System, method, and apparatus for setting device geolocation via location proxies

• US 9,930,670 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chengdu Sk Spruce Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Network Performance Research Group LLC
• Inventors: Yi, Seung Baek, Ngo, Terry, Tsai, Kun Ting
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US15/588,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/18 for wireless local area networks or WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/00 Jamming of communication; Counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/822 by detecting the presence of a surveillance, interception or detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 48/12 using downlink control channel
• 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 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to wireless networks and more specifically directed to device location confirmation based on a geolocation proxy. One embodiment includes an exemplary device location confirmation component configured to implement a device location confirmation algorithm using a cloud database configured to comprise device information including location information from the geolocation proxy. Another embodiment includes a device configured to operate in a reduced functionality radio frequency mode until a location can be confirmed through a trusted cloud service.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a device location confirmation component, associated with a first processor, configured to implement a device location confirmation algorithm using a cloud database configured to comprise device information comprising a device identifier, information associated with a device wireless fidelity (WiFi) network scan, information associated with a global positioning system (GPS), information associated with device proximity to a configuring device, a device location record, and information associated with a communications channel having a restriction based at least in part on location;

a device, comprising a second processor, configured to communicate securely with the device location confirmation component to facilitate location confirmation for the device based at least in part on the device information; and

a second device adapted as the configuring device, comprising a third processor, communicatively coupled to, and authorized to configure the device, wherein the second device is in close proximity to the device, and wherein the second device is configured to transmit the device location record to the device location confirmation component on behalf of the device, based at least in part on the second device being in close proximity to the device and being authorized to configure the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is further configured to operate in a reduced functionality mode until a device location can be confirmed by the device location confirmation component, and wherein the device is further configured to communicate in at least one of a television white space radio channel or a 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) radio channel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device location confirmation component is further configured to periodically confirm the device location, based at least in part on at least one of an event, an elapsed time, a difference between an initial device parameter and a subsequent version of the initial device parameter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the device location record is based on at least one of the information associated with the GPS or location information associated with a cellular network communicatively coupled to the second device.

5. A method comprising:

operating a first device, comprising a processor, in a reduced functionality radio frequency mode until a location can be confirmed for the first device;

communicating device information associated with the first device;

receiving, at a second device comprising another processor, the device information associated with the first device comprising at least one of a device identifier, information associated with a device wireless fidelity (WiFi) network scan, information associated with a global positioning system (GPS), information associated with device proximity to a configuring device, or a device location record;

confirming with a device location confirmation component of the second device the location associated with the first device;

communicating information associated with a communications channel having a restriction based at least in part on location to the first device that facilitates operating the first device consistent with the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location and the location for the first device;

receiving at the first device the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location; and

operating the first device on the communications channel in a regulatory mode consistent with the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location and the location for the first device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the confirming comprises confirming with the device location confirmation component the location for the first device based at least in part on a plurality of the at least one of the device identifier, the information associated with the device WiFi network scan, the information associated with the GPS, the information associated with the device proximity to the configuring device, or the device location record.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the confirming comprises periodically confirming the location associated with the first device based at least in part on at least one of an event, an elapsed time, a difference between an initial device parameter and a subsequent version of the initial device parameter associated with the first device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the operating the first device on the communications channel comprises communicating in at least one of a television white space radio channel or a 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) radio channel.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting at least one of the location associated with the first device or the information associated with the device proximity to the configuring device to another device and confirming location of the another device to facilitate operation of the another device consistent with the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location.

10. A system comprising:

a cloud service device comprising at least one processor configured to execute computer executable components of the cloud service device;

a memory to store data and the computer executable components; and

a computer executable device location confirmation component configured to implement a device location confirmation algorithm configured to employ a database configured to comprise device information comprising a device identifier, information associated with a device wireless fidelity (WiFi) network scan, information associated with a global positioning system (GPS), information associated with device proximity to a configuring device, a device location record, and information associated with a communications channel having a restriction based at least in part on location, wherein the device location confirmation component is further configured to confirm a location for a device based at least in part on the device information, wherein the device is configured to operate in a reduced functionality mode until the location for the device can be confirmed by the device location confirmation component, and wherein the device is further configured to communicate in at least one of a television white space radio channel or a 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) radio channel.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the device WiFi network scan comprises information regarding a plurality of neighbor devices resulting from a WiFi network scan by the device comprising at least a plurality of device proximity information, unique device identifier information, Internet protocol (IP) address information, location information, channel signal strength information, or information associated with at least one of a television white space radio channel or a 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) radio channel.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

the database.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the device location confirmation component is further configured to periodically confirm the location for the device based at least in part on at least one of an event, an elapsed time, a difference between an initial device parameter and a subsequent version of the initial device parameter associated with the device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the cloud service device is further configured to transmit a notification to at least one of the device or the configuring device based at least in part on an outcome of the periodically confirming the location for the device, wherein the configuring device comprises an associated device in close proximity to the device, and wherein the associated device is authorized to transmit or receive at least a subset of the device information to or from the cloud service device on behalf of the device.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a device assisted positioning component configured to receive the at least a subset of the device information comprising at least one of the information associated with the GPS or location information associated with a cellular network communicatively coupled to the associated device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the cloud service device is further configured to communicate the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location to the device that facilitates operating the device in a regulatory mode consistent with the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location and the location for the device.

17. A device comprising:

a radio configurable to operate in a reduced functionality radio frequency mode until a location can be confirmed for the device, wherein the radio is further configurable to communicate on a communications channel having a restriction based at least in part on location; and

a control agent configured to communicate device information associated with the device to a device location confirmation component associated with a processor and configured to implement a device location confirmation algorithm, wherein the control agent is further configured to receive information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location to facilitate operating the device consistent with the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location and the location for the device, and wherein the control agent is further configured to receive information regarding at least one of a data channel or a control channel associated with at least one of a television white space radio channel or a 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) radio channel.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is further configured to receive a notification from the device location confirmation component based at least in part on an outcome of the device location confirmation algorithm, wherein the outcome is based at least in part on at least one of an event, an elapsed time, a difference between an initial device parameter and a subsequent version of the initial device parameter associated with the device, and wherein the device is further configured to resume or cease operation on the communications channel in the regulatory mode consistent with the information associated with the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location and the location for the device based at least in part on a status of a required response to the notification as determined by the device location confirmation component.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the control agent is further configured to transmit the device information associated with the device comprising at least one of a device identifier, information associated with a device wireless fidelity (WiFi) network scan, information associated with a global positioning system (GPS), information associated with device proximity to the configuring device, or a device location record.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

a location onboarding component configured to authorize an associated device as the configuring device, wherein the associated device is in close proximity to the device, and wherein the associated device is authorized to transmit or receive at least a subset of the device information to or from the device location confirmation component on behalf of the device, based at least in part on the associated device being in close proximity to the device and being authorized to configure the device.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the at least the subset of the device information is based on at least one of information associated with the GPS or location information associated with a cellular network communicatively coupled to the associated device.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the control agent is further configured to utilize a second device adapted as a configuring device, comprising another processor, communicatively coupled to, and authorized to configure the device, wherein the second device is in close proximity to the device, and wherein the second device is configured to transmit the device location record to the device location confirmation component on behalf of the device, based at least in part on the second device being in close proximity to the device and being authorized to configure the device.

23. The device claim 22, wherein the control agent is further configured to transmit an update to the information associated with the device WiFi network scan comprising information regarding a plurality of neighbor devices resulting from a WiFi network scan by the device as the required response for resuming operation of the device on the communications channel having the restriction based at least in part on location and the location for the device.