Techniques to collaborate wireless terminal position location information from multiple wireless networks

• US 20070217374A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Waxman, Shay
• Application Number:
  US11/377,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20070217374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep 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

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless terminal operable in a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), wherein the wireless terminal is capable of collaborating terminal position information in the WMAN and terminal position information in the WLAN to determine the position of the wireless terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless terminal operable in a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), wherein said wireless terminal is capable of collaborating terminal position information in said WMAN and terminal position information in said WLAN to determine the position of said wireless terminal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by said wireless terminal storing the coordinates of an access point (A) in said WLAN associated with said wireless terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by said wireless terminal determining an access point (AP) in said WLAN with the highest received signal strength indication (RSSI).

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by said wireless terminal communicating with a plurality of APs in said WLAN and calculating said wireless terminal'"'"'s position information based upon information derived from said plurality of APs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by a WLAN AP broadcasting its position using a beacon packet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein during WLAN operation said WLAN terminal position information is stored in said wireless terminal and during WMAN operation the location is reported by said wireless terminal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said wireless terminal position information within said WMAN is determined by a global positioning system position associated with said WMAN.

8. A method, comprising:

operating a wireless terminal in a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) and collaborating terminal position information in said WMAN and terminal position information in said WLAN to determine the position of said wireless terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by said wireless terminal storing the coordinates of an access point (A) in said WLAN associated with said wireless terminal.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by said wireless terminal determining an access point (AP) in said WLAN with the highest received signal strength indication (RSSI).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by said wireless terminal communicating with a plurality of APs in said WLAN and calculating said wireless terminal'"'"'s position information based upon information derived from said plurality of APs.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by a WLAN AP broadcasting its position using a beacon packet.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing in said wireless terminal during WLAN operation said WLAN terminal position information and during WMAN operation said location is reported by said wireless terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information within said WMAN by a global positioning system position associated with said WMAN.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 14, further comprising said instructions causing said machine to perform operations further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by said wireless terminal determining an access point (AP) in said WLAN with the highest received signal strength indication (RSSI).

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, further comprising said instructions causing said machine to perform operations further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by said wireless terminal communicating with a plurality of APs in said WLAN and calculating said wireless terminal'"'"'s position information based upon information derived from said plurality of APs.

15. A machine-accessible medium that provides instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

controlling the operations of a wireless terminal in a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) and collaborating terminal position information in said WMAN and terminal position information in said WLAN to determine the position of said wireless terminal.

16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, further comprising said instructions causing said machine to perform operations further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by said wireless terminal storing the coordinates of an access point (A) in said WLAN associated with said wireless terminal.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, further comprising said instructions causing said machine to perform operations further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN by a WLAN AP broadcasting its position using a beacon packet.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, further comprising said instructions causing said machine to perform operations further comprising storing in said wireless terminal during WLAN operation said WLAN terminal position information and during WMAN operation said location is reported by said wireless terminal.

21. The machine-accessible medium of claim 20, further comprising said instructions causing said machine to perform operations further comprising determining said wireless terminal position information within said WMAN by a global positioning system position associated with said WMAN.

22. A system, comprising:

a wireless terminal;

at least one access point (AP) in a wireless local area network capable of communication with said wireless terminal and providing wireless terminal position information;

a base station in a wireless metropolitan area network capable of communicating with said wireless terminal and providing wireless terminal position information;

wherein said wireless terminal is capable of collaborating wireless terminal position information in said WMAN and wireless terminal position information in said WLAN to determine the position of said wireless terminal.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by said wireless terminal storing the coordinates of said at least one access point (A) in said WLAN.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by said wireless terminal determining an access point (AP) in said WLAN with the highest received signal strength indication (RSSI).

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by said wireless terminal communicating with a plurality of APs in said WLAN and calculating said wireless terminal'"'"'s position information based upon information derived from said plurality of APs.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein said wireless terminal position information in said WLAN is determined by said at least one AP broadcasting its position using a beacon packet.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein said wireless terminal position information within said WMAN is determined by a global positioning system position associated with said WMAN.