Methods for providing location of wireless devices using Wi-Fi
DCFirst Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- maintaining on a database server, a collaborative database containing geographic location information pertaining to Wi-Fi access points received from a plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a plurality of different users, the collaborative database including database records for each of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points including a MAC address and geographic location of the Wi-Fi access point, wherein at least a first portion of the database records are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a first user of the plurality of different users and at least a second portion of the database records different than the first portion are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a second user of the plurality of different users such that the collaborative database is built in a collaborative manner by at least the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled devices operated by the first and second users, each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices each comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone;
receiving, at a server, a location request from the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the location request including a respective MAC address of at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;
retrieving, via a query issued to the database server using at least one MAC address included in the location request, geographic location data for at least one of the Wi-Fi access points from the collaborative database;
determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device based at least on the geographic location data retrieved from the collaborative database; and
returning, via the server, the determined geographic location to the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method includes maintaining a collaborative database on a database server containing geographic location information pertaining to Wi-Fi access points. The collaborative database includes database records for Wi-Fi access points including a MAC address and geographic location. A position location request from a Wi-Fi enabled wireless device is received at a server, and includes a respective MAC address of at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless beacon is detected by the wireless device. Via a query issued to the database server using at least one MAC address included in the position location request, geographic location data for one or more Wi-Fi access points is retrieved from the database. A processor determines geographic location of the wireless device based at least on the retrieved geographic location data, and returns, via the server, geographic location data to the wireless device corresponding to the geographic location of the wireless device.
115 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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maintaining on a database server, a collaborative database containing geographic location information pertaining to Wi-Fi access points received from a plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a plurality of different users, the collaborative database including database records for each of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points including a MAC address and geographic location of the Wi-Fi access point, wherein at least a first portion of the database records are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a first user of the plurality of different users and at least a second portion of the database records different than the first portion are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a second user of the plurality of different users such that the collaborative database is built in a collaborative manner by at least the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled devices operated by the first and second users, each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices each comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone; receiving, at a server, a location request from the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the location request including a respective MAC address of at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device; retrieving, via a query issued to the database server using at least one MAC address included in the location request, geographic location data for at least one of the Wi-Fi access points from the collaborative database; determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device based at least on the geographic location data retrieved from the collaborative database; and returning, via the server, the determined geographic location to the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 21, 22)
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6. A method, comprising:
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maintaining on a server system, a collaborative database containing geographic location information pertaining to Wi-Fi access points received from a plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a plurality of different users, the collaborative database including database records for each of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points including a MAC address and geographic location of the Wi-Fi access point, wherein at least a first portion of the database records are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a first user of the plurality of different users and at least a second portion of the database records different than the first portion are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a second user of the plurality of different users such that the collaborative database is built in a collaborative manner by at least the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by the first and second users, each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices each comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone; receiving, at the server system, a location request from the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the location request including a respective MAC address of at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device; retrieving, via a query issued to the server system using at least one MAC address included in the location request, geographic location data for at least one of the Wi-Fi access points from the collaborative database; determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS enabled mobile device based at least on the geographic location data retrieved from the collaborative database; and returning, via the server system, the determined geographic location to the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 23, 24)
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11. A method, comprising:
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receiving at a database server, first Wi-Fi access point location data from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device operated by a first user, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone, the first Wi-Fi access point location data including, GPS location data generated by the GPS device of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and a MAC address of a first Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the Wi-Fi scanner of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device; processing, via a processor, the first Wi-Fi access point location data to generate geographic location data for the first Wi-Fi access point; adding the geographic location data and MAC address of the first Wi-Fi access point to a collaborative database containing Wi-Fi access point location data built in a collaborative manner from geographic location data from multiple mobile devices operated by users; receiving, at a server, a location request from a second mobile device operated by a second user, the location request including a MAC address of the first Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the second mobile device; retrieving via a query issued to the database server, geographic location data for the first Wi-Fi access point from the collaborative database; determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the second mobile device based at least on the geographic location data for the first Wi-Fi access point; and returning, via the server, geographic location data to the second mobile. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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16. A method, comprising:
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receiving, at a database server from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device operated by a first user, a first set of Wi-Fi access point location data, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone, the first set of Wi-Fi access point location data including, for each of at least one Wi-Fi access point from which a wireless signal transmitted from a Wi-Fi access point is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS enabled mobile device, a MAC address of the Wi-Fi access point as detected by the Wi-Fi scanner of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and GPS location data generated by the GPS device of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device; receiving, at the database server from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device operated by a second user, a second set of Wi-Fi access point location data, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a PDA or a cell phone, the second set of Wi-Fi access point location data including, for each of at least one Wi-Fi access point from which a wireless signal transmitted from a Wi-Fi access point is detected by the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, a MAC address of the Wi-Fi access point as detected by the Wi-Fi scanner of the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and GPS location data generated by the GPS device of the second Wi-Fi- and GPS- enabled mobile device; processing, via a processor, data in the set first and second sets of Wi-Fi access point location data to generate geographic location data for at least one Wi-Fi access point having a MAC address included in the first and second sets of Wi-Fi access point location data; and adding the geographic location data and MAC address of the at least one Wi-Fi access point to a collaborative database containing Wi-Fi access point location data, whereby the collaborative database is thus built in a collaborative manner by the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by the first and second users. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30)
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Specification