Location-based services in a femtocell network

• US 9,369,876 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Kurt Donald, Mansfield, William Gordon, Flynn, Judson John
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/739,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 : when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 : Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• 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 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Traffic and signaling are routed between a set of networked femto access points (APs) and location-based services are enabled. A femto AP in the set of femto APs is functionally linked to a routing platform that manages traffic and signaling, and is functionally connected to a controller component that relays at least part of data and control to a femto network platform. The femto network platform allows access to one or more external networks. Routing platform can exchange signaling with one or more femto APs to enable, at least in part, location-based services based at least in part on identifier(s) for a femto AP, access privileges, or time-of-flight measurements that assess propagation timing between a mobile device and a femto AP. Routing platform can supply timing configuration to enable predetermined spatial resolution of location estimates. Location estimates can be recorded and conveyed to a consumer layer.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a processor; and

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

determining that a vehicle is in a coverage area of femto access point devices that are communicatively coupled via a routing device; and

in response to the determining, receiving propagation data representative of signal propagation between the femto access point devices and a device associated with the vehicle.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the propagation data is determined based on pilot signals propagated to the device from the femto access point devices.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein the pilot signals are propagated at a frequency associated with a first frequency band that differs from a second frequency band employed by the femto access point devices to provide communication service to the device via other signals associated with the second frequency band.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein the coverage area of the femto access point devices is based on ranges associated with the pilot signals.

5. The network device of claim 3, wherein the coverage area of the femto access point devices is based on ranges associated with the other signals.

6. The network device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a number of the femto access point devices is below a defined value; and

transmitting instruction data indicative of an instruction to increase a power associated with pilot signal propagation, wherein the increase to the power is determined to increase the number to match or exceed the defined value.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on the propagation data, distance data representative of respective distances between the device and the femto access point devices.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on the propagation data, angle data representative of angles associated with the signal propagation.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on the propagation data, a location associated with the vehicle.

10. The network device of claim 1, wherein the receiving the propagation data is further in response to a determination that motion data associated with a motion of the vehicle satisfies a defined criterion.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the defined criterion is an indication that the vehicle has been parked.

12. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, that a vehicle is in a coverage area of a group of femto access point devices that are communicatively linked via a routing device; and

requesting, by the system, propagation data from femto access point devices of the group in response to the determining, wherein the propagation data relates to signal propagation between a device of the vehicle and the group of femto access point devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining, by the system, that a number of femto access point devices that comprise the group of femto access point devices is below a defined value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, in response to the determining the number is below the defined value, instructing, by the system, femto access point devices that are not part of the group to increase a power associated with propagation of a signal that relates to the coverage area.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, based on the propagation data, determining, by the system, distance data representative of distances from the device to the group of femto access point devices.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining, by the system, a location associated with the vehicle based on the propagation data.

17. A method, comprising:

in response to determining that a vehicle is in a coverage area, determining, by a femto access point device comprising a processor, propagation data for a signal between a device of the vehicle and the femto access point device; and

directing, by the femto access point device, the propagation data to a routing device that links the femto access point device to other femto access point devices.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the directing comprises directing the propagation data to facilitate determining location data indicative of a location estimate for the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the directing is in response to a determination that motion data associated with a motion of the vehicle satisfies a defined criterion.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the defined criterion relates to an indication that the vehicle has been parked.