CACHE-BASED LOCATION DETERMINATION

• US 20130063309A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Natucci, Dino, Inderhees, Mark, Dufalo, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,535,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks

Abstract

Embodiments related to determining a current geographic location of a computing device are provided. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method including compiling and storing on the computing device a list of positioning signals each associated with a geographic location, detecting one or more currently available positioning signals, comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the list of positioning signals, and if one or more currently available positioning signals matches one or more matching positioning signals stored in the list, then determining the current geographic location based upon the one or more matching stored positioning signals.

Claims

1. On a computing device, a method for determining a current geographic location of the computing device, the method comprising:

compiling and storing on the computing device a list of positioning signals each associated with a geographic location;

detecting one or more currently available positioning signals;

comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the list of positioning signals; and

if one or more currently available positioning signals matches one or more matching positioning signals stored in the list, then determining the current geographic location based upon the one or more matching stored positioning signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if no currently available positioning signals match a positioning signal stored in the list, sending a request to a remote service for location information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to receiving location information from the remote service, updating the list with any new positioning signals received from the remote service.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, if no location information is received from the remote service, storing the currently available positioning signals on the list as location unavailable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein compiling the list of positioning signals further comprises compiling a list of confirmed positioning signals, each confirmed positioning signal being received from a remote location information service.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising for any currently available positioning signals that do not match positioning signals stored on the list, inferring a location for those connections based upon an identification of known positioning signals detectable concurrently with the inferred positioning signal, and adding the inferred locations to the list as inferred signals.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the list of positioning signals further comprises:

if one or more currently available positioning signals matches a confirmed positioning signal stored in the list, then;

performing a validity check on each currently available positioning signal; and

if a currently available positioning signal does not pass the validity check, then determining the current location based only on currently available positioning signals that match a confirmed positioning signal stored in the list.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the one or more currently available positioning signals to the list of positioning signals further comprises:

if all the currently available positioning signals match only inferred positioning signals stored in the list, then

performing a validity check on the currently available positioning signals;

if the currently available positioning signals pass the validity check, determining the current geographic location based on currently available positioning signals that match a positioning signal stored in the list; and

if the currently available positioning signals do not pass the validity check, then sending a request to the remote service for location information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if one or more currently available positioning signals matches a positioning signal stored in the list, then determining the current geographic location based upon the one or more matching stored positioning signals and providing feedback to the remote service to improve location information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the current geographic location of the computing device only if authorized by a user, administrator, and/or manufacturer of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning signals comprise wireless internet connection access points.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning signals comprise one or more of cell phone communication towers, BLUETOOTH transmitters, radio frequency networks, and IP connection locations.

13. A computing device, comprising:

a logic subsystem; and

a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to;

compile a list of internet positioning signals, each positioning signal being associated with a geographic location;

detect one or more currently available wireless internet positioning signals;

compare the one or more currently available wireless internet positioning signals to the list of internet positioning signals;

if one or more currently available wireless internet positioning signals matches a matching internet positioning signal stored in the list, then determine a current geographic location based upon the matching internet positioning signal; and

if no currently available wireless positioning signals match an internet positioning signal stored in the list, then send a request to a remote service for location information, the request comprising the one or more available wireless internet positioning signals.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to:

prior to sending the request to the remote service, detect an IP address location if no currently available wireless internet positioning signals are detected;

compare the IP address location to the list of internet positioning signals;

if the IP address location matches a matching internet positioning signal stored in the list, then determine the current geographic location based upon the matching internet positioning signal; and

if the IP address location does not match an internet positioning signal stored in the list, then send the request to the remote service for location information.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to update the list with any new internet positioning signals received from the remote service in response to the request for location information.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to determine the current geographic location based upon the matching internet positioning signal stored in the list and to provide feedback to the remote service.

17. A computing device, comprising:

a logic subsystem; and

a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem, the instructions being executable to;

compile a list of internet positioning signals comprising confirmed internet positioning signals and inferred internet positioning signals, each internet positioning signal being associated with a geographic location, the confirmed internet positioning signals being received from a remote service and the inferred internet positioning signals being inferred from one or more nearby confirmed internet positioning signals;

detect one or more currently available wireless internet positioning signals;

compare the one or more currently available wireless internet positioning signals to the list of internet positioning signals;

if one or more currently available wireless internet positioning signals match one or more matching confirmed internet positioning signals stored in the list, then determine a current geographic location based upon the one or more matching confirmed positioning signals and infer locations for any non-matching currently available positioning signals;

if the currently available wireless internet positioning signals only match one or more inferred internet positioning signals stored in the list, determine the current geographic location based upon all matching stored positioning signals and not infer locations for any non-matching currently available internet locations; and

if no currently available wireless positioning signals match an internet positioning signal stored in the list, then send a request to a remote service for location information.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured to receive location information from the remote service and to update the list based on the location information from the remote service.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the location information received from the remote service comprises one or more lists of known internet connections within a geographic area that includes the current geographic location.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured to remove any positioning signals from the list that have been stored on the list for a predetermined amount of time.