DISTRIBUTION AND UTILIZATION OF ANTENNA INFORMATION FOR LOCATION DETERMINATION OPERATIONS

• US 20160255463A1
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: DAS, Saumitra Mohan, VENKATRAMAN, Sai Pradeep, MARRI SRIDHAR, Subash, ALDANA, Carlos Horacio
• Granted Patent: US 9,866,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, devices, systems, apparatus, servers, computer-/processor-readable media, and other implementations, including a method, performed at a processor-based wireless mobile device, that includes receiving, by the mobile device, signals that include at least one message comprising antenna information for a first wireless node transmitting the signals, and transmitting, by the mobile device, an information message including the antenna information for the first wireless node to a remote device configured to receive and store antenna data for multiple wireless nodes obtained by one or more wireless devices while visiting respective areas covered by the multiple wireless nodes.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a processor-based wireless mobile device:

receiving, by the mobile device, signals that include at least one message comprising antenna information for a first wireless node transmitting the signals; and

transmitting, by the mobile device, an information message including the antenna information for the first wireless node to a remote device configured to receive and store antenna data for multiple wireless nodes obtained by one or more wireless devices while visiting respective areas covered by the multiple wireless nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one message includes a message configured according to IEEE 802.11 standard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one message includes a message configured according to a fine timing measurement (FTM) protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the remote device, by the mobile device, assistance data comprising data regarding an antenna for a second wireless node, the assistance data selected from the stored antenna data for the multiple wireless nodes, when the mobile device is located in an area served by the second wireless node; and

determining positioning information for the mobile device based, at least in part, on the assistance data regarding the antenna for the second wireless node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna information is included in an antenna information element potion of the at least one message, the antenna information comprising one or more of:

antenna type information, antenna gain pattern, antenna orientation, antenna identification, antenna model data, antenna diversity, beam control data, maximum gain for the antenna, transmission power, or any combination thereof.

6. A mobile device comprising:

at least one transceiver to communicate with one or more remote devices;

memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver;

the mobile device configured to;

receive, by the mobile device, signals that include at least one message comprising antenna information for a first wireless node transmitting the signals; and

transmit, by the mobile device, an information message including the antenna information for the first wireless node to a remote device configured to receive and store antenna data for multiple wireless nodes obtained by one or more wireless devices while visiting respective areas covered by the multiple wireless nodes.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the at least one message includes a message configured according to one or more of:

IEEE 802.11 standard, a fine timing measurement (FTM) protocol, or any combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the mobile device is further configured to:

receive from the remote device, by the mobile device, assistance data comprising data regarding an antenna for a second wireless node, the assistance data selected from the stored antenna data for the multiple wireless nodes, when the mobile device is located in an area served by the second wireless node; and

determine positioning information for the mobile device based, at least in part, on the assistance data regarding the antenna for the second wireless node.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the antenna information is included in an antenna information element potion of the at least one message, the antenna information comprising one or more of:

antenna type information, antenna gain pattern, antenna orientation, antenna identification, antenna model data, antenna diversity, beam control data, maximum gain for the antenna, transmission power, or any combination thereof.

10. A wireless device comprising:

means for receiving signals that include at least one message comprising antenna information for a first wireless node transmitting the signals; and

means for transmitting an information message including the antenna information for the first wireless node to a remote device configured to receive and store antenna data for multiple wireless nodes obtained by one or more wireless devices while visiting respective areas covered by the multiple wireless nodes.

11. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the at least one message includes a message configured according to one or more of:

IEEE 802.11 standard, a fine timing measurement (FTM) protocol, or any combination thereof.

12. The wireless device of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving from the remote device assistance data comprising data regarding an antenna for a second wireless node, the assistance data selected from the stored antenna data for the multiple wireless nodes, when the wireless device is located in an area served by the second wireless node; and

determining positioning information for the wireless device based, at least in part, on the assistance data regarding the antenna for the second wireless node.

13. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the antenna information is included in an antenna information element potion of the at least one message, the antenna information comprising one or more of:

antenna type information, antenna gain pattern, antenna orientation, antenna identification, antenna model data, antenna diversity, beam control data, maximum gain for the antenna, transmission power, or any combination thereof.

14. A non-transitory computer readable media programmed with a set of instructions, executable on a processor, to:

receive, by a mobile device, signals that include at least one message comprising antenna information for a first wireless node transmitting the signals; and

transmit, by the mobile device, an information message including the antenna information for the first wireless node to a remote device configured to receive and store antenna data for multiple wireless nodes obtained by one or more wireless devices while visiting respective areas covered by the multiple wireless nodes.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the at least one message includes a message configured according to one or more of:

IEEE 802.11 standard, a fine timing measurement (FTM) protocol, or any combination thereof.

16. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions comprises further instructions to:

receive from the remote device, by the mobile device, assistance data comprising data regarding an antenna for a second wireless node, the assistance data selected from the stored antenna data for the multiple wireless nodes, when the mobile device is located in an area served by the second wireless node; and

determine positioning information for the mobile device based, at least in part, on the assistance data regarding the antenna for the second wireless node.

17. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the antenna information is included in an antenna information element potion of the at least one message, the antenna information comprising one or more of:

antenna type information, antenna gain pattern, antenna orientation, antenna identification, antenna model data, antenna diversity, beam control data, maximum gain for the antenna, transmission power, or any combination thereof.