Method and system for locating a device using a local wireless link

• US 20020081970A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wingren, Gustav
• Granted Patent: US 6,735,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system and method for locating objects uses a wireless communication interface for performing searches for specified objects. Initially, a location request for a specified device is transmitted via a local wireless interface, such as a Bluetooth™ radio interface, by a request origination device. A separate device receives the location request, either directly or via one or more other devices that use the local wireless interface, and forwards the location request via the local wireless interface. When the separate device receives a response to the forwarded location request from the specified device, the separate device sends a message to the request origination device that includes information relating to a location of the specified device.

Claims

1. A system for locating objects using wireless communications, comprising:

a request origination device for transmitting a location request for a specified device, said location request transmitted via a first local wireless link;

a request forwarding device for receiving the location request and forwarding the location request via a second local wireless link, wherein the request forwarding device receives a response to the forwarded location request from the specified device, said request forwarding device operating to send a message to the request origination device, said message including information relating to a location of the specified device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first local wireless link and the second local wireless link comprise a Bluetooth radio interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first local wireless link and the second local wireless link comprise infrared light communication links.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the request origination device generates position data for the specified device based on the information relating to the location of the specified device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the position data identifies an area in the vicinity of the request forwarding device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the position data identifies a location on a map.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least one additional device for forwarding the location request and for receiving a response to the forwarded location request, said at least one additional device operating to send an additional message to the request origination device, the position data further based on information contained in the additional message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the request forwarding device receives the location request via at least one intermediate forwarding device, said at least one intermediate forwarding device for receiving the location request and forwarding the location request via at least one local wireless link.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the location request identifies the specified device using at least one of profile data and a device identifier.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the location of the specified device is based at least in part on a signal strength of the response from the specified device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the information relating to a location of the specified device comprises an identification of the request forwarding device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the search request identifies the specified device using at least one of a device identifier and a set of profile data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the local wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth radio interface.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the local wireless interface comprises an infrared communication interface.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of generating position data based on the information relating to the location of the specified device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information relating to the location of the specified device comprises at least one of an identification of a device that receives the response and a location of the device that receives the response.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the position data identifies an area.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the position data identifies at least one device that the specified device is located near.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the position data identifies a direction of the specified device from the first device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the position data identifies a location on a map.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the information relating to the location of the specified device is based on a signal strength associated with the received response.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the forwarded search request at a third device;

forwarding the received forwarded search request via the local wireless interface;

receiving the response to the forwarded search request at the third device; and

forwarding the received response to the second device.

24. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the search request transmitted by the first device at a third device;

forwarding the search request from the third device via the local wireless interface;

receiving, from the specified device, a separate response to the forwarded search request from the third device;

generating additional information relating to the location of the specified device based on the received separate response; and

sending said additional information to the first device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of generating position data using the information generated based on the received response and using the additional information generated based on the received separate response.

12. A method for locating objects using wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a search request for a specified device via a local wireless interface, said search request transmitted by a first device;

receiving the search request at a second device;

forwarding the search request via the local wireless interface;

receiving a response to the forwarded search request from the specified device;

generating information relating to a location of the specified device based on the received response; and

sending said information to the first device.

26. A method for searching for objects using a wireless communications interface, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a search request for a specified device via a local wireless interface, said search request transmitted by a first device;

receiving the search request at a second device;

forwarding the search request to a new separate device via the local wireless interface;

determining whether the separate device comprises the specified device;

notifying the first device if the separate device comprises the specified device;

notifying the first device that the search failed if the separate device does not comprise the specified device and if the search request has been forwarded at least a predetermined number of times; and

otherwise, repeating the steps of forwarding the search request and determining whether the new separate device comprises the specified device until one of the specified device is located and the search request has been forwarded at least said predetermined number of times.

27. A method for locating objects using wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a search request for a specified device via a Bluetooth radio interface;

receiving a response to the search request from the specified device, wherein said response is sent via the Bluetooth radio interface; and

generating information relating to a location of the specified device based on the received response.