Assigning location information to wireless local area network access points

• US 9,730,019 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Laine, Tommi, Wirola, Lauri
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US14/905,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4568
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus receives a message including results of measurements on signals of a WLAN access point. The apparatus determines as a first condition whether the message comprises no indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning and/or no information enabling a non-cell based positioning. The apparatus determines as a second condition whether the message comprises in addition results of measurements on signals of at least one cell of a cellular communications network. If the conditions are met, the apparatus determines a position based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of a cellular communications network and causes storage of location information that is based on the determined position in a memory for the WLAN access point, in case no location information has previously been stored in the memory for the WLAN access point.

Claims

1. A method comprising, performed by an apparatus:

receiving a message including results of measurements on signals of at least one wireless local area network access point;

determining as a first condition whether the message comprises no indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning of a satellite signal based positioning or a wireless local area network based positioning, or whether the message comprises no information enabling a non-cell based positioning of a satellite signal based positioning or a wireless local area network based positioning;

determining as a second condition whether the message comprises results of measurements on signals of at least one cell of a cellular communications network;

in response to the at least the first condition and the second condition being met, attempting to determine a position based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of the cellular communications network; and

when a position is determined based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of the cellular communications network, causing storage of location information that is based on the determined position in a memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and tagged in the memory as cell based, in case no location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and tagged non-cell based.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein location information stored in the memory for a respective wireless local area network access point is associated with an indication of a type of positioning on which the location information is based, the indication of a type of positioning being one of:

an indication of a satellite signal based positioning,

an indication of a wireless local area network based positioning,

an indication of a non-cell based positioning, or

an indication of a cell based positioning.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in case at least the first condition and the second condition are met, a position is determined, and location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and the stored location information is associated with an indication that the location information is based on a cell based positioning, the method comprises:

causing an update of the location information stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point based on the determined position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in case the first condition is not met, location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and the stored location information is associated with an indication that the location information is based on a cell based positioning, the method comprises:

causing a replacement of the location information stored in the memory for the wireless local area network access point with location information that is based on one of an indication of a position in the received message obtained in the non-cell based positioning, and a position that is determined based on information in the received message enabling a non-cell based positioning.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in case at least the first condition is met, location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and the stored location information is associated with an indication that the location information is based on another type of positioning than a cell based positioning, the method comprises:

causing no update of the location information stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein it is determined separately for each of the at least one wireless local area network access point whether location information has previously been stored in the memory.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a fingerprint provided by a mobile terminal for updating a positioning database, a positioning request of a mobile terminal or a positioning request for a mobile terminal.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using location information stored for a wireless local area network access point for determining a coverage area of the wireless local area network access point, wherein a size of the coverage area is determined depending on a type of the positioning on which the location information is based.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless local area network access point includes a plurality of wireless local area network access points.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause at least one apparatus at least to perform;

receive a message including results of measurements on signals of at least one wireless local area network access point;

determine as a first condition whether the message comprises no indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning of a satellite signal based positioning or a wireless local area network based positioning, or whether the message comprises no information enabling a non-cell based positioning of a satellite signal based positioning or a wireless local area network based positioning;

determine as a second condition whether the message comprises results of measurements on signals of at least one cell of a cellular communications network;

in response to the first condition and the second condition being met, attempt to determine a position based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of the cellular communications network; and

when a position is determined based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of the cellular communications network, store location information that is based on the determined position in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and tagged in the memory as cell based, in case no location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and tagged non-cell based.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein location information stored in the memory for a respective wireless local area network access point is associated with an indication of a type of positioning on which the location information is based, wherein the indication of a type of positioning comprises:

an indication of a satellite signal based positioning,

an indication of a wireless local area network based positioning,

an indication of a non-cell based positioning, or

an indication of a cell based positioning.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one apparatus to perform:

in case at least the first condition and the second condition are met and a position is determined and location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and the stored location information is associated with an indication that the location information is based on a cell based positioning, cause an update of the location information stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point based on the determined position.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one apparatus to perform:

in case the first condition is not met and location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and the stored location information is associated with an indication that the location information is based on a cell based positioning, cause a replacement of the location information stored in the memory for the wireless local area network access point with location information that is based on one of an indication of a position in the received message obtained in the non-cellular based positioning, and a position that is determined based on information in the received message enabling a non-cellular based positioning.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one apparatus to perform:

in case at least the first condition is met and location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and the stored location information is associated with an indication that the location information is based on another type of positioning than a cell based positioning, cause no update of the location information stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one apparatus to determine separately for each of the at least one wireless local area network access point as one criterion whether no location information is stored in the memory.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the message comprises a fingerprint provided by a mobile terminal for updating a positioning database, a positioning request of a mobile terminal or a positioning request for a mobile terminal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the computer program code is further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one apparatus to use location information stored for a wireless local area network access point for determining a coverage area of the wireless local area network access point, wherein a size of the coverage area is determined depending on the type of the positioning on which the location information is based.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a server;

a component for a server;

or

a part of a system which comprises in addition a memory configured to store location information for a plurality of wireless local area network access points.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in which computer program code is stored, the computer program code when executed by a processor causing at least one apparatus to perform the following:

receive a message including results of measurements on signals of at least one wireless local area network access point;

determine as a first condition at least one of whether the message comprises no indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning of a satellite signal based positioning or a wireless local area network based positioning and whether the message comprises no information enabling a non-cell based positioning of a satellite signal based positioning or a wireless local area network based positioning;

determine as a second condition whether the message comprises results of measurements on signals of at least one cell of a cellular communications network;

in response to at least the first condition and the second condition being met, attempt to determine a position based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of the cellular communications network; and

when a position is determined based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of the cellular communications network, store location information that is based on the determined position in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and tagged in the memory as cell based, in case no location information has previously been stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and tagged non-cell based.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the at least one wireless local area network access point includes a plurality of wireless local area network access points.