Techniques for computing location of a mobile device using calculated locations of Wi-Fi access points from a reference database

• US 9,918,295 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Jones, Russel K., Alizadeh-Shabdiz, Farshid, Morgan, Edward J., Shean, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US15/411,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02526 using non-dedicated equipment, e.g. user equipment or crowd-sourcing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 : Pattern matching access

Abstract

In one embodiment, characteristics of signals of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points within a target area are determined at least in part from observing the signals during a traversal of a programmatic route through the target area by a scanning device. A location is calculated for each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points based on the characteristics of the signals of the Wi-Fi access point, and stored in records of a reference database. A request from an application or service executing on a mobile device is received for a current location of the mobile device. Positioning software obtains characteristics of signals of one or more Wi-Fi access points observed by the mobile device from the current location. The positioning software computes the current location of the mobile device using at least the characteristics of signals observed by the mobile device and the location of Wi-Fi access points stored in the reference database, and provides the computed current location to the application or service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining characteristics of signals of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points within a target area at least in part by observing the signals during a traversal of a programmatic route through the target area by a scanning device;

calculating a location of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the target area based on the characteristics of the signals of the Wi-Fi access point;

storing the calculated location of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in records of a reference database;

receiving a request from an application or service executing on a mobile device for a current location of the mobile device;

obtaining, by positioning software, characteristics of signals of one or more Wi-Fi access points observed by the mobile device from the current location; and

computing, by the positioning software, the current location of the mobile device using at least the characteristics of signals observed by the mobile device and the location of Wi-Fi access points stored in the reference database, and providing the computed current location to the application or service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target area has a radius of one or more miles.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the calculating utilizes a reverse triangulation algorithm.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the characteristics of the signals include signal strength, and the reverse triangulation algorithm weights stronger signals more than weaker signals.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the records of the reference database to identify erroneous records, the filtering based upon clustering of records for a given Wi-Fi access point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the filtering further comprises:

calculating a weighted centroid for the given Wi-Fi access point; and

designating records for the given Wi-Fi access point whose distance from the weighted centroid exceeds a threshold as being erroneous records.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

removing erroneous records from the reference database.

3. A method comprising:

determining characteristics of signals of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points within a target area at least in part by observing the signals during a traversal of a programmatic route through the target area by a scanning device mounted in a scanning vehicle, the traversal of the programmatic route comprising traversal of a number of drivable streets within the target area;

calculating a location of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the target area based on the characteristics of the signals of the Wi-Fi access point;

storing the calculated location of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in records of a reference database;

receiving a request from an application or service executing on a mobile device for a current location of the mobile device;

obtaining, by positioning software, characteristics of signals of one or more Wi-Fi access points observed by the mobile device from the current location; and

computing, by the positioning software, the current location of the mobile device using at least the characteristics of signals observed by the mobile device and the location of Wi-Fi access points stored in the reference database, and providing the computed current location to the application or service.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein number of drivable streets is substantially all drivable streets.

10. A method comprising:

determining characteristics of signals of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points within a target area at least in part by observing signals during a traversal of a programmatic route through the target area by a scanning device;

calculating a power profile of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the target area based on the characteristics of the signals from the Wi-Fi access point;

storing the power profile for each of the Wi-Fi access points in records of a reference database;

maintaining the reference database on a non-transitory computer readable medium;

receiving a request from an application or service executing on a mobile device for a current location of the mobile device;

obtaining, by positioning software, characteristics of signals of one or more Wi-Fi access points observed by the mobile device from the current location; and

computing, by the positioning software, the current location of the mobile device using at least the characteristics of signals observed by the mobile device and the power profiles of Wi-Fi access points stored in the reference database, and providing the computed current location to the application or service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the target area has a radius of one or more miles.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the central network server is configured to build the records by calculation of a location of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the target area based on the determined characteristics of the signals.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the calculation utilizes a reverse triangulation algorithm.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the characteristics of the signals include signal strength, and the reverse triangulation algorithm weights stronger signals more than weaker signals.

12. A method comprising:

determining characteristics of signals of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points within a target area at least in part by observing signals during a traversal of a programmatic route through the target area by a scanning device mounted in a scanning vehicle, the traversal of a programmatic route comprising traversal of a number of drivable streets within the target area;

calculating a power profile of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the target area based on the characteristics of the signals from the Wi-Fi access point;

storing the power profile for each of the Wi-Fi access points in records of a reference database;

maintaining the reference database on a non-transitory computer readable medium;

receiving a request from an application or service executing on a mobile device for a current location of the mobile device;

obtaining, by positioning software, characteristics of signals of one or more Wi-Fi access points observed by the mobile device from the current location; and

computing, by the positioning software, the current location of the mobile device using at least the characteristics of signals observed by the mobile device and the power profiles of Wi-Fi access points stored in the reference database, and providing the computed current location to the application or service.

13. A system comprising:

a central network server configured to build records descriptive of Wi-Fi access points in a target area based on signals received from Wi-Fi access points during a traversal of a programmatic route through the target area by a scanning device;

a reference database configured to maintain the records; and

positioning software that when executed on a mobile device is operable to

receive a request from an application or service executing on the mobile device for a current location of the mobile device,

obtain characteristics of signals of one or more Wi-Fi access points observed by the mobile device from the current location,

compute the current location of the mobile device using at least the characteristics of the signals observed by the mobile device and the location of Wi-Fi access points stored in the reference database, and

provide the computed current location to the application or service.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the target area has a radius of one or more miles.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the scanning device is mounted in a scanning vehicle, and the traversal of a programmatic route comprises traversal of a number of drivable streets within the target area.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the number of drivable streets is substantially all drivable streets.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the central network server is further configured to filter the records to identify erroneous records, by clustering of records for a given Wi-Fi access point, calculating a weighted centroid for the given Wi-Fi access point, and designating records for the given Wi-Fi access point whose distance from the weighted centroid exceeds a threshold as being erroneous records.