Location-based services in a femtocell network

• US 9,094,891 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• 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:
  US14/254,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20140228050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• 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 processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining that motion data associated with a motion of a vehicle satisfies a defined criterion, and

in response to the determining, receiving, from a set of femto access point devices, range estimate data associated with the vehicle, wherein the set of femto access point devices is communicatively coupled to each other via a routing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining that the vehicle has been parked.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the range estimate data, determining location estimate data indicative of a location of the vehicle within a coverage area of the set of the femto access point devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the range estimate data is associated with a navigation device of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the determining the location estimate data comprises determining the location estimate data in response to determining, based on defined linking criterion, that the navigation device is spatially linked to the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that a user equipment related to the vehicle has entered the coverage area, facilitating a transmission of the location estimate data to the user equipment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the facilitating comprises facilitating the transmission in response to determining that request data indicative of a request for the location estimate data has been received.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the request data is received via a text message.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the request data is received via a communication that is directed to an extension number associated with the routing device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the transmission is a first transmission and the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that identifier data associated with the user equipment satisfies a criterion for exclusion of a right defined by a law enforcement agency, facilitating a second transmission of position data indicative of a position of the user equipment to a device associated with the law enforcement agency.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

directing, to the set of femto access point devices, configuration data that is employable to configure a set of control signals transmitted via the set of femto access point devices to facilitate a determination of the range estimate data.

12. A method, comprising:

in response to determining that motion data associated with a motion of a vehicle satisfies a defined motion criterion, determining, by a femto access point device comprising a processor, range estimate data associated with the vehicle; and

directing, by the femto access point device, the range estimate data to a routing device that links the femto access point device to a set of different femto access point devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the directing comprises directing the range estimate data to facilitate determining location data indicative of a location estimate for the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the motion data satisfies the defined motion criterion comprises verifying that the vehicle is not in motion.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the range estimate data comprises facilitating a transmission of a control signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the femto access point device, configuration data from the routing device, wherein the configuration data is employable to configure the control signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the facilitating comprises facilitating the transmission via a first set of electromagnetic radiation bands that is different from a second set of electromagnetic radiation bands employed to transfer communication data.

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

in response to determining that motion data associated with a motion of a vehicle satisfies a defined criterion, receiving, from a set of femto access point devices that are coupled to each other via a routing device, range estimate data associated with the vehicle; and

based on the range estimate data, determining location estimate data that represents a location of the vehicle within a coverage area of the set of femto access point devices.

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

directing the location data from the routing device to a user equipment associated with the vehicle.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the determining that the motion data satisfies the defined criterion comprises determining that the vehicle has been parked.