Method, apparatus, and computer program product for device tracking

• US 9,338,635 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Palin, Arto, Reunamaki, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US14/320,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20160007181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/10 of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method includes measuring, by an apparatus, signal strength of wireless device discovery messages received from a wireless communication device, the wireless discovery messages including a device address of the wireless communication device; storing, by the apparatus, the device address of the wireless communication device and the measured signal strength of the received wireless discovery messages; detecting, by apparatus, other wireless device discovery messages having a different device address; measuring, by apparatus, received signal strengths of the other wireless device discovery messages; and if no messages are received including the device address of the wireless communication device, comparing, by apparatus, the stored signal strength of the wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device with the measured received signal strength of the other wireless device discovery messages to determine whether a source of the other wireless device discovery messages is the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

measuring, by an apparatus, signal strength of two or more wireless device discovery messages received from a wireless communication device, the wireless discovery messages including a device address of the wireless communication device, wherein the two or more wireless discovery messages are received from the wireless communication device at a first measured periodic interval;

storing, by the apparatus, the device address of the wireless communication device, the first measured periodic interval of the received two or more wireless discovery messages and the measured signal strength of the received two or more wireless discovery messages;

detecting, by the apparatus, two or more other wireless device discovery messages having a different device address, at a second measured periodic interval;

measuring, by the apparatus, received signal strengths of the two or more other wireless device discovery messages; and

if no messages are received including the device address of the wireless communication device, comparing, by the apparatus, the stored signal strength of the two or more wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device with the measured signal strength of the received two or more other wireless device discovery messages and comparing the stored first measured periodic interval with the second measured periodic interval to determine whether a source of the other wireless device discovery messages is the wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if it is determined that the source of the other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, associating and storing the device address and the measured received signal strength of the other wireless device discovery messages, to the wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if it is determined that the source of the two or more other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, by the comparison of the measured periodic intervals, associating and storing the device address of the two or more other device discovery messages and the second measured periodic interval, to the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless discovery messages are Bluetooth Low Energy advertising messages.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device include a unique identifier;

if it is determined that the source of the other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, associating and storing the unique identifier, the device address of the other device discovery messages, and the measured received signal strength of the other wireless device discovery messages, to the wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device include a unique identifier;

if it is determined that the source of the two or more other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, by the comparison of the measured periodic intervals, associating and storing the unique identifier, the device address of the two or more other device discovery messages, and the second measured periodic interval, to the wireless communication device.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

measure signal strength of two or more wireless device discovery messages received from a wireless communication device, the wireless discovery messages including a device address of the wireless communication device, wherein the two or more wireless discovery messages are received from the wireless communication device at a first measured periodic interval;

store the device address of the wireless communication device, the first measured periodic interval of the received two or more wireless discovery messages and the measured signal strength of the received two or more wireless discovery messages;

detect two or more other wireless device discovery messages having a different device address, at a second measured periodic interval;

measure received signal strengths of the two or more other wireless device discovery messages; and

if no messages are received including the device address of the wireless communication device, compare the stored signal strength of the two or more wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device with the measured signal strength of the received two or more other wireless device discovery messages and compare the stored first measured periodic interval with the second measured periodic interval to determine whether a source of the other wireless device discovery messages is the wireless communication device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

if it is determined that the source of the other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, associate and store the device address and the measured received signal strength of the other wireless device discovery messages, to the wireless communication device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

if it is determined that the source of the two or more other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, by the comparison of the measured periodic intervals, associate and store the device address of the two or more other device discovery messages and the second measured periodic interval, to the wireless communication device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless discovery messages are Bluetooth Low Energy advertising messages.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

wherein the wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device include a unique identifier;

if it is determined that the source of the other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, associate and store the unique identifier, the device address of the other device discovery messages, and the measured received signal strength of the other wireless device discovery messages, to the wireless communication device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

wherein the wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device include a unique identifier;

if it is determined that the source of the two or more other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, by the comparison of the measured periodic intervals, associate and store the unique identifier, the device address of the two or more other device discovery messages, and the second measured periodic interval, to the wireless communication device.

13. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for measuring, by an apparatus, signal strength of two or more wireless device discovery messages received from a wireless communication device, the wireless discovery messages including a device address of the wireless communication device, wherein the two or more wireless discovery messages are received from the wireless communication device at a first measured periodic interval;

code for storing, by the apparatus, the device address of the wireless communication device, the first measured periodic interval of the received two or more wireless discovery messages and the measured signal strength of the received two or more wireless discovery messages;

code for detecting, by the apparatus, two or more other wireless device discovery messages having a different device address, at a second measured periodic interval;

code for measuring, by the apparatus, received signal strengths of the two or more other wireless device discovery messages; and

code for if no messages are received including the device address of the wireless communication device, comparing, by the apparatus, the stored signal strength of the two or more wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device with the measured signal strength of the received two or more other wireless device discovery messages and comparing the stored first measured periodic interval with the second measured periodic interval to determine whether a source of the other wireless device discovery messages is the wireless communication device.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising:

code for if it is determined that the source of the two or more other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, by the comparison of the measured periodic intervals, associating and storing the device address of the two or more other device discovery messages and the second measured periodic interval, to the wireless communication device.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising:

wherein the wireless discovery messages are Bluetooth Low Energy advertising messages and the wireless discovery messages received from the wireless communication device include a unique identifier;

code for if it is determined that the source of the two or more other wireless discovery messages is the wireless communication device, by the comparison of the measured periodic intervals, associating and storing the unique identifier, the device address of the two or more other device discovery messages, and the second measured periodic interval, to the wireless communication device.