is received, and wherein the first and second differential time values are stored as part of the timed fingerprint location information to facilitate determining a first location corresponding to the first and second differential time values;

determining an access value based on satisfaction of a condition relating to shared access to the first and second differential time values of the timed fingerprint location information, wherein the access value is associated with sharing the first and second differential time values with another device; and

distributing the first and second differential time values of the timed fingerprint location information to the other device, based on the access value, to facilitate determination of a second location of the other device based on information received from a timed fingerprint location information data store and the first and second differential time values.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second differential time value is related to the other NodeB site pair comprising the third NodeB device and a fourth NodeB device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second differential time values are distributed to a third device, based on the access value, to facilitate determining the location of the other device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the access value is further based on requested information associated with a request to share the timed fingerprint location information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the requested information is an identity of a user of a device associated with generating the request.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the requested information is an identity of a device associated with generating the request.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving historic timed fingerprint location information that comprises a historic differential time value to facilitate a corresponding historic location determination stored on the timed fingerprint location data store based on the historic differential time value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein an indicator relating to the satisfaction of the condition relating to shared access to the timed fingerprint location information is received from the user equipment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the condition is updateable.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a short-range radio device that facilitates short-range wireless communications related to sharing the timed fingerprint location information with the other device.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, timed fingerprint location information for a user equipment, wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises a first differential time value for a NodeB site pair comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential time value for another NodeB site pair comprising a third NodeB device, wherein the first and second differential time values are correlated to geographic location information determined before the timed fingerprint location information is received by the system, and wherein the first and second differential time values are stored as part of the timed fingerprint location information to facilitate determining a first location corresponding to the first and second differential time values;

receiving, from a device, a request for shared access to the timed fingerprint location information; and

allowing the device to access a portion of the timed fingerprint location information comprising the first and second differential time values to facilitate determining a second location of the device based on the first and second differential time values.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining an access value, wherein the shared access is based on the request for access and the access value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the access value related to the shared access comprises identifying a user identity of the device associated with generating the request.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the access value related to the shared access comprises identifying another device associated with generating the request.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the allowing access to the portion of the timed fingerprint location information comprising the first and second differential time values is based on a privacy policy associated with the system.

16. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

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

receiving timed fingerprint location information comprising a first differential time value for a NodeB site pair comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential time value for another NodeB site pair comprising a third NodeB device, wherein the first and second differential time values are correlated to geographic location information determined before the timed fingerprint location information is received, and wherein the first and second differential time values are stored as part of the timed fingerprint location information to facilitate determining a first location corresponding to the first and second differential time values;

determining a permission related to sharing the timed fingerprint location information comprising the first and second differential time values with a user equipment; and

sharing the timed fingerprint location information comprising the first and second differential time values with the user equipment based on the permission, facilitating determination of a second location for the user equipment based on the first and second differential time values and location lookup information stored on a data store.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the permission is further based on receiving, by the mobile device, an identity of a user associated with the user equipment.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the permission is further based on receiving, by the mobile device, an identity of the user equipment.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the permission is further based on receiving, by the mobile device, a privacy value stored at the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the permission is further based on receiving, by the mobile device, a privacy value not stored at the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the receiving timed fingerprint location information comprising the first and second differential time values comprises receiving timed fingerprint location information comprising a historical differential time value.