Electromagnetic reflection profiles

• US 9,874,632 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, II, Robert Raymond, Li, Kevin A., Meuninck, Troy C., Pratt, James H., Schroeter, Horst J., Shahraray, Behzad
• Primary Examiner(s): Fotakis, Aristocratis
• Application Number:
  US14/886,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 829 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/462 using multipath signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products determine electromagnetic reflective characteristics of ambient environments. A wireless communications device sends a cellular impulse and receives reflections of the cellular impulse. The cellular impulse and the reflections of the cellular impulse may be compared to determine the electromagnetic reflective characteristics of an ambient environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, global positioning system information representing a location reported by a mobile device;

querying, by the server, an electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location, the electronic database electronically associating electromagnetic reflection profiles to the global positioning system information representing locations;

determining, by the server, that the electronic database lacks an entry that matches the global positioning system information representing the location reported by the mobile device;

instructing, by the server, the mobile device to transmit an impulse in response to the electronic database lacking the entry and to send a reflection profile at the location represented by the global positioning system information;

receiving, by the server, the reflection profile sent from the mobile device at the location; and

adding, by the server, the entry in the electronic database describing the reflection profile, the entry electronically associating the reflection profile with the global positioning system information representing the location reported by the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing an electromagnetic noise in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing a signal to noise ratio in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing an interference in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a characteristic representing a distortion in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a future query after the entry is added to the electronic database, the future query specifying the global positioning system information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending the reflection profile as a response to the future query.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising retrieving the reflection profile identified by the electronic database that is electronically associated with the global positioning system information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the reflection profile.

10. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request for an electromagnetic reflection profile sent from a mobile device, the request for the electromagnetic reflection profile specifying global positioning system information representing a location associated with the mobile device;

querying an electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location, the electronic database electronically associating electromagnetic reflection profiles to the global positioning system information representing locations;

determining the electronic database lacks an entry that electronically associates the global positioning system information to the electromagnetic reflection profile;

sending an electronic command to the mobile device in response to the electronic database lacking the entry, the electronic command instructing the mobile device to transmit a cellular impulse;

receiving the electromagnetic reflection profile sent from the mobile device in response to the electronic command; and

adding the entry in the electronic database that electronically associated associates the electromagnetic reflection profile with the global positioning system information representing the location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an electromagnetic noise in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a signal to noise ratio in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an interference in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a distortion in association with the global positioning system information representing the location.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a future query specifying the global positioning system information.

16. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request for an electromagnetic reflection profile sent from a mobile device, the request for the electromagnetic reflection profile specifying global positioning system information representing a location reported by the mobile device;

querying an electronic database for the global positioning system information representing the location, the electronic database electronically associating electromagnetic reflection profiles to the global positioning system information representing locations;

determining the electronic database lacks an entry that electronically associates the global positioning system information to the electromagnetic reflection profile;

sending an electronic command to the mobile device in response to the electronic database lacking the entry, the electronic command instructing the mobile device to transmit a cellular impulse;

receiving the electromagnetic reflection profile sent from the mobile device in response to the electronic command; and

adding the entry in the electronic database that electronically associated associates the electromagnetic reflection profile with the global positioning system information representing the location.

17. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an electromagnetic noise in association with the global positioning system information.

18. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a signal to noise ratio in association with the global positioning system information.

19. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing an interference in association with the global positioning system information.

20. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise storing a characteristic representing a distortion in association with the global positioning system information.