Method and apparatus for delivering assistance data from a server to a device identifying virtual access points
First Claim
1. A method for processing position assistance data by a mobile device, comprising:
- receiving virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs from a positioning server, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises;
a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and
an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP; and
determining a location of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device uses the VAP data when determining the location.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for processing positioning assistance data are provided. An exemplary method includes receiving, from a positioning server, virtual access point (VAP) data including a list of unique identifiers, and determining a location of a mobile device by using the VAP. The VAP data indicates that the unique identifiers included on the list identify signals originating from the same physical access point. The unique identifiers can be MAC addresses. In an example, the location determining the can include actively scanning a signal identified by a unique identifier on the list and not actively scanning a different signal identified by a different unique identifier also on the list. Not scanning the other MAC addresses that are on the access point'"'"'s list and assigned to the mobile device keeps the mobile device from performing duplicative scanning that wastes time, processor cycles, and energy.
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Citations
104 Claims
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1. A method for processing position assistance data by a mobile device, comprising:
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receiving virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs from a positioning server, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises; a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP; and determining a location of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device uses the VAP data when determining the location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A mobile device, comprising:
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a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to; receive virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs from a positioning server, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises; a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP; and determine a location of the mobile device, wherein the processor uses the VAP data when determining the location. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon to be retrieved and executed by one or more processors, the processor-executable instructions including instructions to:
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receive virtual access point (VAP) data at a mobile device, the VAP data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers or one or more virtual APs from a positioning server, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises; a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP; and determine a location of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device uses the VAP data when determining the location. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A mobile device configured to process position assistance data, comprising:
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means for receiving virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs from a positioning server, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises; a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP; and means for determining a location of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device uses the VAP data when determining the location. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method for providing position assistance data from a positioning server, comprising:
receiving a position assistance data request message from a mobile device; and
transmitting to the mobile device, in response to the position assistance data request message, virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises;a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A positioning server, comprising:
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a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to; receive a position assistance data request message from a mobile device; and transmit to the mobile device, in response to the position assistance data request message, virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises; a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon to be retrieved and executed by one or more processors, the processor-executable instructions including instructions to:
receive a position assistance data request message from a mobile device; and
transmit to the mobile device, in response to the position assistance data request message, virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises;a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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90. A positioning server, comprising:
means for receiving a position assistance data request message from a mobile device; and
means for transmitting to the mobile device, in response to the position assistance data request message, virtual access point (VAP) data including a unique identifier for a physical access point (AP) and a list of unique identifiers for one or more virtual APs, the VAP data indicating that the unique identifiers for the one or more virtual APs included on the list identify signals originating from the physical AP, wherein the VAP data comprises;a field representative of an AP base media access control (MAC) address of the physical AP; and an other field representative of an AP MAC address corresponding to a respective virtual AP belonging to the physical AP, wherein the other field repeats a number of times corresponding to a number of virtual APs that belong to the physical AP. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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97. A method for performing maintenance at a positioning server, comprising:
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retrieving assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; reducing AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; determining if the virtual access points have individual heatmaps; and estimating a transmit power difference across virtual access points belonging to the same physical access point and adding data describing the transmit power difference data to the AD database.
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98. A method for performing maintenance at a positioning server, comprising:
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retrieving assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; reducing AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; storing new access point data in a WiFi access point database, if a virtual access point list received by a server does not have media access control (MAC) addresses that match those stored in the WiFi access point database and has information for AD generation; creating a heatmap for the newly stored access point data; and storing the heatmap into the AD database.
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99. A positioning server, comprising:
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a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to; retrieve assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; reduce AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; determine if the virtual access points have individual heatmaps; and estimate a transmit power difference across virtual access points belonging to the same physical access point and adding data describing the transmit power difference data to the AD database.
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100. A positioning server, comprising:
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a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to; retrieve assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; reduce AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; store new access point data in a WiFi access point database, if a virtual access point list received by a server does not have media access control (MAC) addresses that match those stored in the WiFi access point database and has information for AD generation; create a heatmap for the new access point data; and store the heatmap into the AD database.
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101. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon to be retrieved and executed by one or more processors, the processor-executable instructions including instructions to:
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retrieve assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; reduce AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; determine if the virtual access points have individual heatmaps; and estimate a transmit power difference across virtual access points belonging to the same physical access point and adding data describing the transmit power difference data to the AD database.
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102. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon to be retrieved and executed by one or more processors, the processor-executable instructions including instructions to:
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retrieve assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; reduce AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; store new access point data in a WiFi access point database, if a virtual access point list received by a server does not have media access control (MAC) addresses that match those stored in the WiFi access point database and has information for AD generation; create a heatmap for the newly stored access point data; and store the heatmap into the AD database.
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103. A positioning server, comprising:
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means for retrieving assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; means for reducing AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; means for determining if the virtual access points have individual heatmaps; and means for estimating a transmit power difference across virtual access points belonging to the same physical access point and adding data describing the transmit power difference data to the AD database.
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104. A positioning server, comprising:
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means for retrieving assistance data (AD) including heatmaps from an AD database; means for reducing AD size by keeping only one heatmap per physical access point and removing redundant heatmaps that previously existed for individual virtual access points associated with the physical access point; means for storing new access point data in a WiFi access point database, if a virtual access point list received by a server does not have media access control (MAC) addresses that match those stored in the WiFi access point database and has information for AD generation; means for creating a heatmap for the newly stored access point data; and means for storing the heatmap into the AD database.
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Specification