METHOD OF LOCATING A MOBILE DEVICE AND MOBILE DEVICE UTILIZING THE SAME

• US 20160007146A1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Intelligence Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Athentek Incorporated
• Inventors: CHEN, Chun-Nan
• Granted Patent: US 9,414,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of locating a mobile device and the mobile device utilizing the same are provided. The method, adopted by a mobile device, includes: scanning for a first signal of a first signal source in a vicinity of a first location to obtain first signal source information; receiving a logging request to log the first location; and upon receiving the logging request, recording a first location identifier and the first signal source information in a location log, wherein the first location identifier represents the first location.

Claims

1. A method, adopted by a mobile device, comprising:

scanning for a first radio frequency (RF) signal of a first signal source in a vicinity of a first location to obtain first signal source information;

receiving a logging request to log the first location; and

upon receiving the logging request, recording a first location identifier and the first signal source information in a location log, wherein the first location identifier represents the first location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scanning for a second signal of a second signal source in a vicinity of the first location to obtain second signal source information;

comparing the second signal source information with the first signal source information in the location log; and

determining the first location identifier as a current location of the mobile device when the second signal source information match with the first signal source information in the location log.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining the first location as the current location of the mobile device when the second signal source information is partially matched with the first signal source information in the location log.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining the first location as the current location of the mobile device when the second signal source information is fully matched with the first signal source information in the location log.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal source comprises a wireless access point;

and

the first signal source information comprises an identifier, a media access control (MAC) address, and a signal strength of the wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal source comprises a Bluetooth device;

the first signal source information comprises a Bluetooth identifier, a Bluetooth address, and a signal strength of the Bluetooth device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal source comprises a small cell;

the first signal source information comprises a cell identifier and a signal strength of the small cell.

8. A mobile device, comprising:

a scanning circuit, configured to scan for a first RF signal of a first signal source in a vicinity of a first location to obtain first signal source information;

a logging circuit, configured to receive a logging request to log the first location, and upon receiving the logging request, record a first location identifier and the first signal source information in a location log, wherein the first location identifier represents the first location; and

a memory, configured to store the location log.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the scanning circuit is further configured to scan for a second signal of a second signal source in a vicinity of the first location to obtain second signal source information;

and

the mobile device further comprises a location identification circuit, configured to compare the second signal source information with the first signal source information in the location log; and

determine the first location identifier as a current location of the mobile device when the second signal source information match with the first signal source information in the location log.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the location identification circuit is configured to determine the first location as the current location of the mobile device when the second signal source information is partially matched with the first signal source information in the location log.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the location identification circuit is configured to determine the first location as the current location of the mobile device when the second signal source information is fully matched with the first signal source information in the location log.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the first signal source comprises a wireless access point;

the first signal source information comprises an identifier, a media access control (MAC) address, and a signal strength of the wireless access point.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the first signal source comprises a Bluetooth device;

the first signal source information comprises a Bluetooth identifier, a Bluetooth address, and a signal strength of the Bluetooth device.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the first signal source comprises a small cell;

the first signal source information comprises a cell identifier and a signal strength of the small cell.