LOCATION SERVICE FOR WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20110136501A1
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Britt, Joe Freeman JR., Calamera, Pablo
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A location service for wireless devices is described. In embodiments, a connection identifier is received that indicates a wireless device is linked to a communication node for wireless communication. Additional wireless devices are also linked to the communication node for wireless communication, and the additional wireless devices can each identify its geographic location. Location data is received from the additional wireless devices, where the location data indicates the respective geographic locations of the additional wireless devices. A location of the communication node can be determined from the location data that is received from the additional wireless devices, and a current location can then be assigned to the wireless device based on the determined location of the communication node.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a connection identifier that indicates a wireless device is linked to a communication node for wireless communication;

determining that one or more additional wireless devices are also linked to the communication node for wireless communication, the one or more additional wireless devices each configured to identify its geographic location;

receiving location data from one or more of the additional wireless devices, the location data indicating the geographic location of an additional wireless device;

determining a location of the communication node from the location data that is received from the one or more additional wireless devices; and

assigning a current location to the wireless device based on the determined location of the communication node.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising requesting the location data from the one or more additional wireless devices.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising extrapolating from the location data that is received from the one or more additional wireless devices to determine the location of the communication node.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current location of the wireless device is an estimated location based on signal strengths between the wireless device and one or more communication nodes.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining device location data that includes the geographic location of each of the one or more additional wireless devices and includes the current location that is assigned to the wireless device; and

maintaining node location data that includes node geographic locations of one or more communication nodes of a wireless communication service.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more additional wireless devices are each configured with GPS (Global Positioning System), and the location data that is received from one or more of the additional wireless devices includes GPS coordinates that indicate the geographic location of each of the additional wireless devices.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the wireless device does not communicate a GPS signal, and wherein the current location that is assigned to the wireless device is estimated.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current location of the wireless device is estimated based on an approximation of the determined location of the communication node.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication node is a cellular tower, the connection identifier is a Local Area Coverage (LAC) identifier that identifies the cellular tower, and the one or more additional wireless devices are determined to be linked to the cellular tower for the wireless communication based on the LAC identifier.

10. A system, comprising:

at least a memory and a processor that implement a location service for wireless devices, the location service configured to;

receive a connection identifier that indicates a wireless device is linked to a communication node for wireless communication;

determine that one or more additional wireless devices are also linked to the communication node for wireless communication, the one or more additional wireless devices each configured to identify its geographic location;

receive location data that indicates the respective geographic locations of the one or more additional wireless devices;

determine a location of the communication node from the location data that is received from the one or more additional wireless devices; and

assign a current location to the wireless device based on the determined location of the communication node.

11. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the location service is further configured to initiate a request for the location data from the one or more additional wireless devices.

12. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the location service is further configured to:

determine an estimated distance between the wireless device and the communication node based on signal strengths between the wireless device and one or more communication nodes; and

assign the current location to the wireless device based on the estimated distance.

13. A system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a database configured to:

maintain device location data that includes the geographic location of each of the one or more additional wireless devices and includes the current location that is assigned to the wireless device; and

maintain node location data that includes node geographic locations of one or more communication nodes of a wireless communication service.

14. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more additional wireless devices are each configured with GPS (Global Positioning System), and the location data that is received from one or more of the additional wireless devices includes GPS coordinates that indicate the geographic location of each of the additional wireless devices.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the wireless device does not communicate a GPS signal, and wherein the current location that is assigned to the wireless device is estimated.

16. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the location service is further configured to estimate the current location of the wireless device based on an approximation of the determined location of the communication node.

17. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the communication node is a cellular tower, the connection identifier is a Local Area Coverage (LAC) identifier that identifies the cellular tower, and the location service is further configured to determine that the one or more additional wireless devices are linked to the cellular tower for the wireless communication based on the LAC identifier.

18. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving location data from wireless devices that are linked to a communication node of a wireless communication service for wireless communication, the location data received from a wireless device indicating a geographic location of the wireless device;

determining a subset of the wireless devices that are proximate the communication node based on the wireless devices that are in proximity to each other as determined from the geographic locations of the wireless devices; and

determining a geographic location of the communication node from the location data that is received from the subset of the wireless devices.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising estimating a perimeter around the communication node to determine the subset of the wireless devices that are proximate the communication node.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising estimating a current location of an additional wireless device that is linked to the communication node for the wireless communication, the current location of the additional wireless device based on the determined location of the communication node.