Focused assistance data for WiFi access points and femtocells

• US 9,474,012 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen William, Wachter, Andreas Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US13/828,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20140235280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 455/440, 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods for reducing a long list of access points (APs) to a short list of access points are presented. Advantageously, a mobile device only need to search for access points on the short list thereby more quickly discovering access points, saving battery power, determining a position fix based on the discovered access points, and reducing a time to fix. Embodiments enable a mobile device to determine which access points should be detectable at a new location of the mobile device. Various embodiments comprise: (1) a linked database; (2) a grouped database; (3) an associated database; and (4) database feedback.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile device for determining a position fix in a wireless network, the method comprising:

determining a first position fix of the mobile device;

receiving, at the mobile device, a linked database from a location server, wherein the linked database is in response to the first position fix of the mobile device, comprising a first set of access points associated with the first position fix of the mobile device, and wherein

the linked database provides links associating access points in the first set of access points with corresponding sets of access points, wherein an at least one link to a corresponding set of access points indicates access points that are visible, for determining a second position fix, utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in a coverage area of an associated access point in the first set of access points;

searching for access points in the first set of access points utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in the coverage area of a first access point in the first set of access points; and

discovering for position determination a second set of access points based on the first access point that is visible and the at least one link between the first access point and the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point provided in the linked database, and wherein the second position fix for the mobile device is determined using the second set of access points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the linked database comprises a bidirectional link between the first access point and a second access point in the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the linked database comprises a one-way link between the first access point and a second access point in the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of access points comprises access points on a common floor of a building.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of access points belongs to a common location area identifier (LAI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position fix of the mobile device is indicated by a macrocell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second position fix of the mobile device is determined by the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second position fix of the mobile device is determined by the wireless network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position fix of the mobile device corresponds to the coverage area of a macrocell.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position fix of the mobile device corresponds to the coverage area of an access point.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the second position fix exclusively based on access points that are in the second set of access points.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein there is a difference between the second set of access points and the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point, the method further comprising sending feedback information to the location server, wherein the feedback information contains an adjustment to be made to the first set of access points based on the difference.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the difference is at least one access point in the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point that is not in the second set of access points.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the difference is at least one access point in the second set of access points that is not in the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point.

15. A mobile device for determining a position fix in a wireless network, the mobile device comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to receive a linked database from a location server, wherein the linked database is in response to a first position fix of the mobile device, comprising a first set of access points associated with the first position fix of the mobile device, and wherein the linked database provides links associating access points in-the first set of access points with corresponding sets of access points, wherein an at least one link to a corresponding set of access points indicates access points that are visible, for determining a second position fix, utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in a coverage area of an associated access point in the first set of access points; and

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to determine the second position fix of the mobile device and configured to search for access points in the first set of access points utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in the coverage area of a first access point in the first set of access points, and discover for position determination a second set of access points based on the first access point that is visible and the at least one link between the first access point and the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point provided in the linked database, and wherein the second position fix for the mobile device is determined using the second set of access points.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein there is a difference between the second set of access points and the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to send feedback information to the location server, wherein the feedback information contains an adjustment to be made to the first set of access points based on the difference.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the difference is at least one access point in the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point that is not in the second set of access points.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the difference is at least one access point in the second set of access points that is not in the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point.

19. A mobile device for determining a position fix in a wireless network, the mobile device comprising:

means for determining a first position fix of the mobile device;

means for receiving, at the mobile device, a linked database from a location server, wherein the linked database is in response to the first position fix of the mobile device, comprising a first set of access points associated with the first position fix of the mobile device, wherein

the linked database provides links associating access points in the first set of access points with corresponding sets of access points, wherein an at least one link to a corresponding set of access points indicates access points that are visible, for determining a second position fix, utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in a coverage area of an associated access point in the first set of access points; and

means for searching for access points in the first set of access points utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in the coverage area of a first access point in the first set of access points; and

means for discovering for position determination a second set of access points based on the first access point that is visible and the at least one link between the first access point and the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point provided in the linked database, and wherein the second position fix for the mobile device is determined using the second set of access points.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the first position fix of the mobile device is indicated by a macrocell.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon for a mobile device to determine a position fix in a wireless network, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program code to:

determine a first position fix of the mobile device;

receive, at the mobile device, a linked database from a location server, wherein the linked database is in response to the first position fix of the mobile device, comprising a first set of access points associated with the first position fix of the mobile device, and wherein

the linked database provides links associating access points in the first set of access points with corresponding sets of access points, wherein an at least one link to a corresponding set of access points indicates access points that are visible, for determining a second position fix, utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in a coverage area of an associated access point in the first set of access points; and

search for access points in the first set of access points utilizing at least one radio frequency (RF) scan conducted in the coverage area of a first access point in the first set of access points; and

discover for position determination a second set of access points based on the first access point that is visible and the at least one link between the first access point and the corresponding set of access points associated with the first access point provided in the linked database, and wherein the second position fix for the mobile device is determined using the second set of access points.