Location analytics employing timed fingerprint location information

• US 9,008,698 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon, Hilliard, Brandon, Kosseifi, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Georgewill, Opiribo
• Application Number:
  US14/279,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter provides for employing timed fingerprint location information in location analytics. Timed fingerprint location information can provide a location for a user equipment. The location of the user equipment can be compared to a location analytics rule related to the location of a user equipment. Where the location satisfies a condition of the location analytics rule, the user equipment can be associated with a compliance status. Compliance, or noncompliance, can initiate further action. Further action can include reporting the compliance status, verifying the identity of a user associated with the user equipment, enforcing the location analytics rule, etc. Enforcing the location analytics rule can include alerts, fines, reporting to an authority figure or agency, etc.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining a location of a user equipment based on timed fingerprint location information, wherein the timed fingerprint location information represents a first granularity of location information and comprises a first differential timing measurement for a NodeB site pair comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential timing measurement for another NodeB site pair comprising a third NodeB device and a fourth NodeB device, and wherein the first differential timing measurement is correlated to a first set of location information for a first substantially hyperbola-shaped geographic region and the second differential timing measurement is correlated to a second set of location information for a second substantially hyperbola-shaped geographic region, to facilitate the determining the location of the user equipment based on the first set of location information and the second set of location information;

determining compliance data representing a compliance status for a location analytics rule based on the location of the user equipment; and

confirming the compliance status based on a subsequent location determined for the user equipment based on a second granularity of subsequent location information comprised in subsequent timed fingerprint location information, the second granularity being different than the first granularity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the location of the user equipment is based on timed fingerprint location information comprising a third differential timing measurement for a third NodeB site pair comprising a fifth NodeB device and a sixth NodeB device, and wherein the third differential timing measurement is correlated to a third set of location information for a third substantially hyperbola-shaped geographic region to facilitate the determining the location of the user equipment based on the first set of location information, the second set of location information, and the third set of location information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the compliance data determines compliance with the location analytics rule.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the compliance data determines non-compliance with the location analytics rule.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the compliance data comprises determining a time that compliance with the location analytics rule occurs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the compliance data comprises determining an elapsed time of compliance with the location analytics rule.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the compliance data comprises determining a compliance margin related to the location analytics rule.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the NodeB site pair and the other NodeB site pair share a NodeB device.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, timed fingerprint location information associated with a user equipment;

determining, by the system, a location of the user equipment based on timed fingerprint location information, wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises a first differential timing measurement for a first NodeB site pair comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential timing measurement for a second NodeB site pair comprising a third NodeB device and a fourth NodeB device, and wherein the first differential timing measurement is correlated to a first set of location information for a first substantially hyperbola-shaped geographic region and the second differential timing measurement is correlated to a second set of location information for a second substantially hyperbola-shaped geographic region, to facilitate the determining the location of the user equipment based on the first set of location information and the second set of location information; and

determining, by the system, compliance with a compliance metric of a location analytics rule based on the timed fingerprint location information, wherein an initial location determination of the user equipment is based on initial timed fingerprint location information representing a first granularity of location information, wherein the timed fingerprint location information further represents a second granularity of location information different from the first granularity, and wherein the compliance status is confirmed based on a subsequent location determination of the user equipment based on the second granularity represented by the timed fingerprint location information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the location of the user equipment is based on timed fingerprint location information comprising an additional differential timing measurement for a another NodeB site pair to facilitate the determining the location of the user equipment based on the first, the second, and an additional set of location information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the compliance determines positive compliance with the location analytics rule.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the compliance determines negative compliance with the location analytics rule.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the compliance comprises determining, by the system, a time that compliance with the location analytics rule occurs.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the compliance comprises determining, by the system, an elapsed time of compliance with the location analytics rule.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving timed fingerprint location information associated with a user equipment, wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises a first differential timing measurement for a NodeB site pair comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential timing measurement for another NodeB site pair comprising a third NodeB device and a fourth NodeB device, and wherein the first differential timing measurement is correlated to a first set of location information for a first substantially hyperbola-shaped geographic region and the second differential timing measurement is correlated to a second set of location information for a second substantially hyperbola-shaped geographic region;

processing the timed fingerprint location information to determine a compliance with a location analytics rule based on a location of the user equipment determined from timing information associated with the user equipment and the timed fingerprint location information, wherein the location of the user equipment is determined from the timed fingerprint location information representing a first granularity of location information and updated timed fingerprint location information represents a second granularity of location information different from the first granularity;

designating a status value based on the determining the compliance with the location analytics rule, wherein the status value is based on a subsequent location determination of the user equipment based on the second granularity of location information; and

facilitating access to the status value by a component configured to enforce the compliance by way of an enforcement protocol.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the designating the status value comprises designating a value representing non-compliance with the location analytics rule.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processing the timed fingerprint location information to determine the compliance comprises determining a value representing a magnitude by which a trigger value related to the location analytics rule is transitioned.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the NodeB site pair and the other NodeB site pair share a NodeB device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining the compliance comprises determining a time that compliance with the location analytics rule occurs.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining the compliance comprises determining an elapsed time of compliance with the location analytics rule.