SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVELOPING A WI-FI ACCESS POINT MAP USING SENSORS IN A WIRELESS MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110274000A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: King, Peter, Sun, Xiang
• Application Number:
  US12/776,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20110274000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless mobile device capable of developing a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point map. The mobile device comprises a Wi-Fi module and a processor. The Wi-Fi module is configured to communicate with a plurality of Wi-Fi access points and determine a signal strength from at least one of the Wi-Fi access points at each of a plurality of locations. The processor is configured to display a Wi-Fi access point map on a display of the mobile device, the map configured to associate the signal strength of the at least one Wi-Fi access point with each location, and direct a user of the mobile device to a location on the map, the location on the map having a stronger Wi-Fi signal that a current location of the mobile device.

Claims

1. For use in a wireless communication network, a wireless mobile device capable of developing a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point map, the mobile device comprising:

a Wi-Fi module configured to;

communicate with a plurality of Wi-Fi access points; and

determine a signal strength from at least one of the Wi-Fi access points at each of a plurality of locations; and

a processor configured to;

display a Wi-Fi access point map on a display of the mobile device, the map configured to associate the signal strength of the at least one Wi-Fi access point with each location; and

direct a user of the mobile device to a location on the map, the location on the map having a stronger Wi-Fi signal that a current location of the mobile device.

2. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate to an administrator the signal strength from the at least one access point at each location.

3. The wireless mobile device of claim 2, wherein the Wi-Fi module is further configured to receive the map from the administrator.

4. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to develop the map.

5. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, the wireless mobile device further comprising:

a compass; and

an accelerometer;

wherein the processor is further configured to determine the current location of the mobile device using data received from at least one of the compass and the accelerometer.

6. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the current location of the mobile device is determined with respect to a known point in a building.

7. The wireless mobile device of claim 6, the wireless mobile device further comprising a GPS receiver, wherein the known point in the building is determined using the GPS receiver.

8. For use in a wireless communication network, a method of using a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point map, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating with a plurality of Wi-Fi access points;

determining a signal strength from at least one of the Wi-Fi access points at each of a plurality of locations;

displaying a Wi-Fi access point map on a display of a wireless device, the map configured to associate the signal strength of the at least one WiFi access point with each location; and

directing a user of the device to a location on the map, the location on the map having a stronger Wi-Fi signal that a current location of the device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

communicating to an administrator the signal strength from the at least one access point at each location.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

receiving the map from the administrator.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

creating the map at a processor in the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

determining the current location of the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the current location of the wireless device comprises receiving data from at least one of a compass and an accelerometer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the current location is determined with respect to a known point in a building.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the known point in the building is determined using a GPS receiver.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein directing the user of the device comprises step-by-step directions for navigating a building.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step-by-step directions are spoken to the user.

18. A wireless communication network, the network comprising:

a plurality of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access points; and

an administrator configured for communication with the Wi-Fi access points and with a plurality of wireless mobile devices, the administrator configured to;

receive from each of the mobile devices data comprising a plurality of locations and a signal strength of at least one of the Wi-Fi access points at each of the locations;

develop a Wi-Fi access point map, the map configured to associate the signal strength of the Wi-Fi access points with each location; and

provide the Wi-Fi access point map to at least one of the mobile devices.

19. The network of claim 18, wherein the administrator is configured to collect the data from each of the mobile devices over a period of time as each mobile device moves among the plurality of locations.

20. The network as set forth in claim 18, wherein the administrator is configured to calculate a representative signal strength for a first location based on signal strength data for the first location from multiple mobile devices.