Distributed system architecture to provide wireless transmitter positioning

• US 9,392,567 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhatia, Ashok
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAHEED, KHALID W
• Application Number:
  US13/748,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/422.1, 709/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A distributed architecture provides the location of wireless transmitters to mobile devices for positioning, the location determined from at least one of crowdsourcing and wardriving. A server receives location data for wireless transmitters, such as an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station etc., from mobile devices. The server determines the locations of the wireless transmitters using the location data and provides the locations to the respective wireless transmitters. The wireless transmitters broadcast their identities and locations. Thus, a mobile device may receive the location directly from the wireless transmitter, eliminating the requirement of contacting a central server and downloading a regional almanac for positioning. This eliminates in a large number of scenarios the need to have data connectivity at the time of position calculation. Additionally, the wireless transmitters may transmit validation data to the server to validate or invalidate the determined location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a server receiving location data about a wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location data obtained from at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof;

the server determining a location for the wireless transmitter using the location data; and

the server providing the location for the wireless transmitter to the wireless transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating that the wireless transmitter is authorized to receive the location for the wireless transmitter prior to providing the location for the wireless transmitter to the wireless transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from the wireless transmitter; and

determining validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using the data received from the wireless transmitter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data received from the wireless transmitter is data selected from a group consisting of an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter, and a time and duration of a power cycle for the wireless transmitter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the validity of the location comprises using data selected from the group consisting of the identity of the nearby wireless transmitter, and the time and duration of the power cycle to determine if the wireless transmitter has likely been moved.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the wireless transmitter data comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter; and

determining validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using the data received from the wireless transmitter.

6. An apparatus comprising:

an external interface capable of communicating with mobile devices to receive location data about a wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location data obtained from at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof; and

a processor configured to determine a location for the wireless transmitter using the location data, and to cause the external interface to transmit the location for the wireless transmitter to the wireless transmitter.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the external interface is further capable of communicating with the wireless transmitter to receive verification data from the wireless transmitter, wherein the processor is further configured to determine validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using the verification data received from the wireless transmitter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the verification data received from the wireless transmitter is data selected from a group consisting of an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter, and a time and duration of a power cycle for the wireless transmitter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to determine the validity of the location by being configured to use the data selected from the group consisting of the identity of the nearby wireless transmitter, and the time and duration of the power cycle to determine if the wireless transmitter has likely been moved.

29. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the external interface is further capable of communicating with the wireless transmitter to receive verification data from the wireless transmitter comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter, wherein the processor is further configured to determine validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using the verification data received from the wireless transmitter.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving location data about a wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location data obtained from at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof;

means for determining a location for the wireless transmitter using the location data; and

means for providing the location for the wireless transmitter to the wireless transmitter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for authenticating that the wireless transmitter is authorized to receive the location for the wireless transmitter prior to providing the location for the wireless transmitter to the wireless transmitter.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving data from the wireless transmitter; and

means for determining validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using the data received from the wireless transmitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data received from the wireless transmitter is data selected from a group consisting of an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter, and a time and duration of a power cycle for the wireless transmitter.

30. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving from the wireless transmitter data comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter; and

means for determining validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using the data received from the wireless transmitter.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to determine a location for a wireless transmitter using location data received about the wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location data obtained from at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof; and

program code to provide the location for the wireless transmitter to the wireless transmitter.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

program code to determine validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using data received from the wireless transmitter.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

program code to determine validity of the location for the wireless transmitter using data received from the wireless transmitter comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter.

16. A method of controlling a wireless transmitter, the method comprising:

the wireless transmitter receiving a location of the wireless transmitter from a remote server, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location determined using at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof; and

the wireless transmitter broadcasting an identity of the wireless transmitter with the location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting verification data about the wireless transmitter to the remote server; and

receiving an invalid location indicator when the location of the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the verification data is data selected from a group consisting of an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter, and a time and duration of a power cycle for the wireless transmitter.

32. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting verification data about the wireless transmitter comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter to the remote server; and

receiving an invalid location indicator when the location of the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.

19. A wireless transmitter comprising:

an interface that receives a location of the wireless transmitter from a remote server, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location determined using at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof; and

a processor configured to cause the interface to broadcast an identity of the wireless transmitter with the location.

20. The wireless transmitter of claim 19, wherein the interface comprises:

a first interface to receive the location of the wireless transmitter from the remote server; and

a second interface to wirelessly broadcast the identity of the wireless transmitter with the location.

21. The wireless transmitter of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the interface to transmit verification data about the wireless transmitter to the remote server;

and to receive an invalid location indicator when the location of the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.

22. The wireless transmitter of claim 21, wherein the verification data is data selected from a group consisting of an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter, and a time and duration of a power cycle for the wireless transmitter.

33. The wireless transmitter of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the interface to transmit verification data about the wireless transmitter comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter to the remote server;

and to receive an invalid location indicator when the location of the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.

23. A wireless transmitter comprising:

means for receiving a location of the wireless transmitter from a remote server, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location determined using at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof; and

means for broadcasting an identity of the wireless transmitter with the location.

24. The wireless transmitter of claim 23, further comprising:

means for transmitting verification data about the wireless transmitter to the remote server; and

means for receiving an invalid location indicator when the location of the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.

25. The wireless transmitter of claim 24, wherein the verification data is data selected from a group consisting of an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter, and a time and duration of a power cycle for the wireless transmitter.

34. The wireless transmitter of claim 23, further comprising:

means for transmitting verification data about the wireless transmitter comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter to the remote server; and

means for receiving an invalid location indicator when the location of the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to receive a location of a wireless transmitter from a remote server, wherein the wireless transmitter provides wireless signals to mobile devices with which positions of the mobile devices are determined and wherein the wireless transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a cell tower, a base station, an access point, a femtocell, Bluetooth Transmitter, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) station, the location obtained using at least one of crowdsourcing, wardriving or combination thereof; and

program code to broadcast an identity of the wireless transmitter with the location.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising:

program code to transmit verification data about the wireless transmitter to the remote server; and

program code to receive an invalid location indicator when the location of for the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising:

program code to transmit verification data about the wireless transmitter comprising an identity of a nearby wireless transmitter to the remote server; and

program code to receive an invalid location indicator when the location of for the wireless transmitter is no longer reliable.