Use of wireless access point ID for position determination

• US 8,755,815 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Nitin
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US12/872,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/403, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/3.02, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• 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 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile computing device comprises a wireless transceiver and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to identify a location, to identify a wireless access point within a predetermined distance of the location, to detect a wireless access point identifier using the wireless transceiver, to compare the detected wireless access point identifier to the identified wireless access point, and to initiate location determination based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processing circuit comprising a host processor and a radio processor which are distinct processing components, the processing circuit configured to identify a location, to identify a wireless access point within a predetermined distance of the location, to detect a wireless access point identifier using the wireless transceiver, while the host processor is configured to operate in a reduced power mode, to compare the detected wireless access point identifier to the identified wireless access point, and to initiate location determination based on the comparison, wherein the host processor is configured to switch to a normal power mode in response to the initiation of location determination based on the comparison.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify a plurality of locations by receiving the locations from a plurality of location-based applications operating on the processing circuit.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the detected wireless access point identifier is a cellular base station identifier.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify a plurality of wireless access points within the predetermined distance of the location and to compare the detected wireless access point identifier to the plurality of identified wireless access points.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the host processor and the radio processor are distinct processing components on separate parts or on a multi-core chip.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the radio processor is configured to, while the host processor is operating in the reduced power mode, retain the identified wireless access point in memory and detect the wireless access point identifier.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 6, wherein the radio processor is configured to continue detecting wireless access point identifiers when the host processor is in the normal power mode.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the initiation of location determination comprises initiating a periodic generation of location of the mobile computing device to track the location of the mobile computing device using a global positioning system.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the wireless access point within the predetermined distance of the location by transmitting data regarding the location wirelessly to a remote server and receiving from the remote server the wireless access point.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate a wireless message, address the wireless message to another computing device, and, based on the comparison, to transmit the wireless message using the wireless transceiver.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the location is a waypoint along a route between a starting point and a destination point.

12. A method operable on a mobile computing device, comprising:

storing a destination location;

determining a wireless access point associated with the destination location;

operating a location determination circuit of the mobile computing device at a first power setting, the mobile computing device comprising a host processor and a radio processor which are distinct processing components;

detecting a wireless access point identifier using a wireless transceiver of the mobile computing device while the host processor is operating in a reduced power mode;

comparing the detected wireless access point identifier to the determined wireless access point;

initiating continuous location generation with the location determination circuit operating at a second power setting based on the detected wireless access point identifier matching the stored wireless access point; and

switching the host processor to a normal power mode in response to the initiation of continuous location determination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting comprises receiving the wireless access point identifier over a cellular wireless communication channel.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the continuous location determination comprises a periodic generation of location of the mobile computing device to track the location of the mobile computing device using a global positioning system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following:

storing a destination location in a mobile computing device, the mobile computing device comprising a host processor and a radio processor which are distinct processing components;

determining a wireless access point within a predetermined distance of the destination location;

detecting a wireless access point identifier using a wireless transceiver of a mobile computing device while the host processor is operating in a reduced power mode;

comparing the detected wireless access point identifier to the determined wireless access point;

initiating continuous location generation based on the detected wireless access point identifier matching the determined wireless access point; and

switching the host processor to a normal power mode in response to the initiation of continuous location determination.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein detecting comprises receiving the wireless access point identifier over a cellular wireless communication channel.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the continuous location determination comprises a periodic generation of location of the mobile computing device to track the location of the mobile computing device using a global positioning system.