Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless signal storage with signal recognition detection triggering

• US 8,892,065 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zebra Enterprise Solutions Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wohl, Michael A., Richardson, Thomas L., English, Jerald W., Wisherd, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): AKINYEMI, AJIBOLA A
• Application Number:
  US12/874,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 455/316
• US Class Current: 455/316
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/01 Determining conditions which influence positioning, e.g. radio environment, state of motion or energy consumption

Abstract

Various methods for wireless signal storage with signal recognition detection triggering are provided. One method may include receiving a plurality of wireless signals via a plurality of frequency channels, storing representations of the plurality of wireless signals in a signal buffer, and receiving a trigger request for a signal of interest. In this regard, the trigger request may have been generated based on an analysis of at least one wireless signal within the plurality of wireless signals to thereby identify the signal of interest. The method may also include retrieving a representation of the signal of interest from the signal buffer based on the trigger request, and analyzing the retrieved representation of the signal of interest with associated signal characteristics to determine a location of a source of the signal of interest. Similar apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of wireless signals via a plurality of frequency channels;

storing representations of the plurality of wireless signals in a signal buffer;

receiving a trigger request for a signal of interest, the trigger request having been generated based on an analysis of at least one wireless signal within the plurality of wireless signals to thereby identify the signal of interest;

retrieving a representation of the signal of interest from the signal buffer based on the trigger request, wherein the retrieving is performed by a processor; and

analyzing the retrieved representation of the signal of interest with associated signal characteristics to determine a location of a source of the signal of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the trigger request includes receiving the trigger request from a central processing agent or a remote receiver, the central processing agent or remote receiver having performed the analysis of the at least one wireless signal within the plurality of wireless signals to thereby identify a signal of interest within the plurality of wireless signals.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing a representation of a wireless signal on a target frequency channel to identify the signal of interest, the target frequency channel being one of the plurality of frequency channels; and

generating the trigger request in response to identification of the signal of interest.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing a representation of a wireless signal on a target frequency channel, the target frequency channel being one of the plurality of frequency channels; and

wherein receiving the trigger request includes receiving the trigger request for the signal of interest, the signal of interest having been received on a frequency channel other than the target frequency channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the trigger request includes receiving the trigger request for the signal of interest, the signal of interest being a signal for asset location based on time-of-arrival information associated with the signal of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the trigger request includes receiving the trigger request via a broadcast transmission, the broadcast transmission being orthogonal to the signal of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the representations of the plurality of wireless signals includes storing the representations of the plurality of wireless signals in association with corresponding time-of-arrival information;

and

wherein receiving the trigger request includes receiving the trigger request, the trigger request including target time-of-arrival criteria for the signal of interest.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of wireless signals includes receiving the plurality of wireless signals, the plurality of wireless signals including one or more of IEEE 802.11 signals, ANSI 371 signals, ISO2730 signals, Ultra-wide Band (UWB) signals, IEEE 802.15.4 signals, IEEE 802.15.4a signals, Zigbee signals, ISO 18000-7 signals, Bluetooth signals, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the trigger request for the signal of interest includes receiving the trigger request for the signal of interest, the signal of interest including a data pattern of an identifier of a source of the signal of interest.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is a component of an access point.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency front end configured to receive a plurality of wireless signals via a plurality of frequency channels;

a signal buffer configured to store representations of the plurality of wireless signals; and

a processor configured to;

receive a trigger request for a signal of interest, the trigger request having been generated based on an analysis of at least one wireless signal within the plurality of wireless signals to thereby identify the signal of interest,

retrieve a representation of the signal of interest from the signal buffer based on the trigger request, and

analyze the retrieved representation of the signal of interest with associated signal characteristics to determine a location of a source of the signal of interest.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor configured to receive the trigger request includes being configured to receive the trigger request from a central processing agent or a remote receiver, the central processing agent or remote receiver having performed the analysis of the at least one wireless signal within the plurality of wireless signals to thereby identify a signal of interest within the plurality of wireless signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

analyze a representation of a wireless signal on a target frequency channel to identify the signal of interest, the target frequency channel being one of the plurality of frequency channels; and

generate the trigger request in response to identification of the signal of interest.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to analyze a representation of a wireless signal on a target frequency channel, the target frequency channel being one of the plurality of frequency channels;

and wherein the processor configured to receive the trigger request includes being configured to receive the trigger request for the signal of interest, the signal of interest having been received on a frequency channel other than the target frequency channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor configured to receive the trigger request includes being configured to receive the trigger request for the signal of interest, the signal of interest being a signal for asset location based on time-of-arrival information associated with the signal of interest.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor configured to receive the trigger request includes being configured to receive the trigger request via a broadcast transmission, the broadcast transmission being orthogonal to the signal of interest.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal buffer configured to store the representations of the plurality of wireless signals includes being configured to store the representations of the plurality of wireless signals in association with corresponding time-of-arrival information;

and

wherein the processor configured to receive the trigger request includes being configured to receive the trigger request, the trigger request including target time-of-arrival criteria for the signal of interest.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency front end configured to receive the plurality of wireless signals includes being configured to receive the plurality of wireless signals, the plurality of wireless signals including one or more of IEEE 802.11 signals, ANSI 371 signals, ISO2730 signals, Ultra-wide Band (UWB) signals, IEEE 802.15.4 signals, IEEE 802.15.4a signals, Zigbee signals, ISO 18000-7 signals, Bluetooth signals, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor configured to receive the trigger request for the signal of interest includes being configured to receive the trigger request for the signal of interest, the signal of interest including a data pattern of an identifier of a source of the signal of interest.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises an access point.

21. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable computer-readable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program code instructions configured direct an apparatus to:

store representations of a plurality of wireless signals in a signal buffer, the plurality of wireless signals having been received via a plurality of frequency channels;

retrieve a representation of a signal of interest from the signal buffer based on the trigger request, the trigger request having been generated based on an analysis of at least one wireless signal within the plurality of wireless signals to thereby identify the signal of interest; and

analyze the retrieved representation of the signal of interest with associated signal characteristics to determine a location of a source of the signal of interest.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code instructions configured direct the apparatus to retrieve the representation of the signal of interest include being configured to direct the apparatus to retrieve the representation of the signal of interest based on the trigger request, the trigger request having been received from a central processing agent or a remote receiver, the central processing agent or remote receiver having performed the analysis of the at least one wireless signal within the plurality of wireless signals to thereby identify a signal of interest within the plurality of wireless signals.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code instructions are further configured to direct the apparatus to:

analyze a representation of a wireless signal on a target frequency channel to identify the signal of interest, the target frequency channel being one of the plurality of frequency channels; and

generate the trigger request in response to identification of the signal of interest.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code instructions are further configured to direct the apparatus to analyze a representation of a wireless signal on a target frequency channel, the target frequency channel being one of the plurality of frequency channels;

and wherein the computer-readable program code instructions configured to retrieve the representation of the signal of interest include being configured to retrieve the representation of the signal of interest, the signal of interest having been received on a frequency channel other than the target frequency channel.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code instructions configured to direct the apparatus to retrieve the representation of the signal of interest include being configured to direct the apparatus to retrieve the representation of the signal of interest, the signal of interest being a signal for asset location based on time-of-arrival information associated with the signal of interest.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code instructions configured to direct the apparatus to store the representations of the plurality of wireless signals include being configured to direct the apparatus to store the representations of the plurality of wireless signals in association with corresponding time-of-arrival information;

and

wherein the computer-readable program code instructions configured to direct the apparatus to receive the trigger request include being configured to direct the apparatus to receive the trigger request, the trigger request including target time-of-arrival criteria for the signal of interest.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code instructions configured to direct the apparatus to store representations of the plurality of wireless signals include being configured to direct the apparatus to store representations of the plurality of wireless signals, the plurality of wireless signals including one or more of IEEE 802.11 signals, ANSI 371 signals, ISO2730 signals, Ultra-wide Band (UWB) signals, IEEE 802.15.4 signals, IEEE 802.15.4a signals, Zigbee signals, ISO 18000-7 signals, Bluetooth signals, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable program code instructions configured to direct the apparatus to receive the trigger request for the signal of interest include being configured to direct the apparatus to receive the trigger request for the signal of interest, the signal of interest including a data pattern of an identifier of a source of the signal of interest.