Cache-based location determination

• US 9,535,154 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Natucci, Dino, Inderhees, Mark, Dufalo, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): McGue, Frank J
• Application Number:
  US13/230,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 342/451
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks

Abstract

One disclosed example provides a method including compiling and storing on the computing device a list of positioning signals each associated with a geographic location, detecting one or more currently available positioning signals, comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the list of positioning signals, and if one or more currently available positioning signals matches one or more matching positioning signals stored in the list, then determining the current geographic location based upon the one or more matching stored positioning signals.

Claims

1. On a computing device, a method comprising:

obtaining, from a remote location information service, a list of positioning signals each associated with a geographic location;

locally storing the list of positioning signals to form a locally-stored list;

receiving, by a wireless communication device in communication with a processor, one or more currently available positioning signals;

comparing, by the processor, the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list;

after comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list, when any of the one or more currently available positioning signals matches one or more matching positioning signals stored in the locally-stored list, then

determining, by the processor, a current geographic location of the computing device based upon the one or more matching stored positioning signals,

reporting, by the processor, the current geographic location to an application on the computing device, and

when a currently available wireless positioning signal does not match any positioning signals on the locally-stored list, then inferring, by the processor, an associated location for the currently available wireless positioning signal to form an inferred positioning signal, and adding the inferred positioning signal to the locally-stored list; and

after comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list, when no currently available positioning signals match any positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list, sending a request to the remote location information service for location information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving location information from the remote location information service, updating the locally-stored list with any new positioning signals received from the remote location information service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, where no location information is received from the remote location information service, storing the currently available positioning signals on the locally-stored list as location unavailable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list of positioning signals further comprises:

when one or more of the one or more currently available positioning signals matches a confirmed positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list, then

performing a validity check on each currently available positioning signal; and

when a currently available positioning signal does not pass the validity check, then determining the current geographic location based only on currently available positioning signals that match a confirmed positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally stored list of positioning signals further comprises:

when all the currently available positioning signals match only inferred positioning signals stored in the locally-stored list, then

performing a validity check on the currently available positioning signals;

when the currently available positioning signals pass the validity check, determining the current geographic location based on currently available positioning signals that match a positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list; and

when the currently available positioning signals do not pass the validity check, then sending a request to a remote location information service for location information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when one or more of the one or more currently available positioning signals matches a positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list, then determining the current geographic location based upon the one or more matching stored positioning signals and providing feedback to a remote location information service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the current geographic location of the computing device only if authorized by a user, administrator, and/or manufacturer of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning signals comprise wireless internet connection access points.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning signals comprise one or more of cell phone communication towers, BLUETOOTH transmitters, radio frequency networks, and IP connection locations.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing, by the processor, the one or more currently available positioning signals to determine an address of each of the one or more currently available positioning signals, and wherein comparing the position signals to the locally-stored list comprises comparing each address to addresses in the locally-stored list.

11. A computing device, comprising:

a wireless communication device; and

a processor in communication with the wireless communication device, the processor being configured to

obtain, from a remote location information service, a list of positioning signals each associated with a geographic location;

locally store the list of positioning signals to form a locally-stored list;

receive, by the wireless communication device, one or more currently available wireless positioning signals;

compare, by the processor, the one or more currently available wireless positioning signals to the locally-stored list;

after comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list, when any of the one or more currently available wireless positioning signals matches a matching positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list, then

determine, by the processor, a current geographic location based upon the matching positioning signal,

report, by the processor, the current geographic location to an application on the computing device, and

for a currently available positioning signal that does not match any positioning signal on the locally stored list, infer, by the processor, an associated location based upon an identification of one or more known positioning signals detectable to form an inferred location, and add, by the processor, the inferred location to the locally stored list as an inferred positioning signal; and

after comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list, when no currently available wireless positioning signals match any positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list, then send a request to the remote location information service for location information.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect an IP address location if no currently available wireless positioning signals are detected;

compare the IP address location to the locally stored list of positioning signals;

when the IP address location matching a matching positioning signal stored in the locally stored list, then determine the current geographic location based upon the matching positioning signal; and

when the IP address location not matching a positioning signal stored in the locally stored list, then send the request to a remote service for location information.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to update the locally-stored list with any new positioning signals received from a remote service in response to a request for location information.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device, and wherein the wireless communication device is configured for communication with one or more of a wireless telephone network, a wireless local area network, and a wireless wide area network.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the one or more currently available positioning signals to determine an address of each of the one or more currently available positioning signals, and to compare each address to addresses in the locally-stored list.

16. A computing device, comprising:

a wireless communication device; and

a processor in communication with the wireless communication device, the processor being configured to;

obtain, from a remote location information service, a list of wireless positioning signals;

locally store the list of wireless positioning signals to form a locally-stored list;

receive, by the wireless communication device, one or more currently available wireless positioning signals;

compare, by the processor, the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list;

after comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list, when any of the one or more currently available wireless positioning signals matches one or more positioning signals in the locally stored list, then

determine, by the processor, a current geographic location based upon the one or more currently available wireless positioning signals that match the one or more positioning signals in the locally-stored list,

report, by the processor, the current geographic location to an application on the computing device, and

infer, by the processor, a location for any currently available wireless positioning signal that does not match any positioning signals on the locally-stored list to form an inferred positioning signal, and add the inferred positioning signal to the locally-stored list; and

after comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the locally-stored list, when no currently available positioning signals match any positioning signal stored in the locally-stored list, then send a request to the remote location information service for location information.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to receive location information from a remote service and to update the locally-stored list based on the location information from the remote service.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the location information received from the remote service comprises one or more lists of known internet connections within a geographic area that includes the current geographic location.

19. The computing device of claim 16, the computing device comprises a mobile device, and wherein the wireless communication device is configured for communication with one or more of a wireless telephone network, a wireless local area network, and a wireless wide area network.