Methods and apparatuses for use in determining that a mobile station is at one or more particular indoor regions

• US 9,451,411 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Rajarshi, Holm, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/309,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20140315580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/411, 455/456
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided which may be implemented in various devices for to determine or assist in determining that a mobile station is at one or more particular indoor regions and to provide positioning assistance data and/or the like to the mobile station with regard to at least the one or more particular indoor regions.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a directory device:

in response to receiving a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station;

determining one or more indoor regions that are at or nearby a first estimated location of said mobile station;

transmitting a first response to said mobile station, said first response identifying one or more identifiers for preliminary positioning assistance data for said one or more indoor regions determined to be at or nearby said first estimated location,

wherein said request for said repository device identifier comprises a request that is indicative of at least said first estimated location of said mobile station;

receiving a message from said mobile station, said message being indicative of a signal characteristic measurement for a signal received by said mobile station from a transmitter identified in at least a portion of said preliminary positioning assistance data;

determining that said mobile station is at a first one of said one or more indoor regions based, at least in part, on said signal characteristic measurement; and

transmitting a second response to said mobile station, the second response being indicative that said mobile station is at said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first response to said mobile station is further indicative of a repository device capable of providing said preliminary positioning assistance data for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said preliminary positioning assistance data comprises at least a portion of an access point locator for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 and further comprising, at said directory device:

establishing encoded metadata for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, said encoded metadata corresponding to at least one of an electronic map for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, or said access point locator for said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, and further comprising, at said directory device:

transmitting said encoded metadata to a repository device capable of providing positioning assistance data for said first one of said one or more indoor regions to said mobile station, said positioning assistance data comprising said encoded metadata.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first one of said one or more identifiers comprises a location context identifier (LCI) for a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining one or more indoor regions that are at or nearby said first estimated location further comprises:

determining a particular area covering at least a portion of said first estimated location; and

determining at least one location context identifier (LCI) as identifying said particular area.

8. An apparatus for use in a directory device, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station, wherein said request for said repository device identifier comprises a request that is indicative of at least a first estimated location of said mobile station;

means for determining one or more indoor regions that are at or nearby said first estimated location, wherein said determining is in response to said request for a repository device identifier;

means for transmitting a first response to said mobile station, said first response identifying one or more identifiers for preliminary positioning assistance data for said one or more indoor regions determined to be at or nearby said first estimated location;

means for receiving a message from said mobile station, said message being indicative of a signal characteristic measurement for a signal received by said mobile station from a transmitter identified in at least a portion of said preliminary positioning assistance data;

means for determining that said mobile station is at a first one of said one or more indoor regions based, at least in part, on said signal characteristic measurement; and

means for transmitting a second response to said mobile station, the second response being indicative that said mobile station is at said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said first response to said mobile station is further indicative of a repository device capable of providing said preliminary positioning assistance data for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said preliminary positioning assistance data comprises at least a portion of an access point locator for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, and further comprising:

means for establishing encoded metadata for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, said encoded metadata corresponding to at least one of an electronic map for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, or said access point locator for said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, and further comprising:

means for transmitting said encoded metadata to a repository device that is capable of providing positioning assistance data for said first one of said one or more indoor regions to said mobile station, said positioning assistance data comprising said encoded metadata.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said means for determining one or more indoor regions that are at or nearby said first estimated location further comprises:

means for determining a particular area covering at least a portion of said first estimated location; and

means for determining at least one location context identifier (LCI) as identifying said particular area, wherein a first one of said one or more identifiers comprises said at least one LCI.

14. A computing platform at a directory device, the computing platform comprising:

a network interface; and

one or more processors configured to;

in response to obtaining a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station via said network interface;

determine one or more indoor regions that are at or nearby a first estimated location of said mobile station; and

initiate transmission of a first response to said mobile station via said network interface, said first response identifying one or more identifiers for preliminary positioning assistance data for said one or more indoor regions determined to be at or nearby said first estimated location,

wherein said request for said repository device identifier comprises a request that is indicative of at least said first estimated location of said mobile station, and

wherein said one or more processors are further configured to;

obtain a message from said mobile station via said network interface, said message being indicative of a signal characteristic measurement for a signal received by said mobile station from a transmitter identified in at least a portion of said preliminary positioning assistance data;

determine that said mobile station is at a first one of said one or more indoor regions based, at least in part, on said signal characteristic measurement; and

initiate transmission of a second response to said mobile station via said network interface, the second response being indicative that said mobile station is at said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

15. The computing platform as recited in claim 14, wherein said first response to said mobile station is further indicative of a repository device capable of providing said preliminary positioning assistance data for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

16. The computing platform as recited in claim 14, wherein said preliminary positioning assistance data comprises at least a portion of an access point locator for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

17. The computing platform as recited in claim 16, said one or more processors further configured to:

establish encoded metadata for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, said encoded metadata corresponding to at least one of an electronic map for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, or said access point locator for said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

18. The computing platform as recited in claim 17, said one or more processors further configured to:

initiate transmission of said encoded metadata via said network interface to a repository device that is capable of providing positioning assistance data for said first one of said one or more indoor regions to said mobile station, said positioning assistance data comprising said encoded metadata.

19. The computing platform as recited in claim 14, said one or more processors further configured to:

determine a particular area covering at least a portion of said first estimated location; and

determine at least one location context identifier (LCI) as identifying said particular area, wherein a first one of said one or more identifiers comprises said at least one LCI.

20. A non-transitory storage medium comprising machine-readable code, stored thereon, which is executable by a special purpose computing apparatus at a directory device, comprising:

code to obtain a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station, wherein said request for said repository device identifier comprises a request that is indicative of at least a first estimated location of said mobile station;

code to determine one or more indoor regions that are at or nearby said first estimated location, wherein said determining is in response to said request for a repository device identifier;

code to initiate transmission of a first response to said mobile station, said first response identifying one or more identifiers for preliminary positioning assistance data for said one or more indoor regions determined to be at or nearby said first estimated location;

code to obtain a message from said mobile station, said message being indicative of a signal characteristic measurement for a signal received by said mobile station from a transmitter identified in at least a portion of said preliminary positioning assistance data;

code to determine that said mobile station is at a first one of said one or more indoor regions based, at least in part, on said signal characteristic measurement; and

code to initiate transmission of a second response to said mobile station, the second response being indicative that said mobile station is at said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

21. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said first response to said mobile station is further indicative of a repository device capable of providing said preliminary positioning assistance data for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

22. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said preliminary positioning assistance data comprises at least a portion of an access point locator for at least a first one of said one or more indoor regions.

23. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

code to establish encoded metadata for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, said encoded metadata corresponding to at least one of an electronic map for said first one of said one or more indoor regions, or said access point locator for said first one of said one or more indoor regions.

24. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

code to initiate transmission of said encoded metadata to a repository device that is capable of providing positioning assistance data for said first one of said one or more indoor regions to said mobile station, said positioning assistance data comprising said encoded metadata.

25. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

code to determine a particular area covering at least a portion of said first estimated location; and

code to determine at least one location context identifier (LCI) as identifying said particular area, wherein a first one of said one or more identifiers comprises said at least one LCI.