Mobile platform tracking in wireless networks

• US 9,014,765 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Qi, Emily H., Tsai, Jr-Shian
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US11/712,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20080207278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,974 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455572-574, 455/576, 455410-411, 340/572.1, 726 34- 35, 713/320, 713/323, 342 27- 28
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile station in a wireless network provides a presence indication when in a power saving state. The presence indication is sent periodically, and the period is dependent on whether the mobile station is stationary or in motion. The period may also be dependent on an asset protection level of the mobile station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a mobile computing device from an access point, indicators of first and second intervals of time;

configuring the mobile computing device with the first interval and the second interval, the first interval corresponding to a time period that the mobile computing device spends in a reduced power state between periodic transmissions by the mobile computing device when stationary, and the second interval corresponding to a time period that the mobile computing device spends in a reduced power state between periodic transmissions by the mobile computing device when in motion;

wherein the first time period is different than the second time period; and

wherein the receiving comprises receiving a maximum stationary interval and a maximum in-motion interval from the access point.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a periodic frame every first interval when the mobile computing device is stationary.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising transmitting a periodic frame every second interval when the mobile computing device is in motion.

4. The method of claim 2, the transmitting a periodic frame comprising transmitting a unicast frame to an access point when associated with the access point.

5. The method of claim 2, the transmitting a periodic frame comprising transmitting a multicast frame when the mobile computing device is not associated with an access point.

6. The method of claim 5, the transmitting a periodic frame comprising transmitting a multicast frame on a single 802.11 channel.

7. The method of claim 5, the transmitting a periodic frame comprising transmitting a multicast frame on multiple 802.11 channels.

8. The method of claim 1, the receiving further comprising receiving a nominal stationary interval and a nominal in-motion interval from the access point.

9. The method of claim 8, the receiving further comprising selecting the first interval between the maximum and nominal stationary interval, and selecting the second interval between the maximum and nominal in-motion interval.

10. The method of claim 1, the configuring comprising determining the first interval based on a user setting.

11. The method of claim 10, the configuring comprising determining the second interval based on a user setting.

12. The method of claim 11, the user setting corresponds to the asset protection level.

13. The method of claim 1, the first and second intervals comprising power saving intervals.

14. The method of claim 1, the periodic transmissions comprising presence indication transmissions.

15. An article having a non-transitory machine readable medium with instructions stored thereon that when accessed and executed result in a mobile computing device:

receiving, at the mobile computing device, interval information from an access point;

determining a stationary interval and an in-motion interval based on the interval information received from the access point;

entering a low power state; and

waking from the low power state to transmit a periodic frame every stationary interval when the mobile computing device is stationary, and waking from the low power state to transmit a periodic frame every in-motion interval when the mobile computing device is in motion;

wherein the stationary interval is different than the in-motion interval; and

wherein the receiving comprises receiving a maximum stationary interval and a maximum in-motion interval from the access point.

16. The article of claim 15, the receiving interval information comprising receiving a nominal stationary interval.

17. The article of claim 15, the asset protection level is based on a user selection.

18. The article of claim 15, the receiving interval information from an access point comprising receiving power saving interval information.

19. The article of claim 15, the transmitting a periodic frame comprising transmitting a presence indication frame.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a hardware processing component comprising a plurality of power states, the hardware processing component to enter a low power state during a power saving interval;

a radio interface to wirelessly receive from an access point, indicators of a power saving interval having a first duration and a second duration shorter than the first duration; and

a hardware component to command the hardware processing component to wake up and command the radio interface to transmit a periodic frame every power saving interval, the power saving interval to have the first duration when the hardware processing component is stationary and the second duration when the hardware processing component is in motion;

wherein the indicators comprise a maximum stationary interval and a maximum in-motion interval.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the periodic frame comprising a presence indication frame.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, the interval comprising a power saving interval.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising an interval determination hardware component to determine the interval.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, the asset protection level based on a user selection.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a static random access memory communicably coupled to the hardware processing component.