System and method for sharing location information

• US 9,219,989 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belz, Steven M., Brandt, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/091,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/432.1, 455/437
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a method includes requesting, at a first communication device, location information from multiple communication devices. The method also includes recording, at the first communication device, a particular location coordinate received from a closest communication device of the multiple communication devices. The method further includes adjusting the particular location coordinate based on triangulation data associated with the closest communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, from a first communication device, requests for location information to multiple communication devices in a transmission range of the first communication device, wherein the location information for a particular communication device of the multiple communication devices includes a location coordinate for the particular communication device;

receiving the location information from responding communication devices of the multiple communication devices in response to the requests;

determining, at the first communication device, a second communication device of the responding communication devices that is closest to the first communication device;

recording, at the first communication device, a particular location coordinate received from the second communication device; and

adjusting the particular location coordinate based on triangulation data determined by the first communication device from the location information, wherein adjusting the particular location coordinate includes modifying the particular location coordinate from a first value to a second value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, after adjustment, the particular location coordinate corresponds to a location of the first communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second triangulation data from communication devices of the multiple communication devices; and

adjusting the particular location coordinate based on the second triangulation data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first communication device, second triangulation data from a communication device of the multiple communication devices; and

adjusting the particular location coordinate based on the second triangulation data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second triangulation data is received from the second communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second triangulation data includes a triangulation point, the triangulation point determined based on a distance between the first communication device and the second communication device, an angle of arrival associated with a wireless signal received by the second communication device from the first communication device, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication device is a non-location aware communication device, and wherein the multiple communication devices are location aware communication devices.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a second location coordinate from a next closest communication device of the multiple communication devices in response to a determination that the first communication device is unable to communicate with the second communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a signal characteristic corresponding to each wireless signal received from the responding communication devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the second communication device is based on the signal characteristic corresponding to each wireless signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal characteristic includes a received signal strength, a time of arrival, an angle of arrival, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after adjusting the particular location coordinate, sending the particular location coordinate to a device as a location of the first communication device.

13. A communication device comprising:

a controller;

a transmitter coupled to the controller; and

a memory coupled to the controller, wherein the memory stores instructions that are executable by the controller to perform operations comprising;

sending requests via the transmitter for location information to multiple communication devices in a transmission range of the transmitter, wherein the location information for a particular communication device of the multiple communication devices includes a location coordinate for the particular communication device;

receiving the location information from responding communication devices of the multiple communication devices in response to the requests;

determining a second communication device of the responding communication devices that is closest to the communication device;

recording a particular location coordinate supplied by the second communication device in the memory;

determining triangulation information from location coordinates supplied by two other communication devices of the responding communication devices; and

adjusting the particular location coordinate based on the triangulation information.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the second communication device comprises a non-location aware communication device and wherein the second communication device stores the particular location coordinate.

15. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the particular location coordinate comprises a longitude and a latitude.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise accessing a map to convert the longitude and the latitude into a street address, and wherein the map is stored in the memory or is accessible via a network.

17. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first communication device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

requesting location information from multiple communication devices in a transmission range of the first communication device, wherein the location information for a particular communication device of the multiple communication devices includes a location coordinate for the particular communication device;

receiving the location information from responding communication devices of the multiple communication devices;

determining a second communication device of the responding communication devices that is closest to the first communication device;

recording a particular location coordinate received from the second communication device of the multiple communication devices; and

adjusting the particular location coordinate based on triangulation data determined from the location information.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise classifying the particular location coordinate as potentially invalid in response to being unable to communicate with the second communication device.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise generating a mobility history based on multiple location coordinates received from the multiple communication devices during a time period.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to being unable to communicate with the second communication device, requesting a second location coordinate from a next closest communication device of the multiple communication devices.