OBFUSCATING THE LOCATIONS OF ACCESS POINTS AND FEMTOCELLS

• US 20140331329A1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: EDGE, Stephen William, ALDANA, Carlos Horacio
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are presented for obfuscating the locations of terrestrial wireless transceivers, including wireless access points and femtocells. According to some embodiments, a method may receive, by a mobile device, data for a terrestrial wireless transceiver, wherein the data includes location coordinates of the terrestrial wireless transceiver, and wherein the location coordinates include an error term. Additionally, the method may include determining the error term based on the data. Furthermore, the method may include determining a corrected location of the terrestrial wireless transceiver by removing the error term from the location coordinates. In some instances, the data can further include a unique identifier associated with the terrestrial wireless transceiver, and wherein the error term is further determined based on the unique identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, data for a terrestrial transceiver, wherein the data includes location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the location coordinates include an error term;

determining the error term based on the data; and

determining a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on removing the error term from the location coordinates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes a unique identifier associated with the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the error term is further determined based on the unique identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier comprises a MAC address, and wherein determining the error term further comprises:

determining one or more binary values using the MAC address; and

multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cell ID, and wherein determining the error term further comprises:

determining one or more binary values using the cell ID; and

multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the error term is determined based on transforming bits in the location coordinates, based on a known ciphering key or known transformation method.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes a second location associated with a second terrestrial transceiver, and wherein determining the error term further comprises:

determining, by the mobile device, a mapping table, wherein the mapping table includes association information about the terrestrial transceiver and the second terrestrial transceiver; and

calculating the error term based on the mapping table and the second location,

wherein the corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver comprises the second location based on the mapping table.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the error term further comprises:

receiving information from a location server associated with the mobile device and a first server;

determining the error term based on the received information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the error term further comprises:

receiving broadcast information from the terrestrial transceiver; and

determining the error term based on the broadcast information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes a serving network ID or a provider ID, and wherein the determining the error term is further based on the serving network ID or the provider ID.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the error term further comprises:

storing, by the mobile device, a known ciphering key; and

altering bits associated with the received data, wherein the altering is based on the known ciphering key.

11. A mobile device comprising:

memory;

a transceiver configured to receive data for a terrestrial transceiver, wherein the data includes location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the location coordinates include an error term; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine the error term based on the data; and

determine a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on removing the error term from the location coordinates.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the data further includes a unique identifier associated with the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the error term is further determined based on the unique identifier.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the unique identifier is a MAC address, and wherein the one or more processors further configured to:

determine one or more binary values using the MAC address; and

multiply the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cell ID, and wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

determine one or more binary values using the cell ID; and

multiply the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the error term is determined by transforming bits in the location coordinates, based on a known ciphering key or known transformation method.

16. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the data further includes a second location associated with a second terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

determine a mapping table, wherein the mapping table includes association information about the terrestrial transceiver and the second terrestrial transceiver; and

calculate the error term based on the mapping table and the second location,

wherein the corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver comprises the second location based on the mapping table.

17. The mobile device of claim 11, the one or more processors further configured to:

receive information from a location server associated with the mobile device and a first server;

determine the error term based on the received information.

18. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the transceiver further configured to receive broadcast information from the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

determine the error term based on the broadcast information.

19. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the data further includes a serving network ID or a provider ID, and wherein the determining the error term is further based on the serving network ID or the provider ID.

20. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the memory is configured to store a known ciphering key, and wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

alter bits associated with the received data, wherein the altering is based on the known ciphering key.

21. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computing devices included in a mobile device to:

receive data for a terrestrial transceiver, wherein the data includes location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the location coordinates include an error term;

determine the error term based on the data; and

determine a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on removing the error term from the location coordinates.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data for a terrestrial transceiver, wherein the data includes location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the location coordinates include an error term;

means for determining the error term based on the data; and

means for determining a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on means for removing the error term from the location coordinates.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the data further includes a unique identifier associated with the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the error term is further determined based on the unique identifier.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the unique identifier comprises a MAC address, and wherein the means for determining the error term further comprises:

means for determining one or more binary values using the MAC address; and

means for multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cell ID, and wherein the means for determining the error term further comprises:

means for determining one or more binary values using the cell ID; and

means for multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the error term is determined based on transforming bits in the location coordinates, based on a known ciphering key or known transformation method.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the data further includes a second location associated with a second terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the means for determining the error term further comprises:

means for determining, by the mobile device, a mapping table, wherein the mapping table includes association information about the terrestrial transceiver and the second terrestrial transceiver; and

means for calculating the error term based on the mapping table and the second location,

wherein the corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver comprises the second location based on the mapping table.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the error term further comprises:

means for receiving information from a location server associated with the mobile device and a first server;

means for determining the error term based on the received information.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the error term further comprises:

means for receiving broadcast information from the terrestrial transceiver; and

means for determining the error term based on the broadcast information.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the data further includes a serving network ID or a provider ID, and wherein the determining the error term is further based on the serving network ID or the provider ID.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the error term further comprises:

means for storing a known ciphering key; and

means for altering bits associated with the received data, wherein the altering is based on the known ciphering key.

32. A method comprising:

receiving a request for location coordinates of a terrestrial transceiver;

providing, to a mobile device, the location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, wherein the location coordinates include an error term; and

providing, to the mobile device, correction data, wherein the correction data is configured to generate a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on removing the error term from the location coordinates.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the error term is generated based on a unique identifier associated with the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the correction data further includes the unique identifier.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the unique identifier comprises a MAC address, and wherein the error term is generated based further on:

generating one or more binary values using the MAC address; and

multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cell ID, and wherein the error term is generated based further on:

generating one or more binary values using the cell ID; and

multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the error term is generated based on transforming bits in the location coordinates, based on a known ciphering key.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the error term is generated based on:

broadcast information transmitted from the terrestrial transceiver; and

generating the error term based on the broadcast information.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the correction data further includes a serving network ID or a provider ID, and wherein the error term is generated based further on the serving network ID or the provider ID.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the correction data further comprises a known ciphering key;

and

the error term is generated based further on altering bits based on the known ciphering key.

40. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

receive a request for location coordinates of a terrestrial transceiver;

provide, to a mobile device, the location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, wherein the location coordinates include an error term; and

provide, to the mobile device, correction data, wherein the correction data is configured to generate a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on removing the error term from the location coordinates.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the error term is generated based on a unique identifier associated with the terrestrial transceiver, and wherein the correction data further includes the unique identifier.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the unique identifier comprises a MAC address, and wherein the error term is generated based further on:

generating one or more binary values using the MAC address; and

multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cell ID, and wherein the error term is generated based further on:

generating one or more binary values using the cell ID; and

multiplying the one or more binary values by a known scaling factor to calculate the error term.

44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the error term is generated based on transforming bits in the location coordinates, based on a known ciphering key.

45. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the error term is generated based on:

broadcast information transmitted from the terrestrial transceiver; and

generating the error term based on the broadcast information.

46. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the correction data further includes a serving network ID or a provider ID, and wherein the error term is generated based further on the serving network ID or the provider ID.

47. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the correction data further comprises a known ciphering key;

and

the error term is generated based further on altering bits based on the known ciphering key.

48. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for location coordinates of a terrestrial transceiver;

means for providing, to a mobile device, the location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, wherein the location coordinates include an error term; and

means for providing, to the mobile device, correction data, wherein the correction data is configured to generate a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on removing the error term from the location coordinates.

49. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computing devices to:

receive a request for location coordinates of a terrestrial transceiver;

provide, to a mobile device, the location coordinates of the terrestrial transceiver, wherein the location coordinates include an error term; and

provide, to the mobile device, correction data, wherein the correction data is configured to generate a corrected location of the terrestrial transceiver based on removing the error term from the location coordinates.