Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Storage Devices for Generating and Using a Radio-Frequency Map of an Area

• US 20150163634A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon Kent, Fix, Jeremy, Kosseifi, Mario
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method comprising obtaining, by a system using a processor, a wireless fingerprint corresponding to a mobile communication device and a subject area in which the mobile communication device is or was positioned. The method also includes obtaining, by the system, an area wireless signal distribution map indicating wireless signal strength values corresponding to multiple wireless transmitters positioned in the subject area, and determining, by the system, based on the wireless fingerprint and the area wireless signal distribution map, a location of the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a system using a processor, a wireless fingerprint corresponding to a mobile communication device and a subject area in which the mobile communication device is or was positioned;

obtaining, by the system, an area wireless signal distribution map indicating wireless signal strength values corresponding to multiple wireless transmitters positioned in the subject area; and

determining, by the system, based on the wireless fingerprint and the area wireless signal distribution map, a location of the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the area wireless signal distribution map based on wireless signal strength data received from numerous wireless devices moving or having moved in the subject area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless fingerprint comprises multiple components of wireless signal strength data in association with identification of at least two of the wireless transmitters positioned in the subject area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the wireless fingerprint includes receiving, from the mobile device, a message comprising the wireless fingerprint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the area wireless signal distribution map comprises retrieving the area wireless signal distribution map from a memory of a server being remote to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile communication device comprises determining a geographic location of the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the mobile communication device is provided in terms of distance from or coordinates with respect to at least one reference point of the subject area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the mobile communication device is provided in terms of distance from or coordinates with respect to at least one of the wireless transmitters in the subject area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is unable to receive satellite positioning signals while the mobile communication device is positioned in the subject area.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

obtaining a wireless fingerprint corresponding to a mobile communication device and a subject area in which the mobile communication device is or was positioned;

obtaining an area wireless signal distribution map indicating wireless signal strength values corresponding to multiple wireless transmitters positioned in the subject area; and

determining, based on the wireless fingerprint and the area wireless signal distribution map, a location of the mobile communication device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise generating the area wireless signal distribution map based on wireless signal strength data received from numerous wireless devices moving or having moved in the subject area.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operation of obtaining the wireless fingerprint comprises receiving, from the mobile device, a message comprising the wireless fingerprint.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the system comprises a server being remote to the mobile device;

the area wireless signal distribution map is stored at the computer-readable medium; and

the operation of obtaining the area wireless signal distribution map comprises retrieving the area wireless signal distribution map from the computer-readable medium.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operation of obtaining the area wireless signal distribution map comprises retrieving the area wireless signal distribution map from a memory of a server being remote to the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the location of the mobile communication device comprises determining a geographic location of the mobile communication device.

16. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a wireless fingerprint corresponding to a mobile communication device and a subject area in which the mobile communication device is or was positioned;

obtaining an area wireless signal distribution map indicating wireless signal strength values corresponding to multiple wireless transmitters positioned in the subject area; and

determining, based on the wireless fingerprint and the area wireless signal distribution map, a location of the mobile communication device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise generating the area wireless signal distribution map based on wireless signal strength data received from numerous wireless devices moving or having moved in the subject area.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein determining the location of the mobile communication device comprises determining a geographic location of the mobile communication device.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the area wireless signal distribution map is stored at the computer-readable storage device and the operation of obtaining the area wireless signal distribution map comprises retrieving the area wireless signal distribution map from the computer-readable storage device.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operation of obtaining the area wireless signal distribution map comprises retrieving the area wireless signal distribution map from a memory of a server being remote to the mobile device.