Communications between a mobile device and an access point device

• US 9,241,353 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Do, Ju-Yong, Venkatraman, Sai Pradeep, Gao, Weihua, Emadzadeh, Amir A., Raman, Sundar, Zhang, Gengsheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, NGUYEN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US13/952,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 370/236, 370/252, 370/328, 370/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Method, device, and computer program product that may improve communications between a mobile device and an access point device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of communicating between a mobile device and an access point device comprises control a plurality of beacons in the access point device, establishing a communication between the access point device with the mobile device using a first beacon in the plurality of beacons, broadcasting availability of the plurality of beacons in the access point device via the first beacon, and establishing the communication with the mobile device using a second beacon in the plurality of beacons.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a mobile device and an access point device, comprising:

controlling a plurality of beacons in the access point device;

establishing a communication between the access point device with the mobile device using a first beacon in the plurality of beacons;

broadcasting availability of the plurality of beacons in the access point device via the first beacon;

establishing the communication with the mobile device using a second beacon in the plurality of beacons; and

performing calibration using range measurements obtained by the plurality of beacons, comprising calibrating a sensor of a first beacon type in accordance with the range measurements obtained from the plurality of beacons, wherein the plurality of beacons include at least a beacon of different type than the first beacon type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of beacons comprises:

short range beacons;

midrange beacons; and

long range beacons.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the short range beacons comprise two-dimensional bar codes and near field communication devices;

wherein the midrange beacons comprise WiFi devices, Bluetooth devices, and Femtocell devices; and

wherein the long range beacons comprise cellular devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating a position of the mobile device using measurements collected by the plurality of beacons.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the estimating the position of the mobile device comprises:

applying weights to the measurements collected based at least in part on types of beacons associated with the measurements collected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibrating the sensor of the first beacon type comprises:

identifying one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons; and

applying weights to the one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing calibration further comprises:

calibrating biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons against an estimated range calculated based on measurements from the plurality of beacons; and

applying the biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons in subsequent measurements.

8. An access point device, comprises:

at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor comprises

logic configured to control a plurality of beacons in the access point device;

logic configured to establish a communication between the access point device with a mobile device using a first beacon in the plurality of beacons;

logic configured to broadcast availability of the plurality of beacons in the access point device via the first beacon;

logic configured to establish the communication with the mobile device using a second beacon in the plurality of beacons; and

logic configured to perform calibration using range measurements obtained by the plurality of beacons, comprising logic configured to calibrate a sensor of a first beacon type in accordance with the range measurements obtained from the plurality of beacons, wherein the plurality of beacons include at least a beacon of different type than the first beacon type.

9. The access point device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of beacons comprises:

short range beacons;

midrange beacons; and

long range beacons.

10. The access point device of claim 9, wherein the short range beacons comprise two-dimensional bar codes and near field communication devices;

wherein the midrange beacons comprise WiFi devices, Bluetooth devices, and Femtocell devices; and

wherein the long range beacons comprise cellular devices.

11. The access point device of claim 8, further comprises:

logic configured to estimate a position of the mobile device using measurements collected by the plurality of beacons.

12. The access point device of claim 11, wherein the logic configured to estimate the position of the mobile device comprises:

logic configured to apply weights to the measurements collected based at least in part on types of beacons associated with the measurements collected.

13. The access point device of claim 8, wherein the logic configured to calibrate the sensor of the first beacon type comprises:

logic configured to identify one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons; and

logic configured to applying weights to the one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons.

14. The access point device of claim 8, wherein the logic configured to perform the calibration further comprises:

logic configured to calibrate biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons against an estimated range calculated based on measurements from the plurality of beacons; and

logic configured to apply the biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons in subsequent measurements.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory medium storing computer programs for execution by one or more processors, the computer program product comprising:

code for controlling a plurality of beacons in an access point device;

code for establishing a communication between the access point device with a mobile device using a first beacon in the plurality of beacons;

code for broadcasting availability of the plurality of beacons in the access point device via the first beacon;

code for establishing the communication with the mobile device using a second beacon in the plurality of beacons; and

code for performing calibration using range measurements obtained by the plurality of beacons, comprising code for calibrating a sensor of a first beacon type in accordance with the range measurements obtained from the plurality of beacons, wherein the plurality of beacons include at least a beacon of different type than the first beacon type.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of beacons comprises:

short range beacons;

midrange beacons; and

long range beacons.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the short range beacons comprise two-dimensional bar codes and near field communication devices;

wherein the midrange beacons comprise WiFi devices, Bluetooth devices, and Femtocell devices; and

wherein the long range beacons comprise cellular devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

code for estimating a position of the mobile device using measurements collected by the plurality of beacons.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the code for estimating the position of the mobile device comprises:

code for applying weights to the measurements collected based at least in part on types of beacons associated with the measurements collected.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the code for calibrating the sensor of the first beacon type comprises:

code for identifying one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons; and

code for applying weights to the one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the code for performing calibration further comprises:

code for calibrating biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons against an estimated range calculated based on measurements from the plurality of beacons; and

code for applying the biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons in subsequent measurements.

22. An access point device, comprises:

means for controlling a plurality of beacons in the access point device;

means for establishing a communication between the access point device with a mobile device using a first beacon in the plurality of beacons;

means for broadcasting availability of the plurality of beacons in the access point device via the first beacon;

means for establishing the communication with the mobile device using a second beacon in the plurality of beacons; and

means for calibrating a sensor of a first beacon type in accordance with the range measurements obtained from the plurality of beacons, wherein the plurality of beacons include at least a beacon of different type than the first beacon type.

23. The access point device of claim 22, wherein the means for calibrating the sensor of the first beacon type comprises:

means for identifying one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons; and

means for applying weights to the one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons.

24. The access point device of claim 22, further comprises:

means for calibrating biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons against an estimated range calculated based on measurements from the plurality of beacons; and

means for applying the biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons in subsequent measurements.

25. A mobile device, comprises:

at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor comprises

logic configured to control a plurality of beacons in the mobile device;

logic configured to establish a communication between an access point device with the mobile device using a first beacon in the plurality of beacons;

logic configured to receive a broadcast availability of a set of beacons in the access point device via the first beacon;

logic configured to establish the communication with the access point device using a second beacon in the plurality of beacons; and

logic configured to calibrate a sensor of a first beacon type in accordance with the range measurements obtained from the plurality of beacons, wherein the plurality of beacons include at least a beacon of different type than the first beacon type.

26. The mobile device of claim 25, further comprising:

logic configured to estimate a position of the mobile device using measurements collected by the plurality of beacons.

27. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the logic configured to estimate the position of the mobile device comprises:

logic configured to apply weights to the measurements collected based at least in part on types of beacons associated with the measurements collected.

28. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the logic configured to calibrate the sensor of the first beacon type comprises:

logic configured to identify one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons; and

logic configured to apply weights to the one or more pre-calibrated beacons in the plurality of beacons.

29. The mobile device of claim 25, further comprises:

logic configured to calibrate biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons against an estimated range calculated based on measurements from the plurality of beacons; and

logic configured to apply the biases of sensors associated with the plurality of beacons in subsequent measurements.