Sharing timed fingerprint location information

• US 10,206,113 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tipton, Rick, Austin, Mark, Meredith, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US15/603,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Sharing timed fingerprint location information is disclosed. In an aspect, timed fingerprint location information can be associated with a location of a user equipment. This timed fingerprint location information can be shared with other devices. As such, with proper analysis, these other devices can employ the shared timed fingerprint location information to determine their location. In an aspect, the other devices can determine that they are located at the same location as the user equipment. However, a level of error can be inherent in the location determined from shared timed fingerprint location information. In some embodiments, this error can be compensated for.

Claims

1. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving timed fingerprint location information comprising a first differential time value for a first base station pair and a second differential time value for a second base station pair, to enable determining a location of the user equipment via a comparison of the first differential time value to a first index time value and the second differential time value to a second index time value, wherein the first index time value and the second index time value have been correlated to geographic location information prior to the timed fingerprint location information being received by the user equipment; and

in response to determining an access value relating to allowing access to the timed fingerprint location information by a target device via an intermediary device, enabling access to the first and second differential time values of the timed fingerprint location information to facilitate determination of a second location by the target device based on the first differential time value, the second differential time value, and index time values comprising the first index time value and the second index time value.

2. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the determining the access value is based on determining a type of the target device.

3. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the determining the access value is based on determining a type of the intermediary device.

4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the determining the access value is based on determining a proximity of the intermediary device to the user equipment.

5. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the determining the proximity is based on a level of error related to a communication technology employed between the intermediary device and the user equipment.

6. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the determining the access value is based on determining a proximity of the target device to the user equipment.

7. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the determining the access value is based on determining a proximity of the target device to the intermediary device.

8. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the allowing the access to the timed fingerprint location information via the intermediary device, facilitates determination of a third location by the intermediary device based on the first differential time value, the second differential time value, and the index time values.

9. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

in response to receiving a first request for timed fingerprint location information from a target device, generating a second request for the timed fingerprint location information from a source device, wherein the second request comprises access information; and

in response to receiving the timed fingerprint location information as a result of the second request, enabling access to a first differential time value and a second differential time value to facilitate determining a first location affiliated with the target device via a comparison of the first and second differential time values to indexed time values, wherein the indexed time values have been correlated to geographic location information prior to the timed fingerprint location information being received by the device, wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises the first differential time value for a first base station pair and the second differential time value for a second base station pair, and wherein the timed fingerprint location information facilitates determining a location of the source device via a comparison of the first differential time value and the second differential time value to the indexed time values.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the enabling the access is based on a type of the target device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the enabling the access is based on a type of the device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the enabling the access is based on a proximity of the device to the source device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the proximity is based on a level of error related to a communication technology employed between the device and the source device.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the enabling the access is based on a proximity of the target device to the source device.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the enabling the access is based on a proximity of the target device to the device.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the enabling the access to the first differential time value and the second differential time value via the device, facilitates determining a third location affiliated with the device based on the first differential time value, the second differential time value, and the index time values.

17. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

generating a request for timed fingerprint location information, wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises a first differential time value for a first base station pair and a second differential time value for a second base station pair, and wherein the timed fingerprint location information facilitates determining a first location of a source device via a comparison of the first differential time value and the second differential time value to indexed time values that have been correlated to geographic location information prior to the timed fingerprint location information being requested by the device; and

in response to receiving the timed fingerprint location information from the source device via an intermediary device, determining a second location affiliated with the device via a comparison of the first and second differential time values to the indexed time values.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the receiving the timed fingerprint location information is based on a distance between the device and the source device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein distance is determined based on a type of a communication technology employed for communication between the device and the source device.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise determining a third location affiliated with a second device based on the first differential time value, the second differential time value, and the index time values.