Assigning location information to wireless local area network access points

• US 9,872,144 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wirola, Lauri, Laine, Tommi
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US15/637,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 201 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, the message further including an indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning or information enabling a non-cell based positioning;

determining as a condition whether location information is stored in a memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and associated with an indication of a cell based positioning; and

in response to the condition being met, causing replacement of the stored location information in the memory by location information that is based on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message, and associating it with an indication of a non-cell based positioning.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising in the case that no location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point is stored in the memory:

causing storage of location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point in the memory, the location information being based on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message, and associating an indication of a non-cell based positioning with the stored location information.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising in the case that location information is stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and associated with an indication of a non-cell based positioning:

updating the location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point that is stored in the memory based on the stored location and on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein updating location information that is stored in the memory comprises one of:

supplementing location information that is stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point based on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message;

or

recomputing location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point based on stored location information and on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-cell based positioning is one of:

a satellite signal based positioning;

or

a wireless local area network based positioning;

or

a satellite signal or wireless local area network based positioning.

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 is stored in the memory.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises one of a fingerprint provided by a mobile terminal for updating a positioning database, a positioning request of a mobile terminal and 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 positioning on which the location information is based.

9. 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, the message further including an indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning or information enabling a non-cell based positioning;

determine as a condition whether location information is stored in a memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and associated with an indication of a cell based positioning; and

in response to the condition being met, cause replacement of the stored location information in the memory by location information that is based on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message, and associate it with an indication of a non-cell based positioning.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the computer program code is further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one apparatus to perform the following in the case that no location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point is stored in the memory:

cause storage of location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point in the memory, the location information being based on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message, and associate an indication of a non-cell based positioning with the stored location information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the computer program code is further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one apparatus to perform the following in the case that location information is stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and associated with an indication of a non-cell based positioning:

update the location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point that is stored in the memory based on the stored location and on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein updating location information that is stored in the memory comprises one of:

supplementing location information that is stored in the memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point based on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message;

or

recomputing location information for the at least one wireless local area network access point based on stored location information and on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the non-cell based positioning is one of:

a satellite signal based positioning;

or

a wireless local area network based positioning;

or

a satellite signal or wireless local area network based positioning.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, 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 whether location information is stored in the memory.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the message comprises one of a fingerprint provided by a mobile terminal for updating a positioning database, a positioning request of a mobile terminal and a positioning request for a mobile terminal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 9, 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 a type of positioning on which the location information is based.

17. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is one of:

a server;

a component for a server; and

/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.

18. 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, the message further including an indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning or information enabling a non-cell based positioning;

determine as a condition whether location information is stored in a memory for the at least one wireless local area network access point and associated with an indication of a cell based positioning; and

in response to the condition being met, cause replacement of the stored location information in the memory by location information that is based on the indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning in the received message or the information enabling a non-cell based positioning in the received message, and associate it with an indication of a non-cell based positioning.