×

Position determination of mobile stations in a wireless network

  • US 9,736,637 B2
  • Filed: 09/13/2006
  • Issued: 08/15/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of operating a network comprising a plurality of stations each able to transmit and receive data so that the network can transmit data between stations via at least one selected intermediate station, the method comprising:

  • determining locations of stations within the network, comprising;

    monitoring at each station, the activity of other stations on the network to establish an availability of neighbor stations having connectivity with the monitoring station;

    transmitting probe signals from each station to other stations which receive the probe signals from a probing station responding directly or indirectly via another station, to the probing station to thereby indicate their availability as neighbor stations able to receive or relay data, wherein the probing signals are transmitted at a first power level until a predetermined number of other stations have replied at which point the probing signals are transmitted at a second power level greater than the first power level;

    transmitting position data and/or position determining data in at least some of the probe signals and/or in responses to the probe signals, the position data including data indicative of an absolute or relative position of a station transmitting a probe signal or a response signal, and the position determining data including data usable by a station receiving a probe signal or a response signal to determine the absolute or relative position of the station and/or other stations;

    maintaining, at stations which receive probe signals from one or more probing stations and/or response signals from one or more responding stations, position data and/or position determining data received from selected ones of the probing and/or responding stations;

    at one or more of said stations maintaining said position data and/or position determining data, utilizing the position data and/or position determining data to determine the absolute or relative position of said each station and/or other stations, thereby enabling any station to determine its own position or the position of another station in the network either as an absolute position or relative to other stations;

    after determining the locations of stations within the network, selecting a receiving station to which to send a communication;

    determining an optimized route along which to send the communication to the receiving station, the optimized route based on a determined location of the receiving station, determined relative locations of one or more intermediate stations within the network, and the minimum power requirement for sending the communication to the receiving stations through the one or more intermediate stations; and

    sending the communication on the optimized route.

View all claims
  • 9 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×