Methods and systems for determining a change in location of a portable wireless access point

• US 9,420,425 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bartlett, Roger D., McMullen, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Quan M
• Application Number:
  US14/842,294
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A portable wireless access point (WAP) stores its location and is configured to report the stored location to a location-based service provider (LBSP) when a wireless communication device (WCD) is within coverage of the portable WAP and requests a location-based service from the LBSP. While the WCD is within coverage of the portable WAP, the portable WAP receives from the WCD a first list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD. Thereafter, while the WCD is again within coverage of the portable WAP, the portable WAP receives from the WCD a second list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD. The portable WAP compares the first list to the second list, and responsive to determining that the second list is threshold different from the first list, the portable WAP reconfigures itself such that, when the WCD requests the location-based service, the portable WAP does not report the stored location to the WCD.

Claims

1. A method for controlling reporting of location to a location-based service

provider (LBSP) to facilitate implementation of a location-based service for a wireless communication device (WCD), wherein a portable wireless access point (WAP) stores a location of the portable WAP and is configured to report the stored location to the WCD when the WCD is within coverage of the portable WAP and requests the location-based service from the LBSP, the method comprising:

while the WCD is within coverage of the portable WAP, the portable WAP receiving from the WCD a first list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD;

thereafter, while the WCD is again within coverage of the portable WAP, the portable WAP receiving from the WCD a second list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD;

comparing, by the portable WAP, the first list of one or more cellular base stations to the second lit of one or more cellular base stations; and

responsive to determining that a difference between the first list of one or more cellular base stations and the second list of one or more base stations exceeds a threshold, the portable WAP reconfiguring itself such that, when the WCD requests the location-based service, the portable WAP does not report the stored location to the WCD.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a difference between the first list of one or more cellular base stations and the second list of one or more base stations exceeds a threshold comprises:

determining that each cellular base station in the first list of one or more cellular base stations does not match each cellular base station in the second list of one or more cellular base stations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first list of one or more cellular base stations and the second list of one or more cellular base stations includes one or more coverage area identifiers corresponding to a given cellular base station of the one or more cellular base stations.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each coverage area identifier of the one or more coverage area identifiers is selected from the group consisting of a Physical Cell Identity (PCI) and a pseudo-noise (PN) offset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable WAP reconfiguring itself to not report the stored location to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service comprises:

when the WCD requests the location-based service, transmitting to the WCD an indication that the stored location is incorrect.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting to the WCD the indication that the stored location is incorrect comprises including in the transmission to the WCD a statistical certainty measure of the indication that the stored location is incorrect.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored location of the portable WAP is a first location of the portable WAP, and wherein the portable WAP reconfiguring itself to not report the stored location to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service comprises:

outputting by the portable WAP a prompt for user entry of a second location of the portable WAP;

receiving by the portable WAP, in response to the prompt, the user entry of a current location of the portable WAP as the second location;

storing by the portable WAP, in place of the first location of the portable WAP, the received second location of the portable WAP; and

providing by the portable WAP the received second location of the portable WAP to the location-based service, rather than the first location of the portable WAP.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the LBSP is an emergency service provider, and wherein the location-based service is emergency service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first list of one or more cellular base stations includes an indication of a first cellular service provider associated with the first list of one or more cellular base stations, wherein the second list of one or more cellular base stations includes an indication of a second cellular service provider associated with the second list of one or more cellular base stations, and wherein the portable WAP reconfigures itself to not report the stored location to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service further in response to determining that the first cellular service provider is the same as the second cellular service provider.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable WAP determines a time difference between when the portable WAP receives the first list of one or more cellular base stations and when the portable WAP receives the second list of one or more cellular base stations, and wherein the portable WAP reconfigures itself to not report the stored location to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service further in response to determining that the time difference exceeds a threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable WAP determines a first time when the portable WAP receives the first list of one or more cellular base stations, wherein the portable WAP determines a second time when the portable WAP receives the second list of one or more cellular base stations, and wherein the portable WAP reconfigures itself to not report the stored location to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service further in response to determining that the portable WAP has powered down between the first time and the second time.

12. A method of controlling implementation of a location-based service for a wireless communication device (WCD), wherein a portable wireless access point (WAP) provides wireless coverage in which to serve the WCD, the method comprising:

storing by the portable WAP a location of the portable WAP for use to facilitate a location-based service when the WCD is within coverage of the portable WAP;

when the WCD is within coverage of the portable WAP, the portable WAP receiving from the WCD a first list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD;

and

thereafter, when the WCD is subsequently again within coverage of the portable WAP, the portable WAP (i) receiving from the WCD a second list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD, (ii) comparing the first list of one or more cellular base stations to the second list of one or more cellular base stations, (iii) determining, based on the comparison, that a difference between the first list of one or more cellular base stations and the second list of one or more base stations exceeds a threshold, and (iv) responsive to the determining, foregoing transmitting the stored location of the portable WAP to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the portable WAP transmits to a location-based service provider (LBSP) a request for the location-based service, wherein using the stored location of the portable WAP to facilitate the location-based service comprises retrieving the stored location and transmitting the location to the LBSP to enable the LBSP to provide the requested location-based service based on the location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

when the WCD requests the location-based service, transmitting to the LBSP an indication that the location is incorrect.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting to the LBSP the indication that the stored location is incorrect comprises including in the transmission to the LBSP a statistical certainty measure of the indication that the stored location is incorrect.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the stored location of the portable WAP is a first location of the portable WAP, and wherein foregoing transmitting the stored location of the portable WAP to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service comprises:

outputting by the portable WAP a prompt for user entry of a second location of the portable WAP;

receiving by the portable WAP, in response to the prompt, the user entry of a current location of the portable WAP as the second location;

storing by the portable WAP, in place of the first location of the portable WAP, the received second location of the portable WAP; and

providing by the portable WAP the received second location of the portable WAP to the location-based service, rather than the first location of the portable WAP.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the portable WAP transmits to an LBSP a request for the location-based service,

wherein using the stored first location of the portable WAP to facilitate the location-based service comprises retrieving the stored first location and transmitting the retrieved first location to the LBSP to enable the LBSP to provide the requested location-based service based on the retrieved first location;

and

wherein using by the portable WAP the received second location of the portable WAP, rather than the retrieved first location of the portable WAP, to facilitate the location-based service comprises transmitting the second location to the LBSP to enable the LBSP to provide the requested location-based service based on the second location.

18. A portable wireless access point (WAP) configured to control implementation of a location-based service, the portable WAP comprising:

a wireless-communication interface; and

a controller configured to cause the portable WAP carry out operations comprising;

storing a location of the portable WAP;

while a WCD is within coverage of the portable WAP, receiving via the wireless-communication interface from the WCD a first list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD;

thereafter, while the WCD is again within coverage of the portable WAP, receiving via the wireless-communication interface from the WCD a second list of one or more cellular base stations currently accessible by the WCD;

comparing the first list of one or more cellular base stations to the second list of one or more cellular base stations; and

responsive to determining that a difference between the first list of one or more cellular base stations and the second list of one or more base stations exceeds a threshold, foregoing transmitting the stored location of the portable WAP to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service.

19. The portable WAP of claim 18, wherein the stored location of the portable WAP is a first location of the portable WAP, and wherein causing the portable WAP to forego transmitting the stored location of the portable WAP to the WCD when the WCD requests the location-based service comprises:

outputting by the portable WAP a prompt for user entry of a second location of the portable WAP;

receiving by the portable WAP, in response to the prompt, the user entry of a current location of the portable WAP as the second location;

storing by the portable WAP, in place of the first location of the portable WAP, the received second location of the portable WAP; and

providing by the portable WAP the received second location of the portable WAP to the location-based service, rather than the first location of the portable WAP.

20. The portable WAP of claim 19,

wherein the portable WAP transmits to an LBSP a request for the location-based service,

wherein using the stored first location of the portable WAP to facilitate the location-based service comprises retrieving the stored first location and transmitting the retrieved first location to the LBSP to enable the LBSP to provide the requested location-based service based on the retrieved first location;

and

wherein using by the portable WAP the received second location of the portable WAP, rather than the retrieved first location of the portable WAP, to facilitate the location-based service comprises transmitting the second location to the LBSP to enable the LBSP to provide the requested location-based service based on the second location.