Differentiated station location

• US 9,223,003 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Segev, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US13/903,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 701/517, 709/203, 709/209, 709/219, 709/225, 455/56.1, 455/41.2, 455/522, 455/420, 4554561-4566, 455410-411, 370/338, 370/252, 370/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Embodiments allow a station to determine its location and report the location to a access point or other network entity. The station obtains agreement with an access point, group of access points, or other network entity to provide its location to a designated accuracy level and the access point(s) agree to provide services such as access to a location service, the access point(s) location to a designated positional accuracy, etc. The station measures its position and induces an error in its reported location. The induced error prevents an exact location of the station from being determined by the access point(s) or others, thus preserving the privacy of the station. The location reported by the station may be absolute (e.g., geographic coordinates) or relative to a landmark, location, etc.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

transceiver circuitry to transmit and receive messages as part of at least one protocol;

memory;

a processor coupled to the memory and transceiver circuitry; and

instructions, stored in the memory, which when executed cause the processor to;

initiate an agreement protocol with an access point to identify a positional accuracy;

initiate a measurement protocol to identify an actual device location;

deriving a reported device location comprising the actual device location with an induced error;

the reported device location complying with the positional accuracy; and

initiate a reporting protocol to transmit the reported device location to the access point without transmitting the actual device location.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the agreement protocol occurs between the device and the access point and where the positional accuracy comprises a device positional accuracy and an access point positional accuracy.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the reporting protocol comprises transmitting, to a second device, the reported device location.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the access point is part of a plurality of access points and the agreement protocol occurs between the wireless device and the plurality of access points, and wherein the agreement protocol identifies a device positional accuracy, and an access positional accuracy for each of the plurality of access points.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the measurement protocol comprises an exchange of messages with the access point to determine time of flight to the access point.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the positional accuracy is selected from the group comprising an absolute positional accuracy and a relative positional accuracy.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the reported device location is a conceptual location.

8. A method comprising:

identifying, by a device having an actual device location, a positional accuracy level through an exchange of messages with an access point;

exchanging a sequence of messages with the access point to determine the actual device location;

deriving a reported device location, the reported device location comprising the actual device location with an induced error, the reported device location complying with the positional accuracy level; and

sending to the access point the reported device location without sending the actual device location.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the positional accuracy level is based on an agreement between the device and the access point.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the positional accuracy level comprises a device positional accuracy level and an access point positional accuracy level.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein identifying the positional accuracy level comprises retrieving a location of the access point location, the location of the access point complying with the access point positional accuracy level.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein identifying the positional accuracy level comprises exchanging messages with a second access point to negotiate a second positional accuracy level.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the positional accuracy level applies to the access point and to other access points.

14. A computer storage medium having executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, configure a device to:

initiate an agreement protocol with an access point to identify a location determination policy, the location determination policy comprising a device positional accuracy level;

initiate a measurement protocol comprising determining, by the device an actual device location;

derive a reported device location comprising the actual device location with an induced error, the reported device location complying with the device positional accuracy level; and

initiate a reporting protocol comprising sending, by the device to the access point, the reported device location without revealing to the access point the actual device location.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 14 wherein the location determination policy further comprises an access point positional accuracy level and wherein the access point positional accuracy level applies to the access point and to other access points.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 14 wherein the location determination policy further comprises an access point positional accuracy level and wherein the device positional accuracy level is dependent on the trust level of the device to the access point.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 14 wherein the location determination policy further comprises an access point positional accuracy level and wherein the access point positional accuracy level is dependent on at least one of:

an agreement by the device to allow advertising to be placed on the device;

the device positional accuracy level;

a cost of service provided by the access point to the device;

a level of service provided by the access point to the device; and

a trust level of the access point to the device.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 14 wherein the location determination policy further comprises an access point positional accuracy level and wherein the measurement protocol further comprises a sequence of messages allowing the device to determine a time of flight from the device to the access point and a reported access point location, the reported access point location complying with the access point positional accuracy level.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 14 wherein the measurement protocol further comprises determining, by the device, the actual device location using data acquired from the group comprising Received Signal Strength Indicator readings, Global Positioning System readings, and on device sensors.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19 wherein the actual device location is determined from a combination of data acquired from the group and the access point.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 14 wherein the reported device location is given in a format selected from the group comprising absolute location, relative location, absolute conceptual location, and relative conceptual location.

22. A device comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

identify a location determination policy comprising a positional accuracy, the positional accuracy level based upon one or more of;

an agreement by the device to allow advertising to be placed on the device;

a cost of service provided by an access point to the device;

a level of service provided by the access point to the device;

a trust level of the access point to the device; and

a trust level of the device to the access point;

determine an actual device location for the device;

send, to the access point, a reported device location without revealing the actual device location to the access point, the reported device location comprising the actual device location with an induced error, the reported device location complying with the positional accuracy level.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the reported device location is quantized.