Method and system for determining the location of a mobile computer
US6664925B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 2, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 16, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 2, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W4/024
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A mobile computer establishes a wireless communication session with a wireless access point of a computer network. The location of each wireless access point is known and obtainable either from a database on the network or from the access points themselves. The strengths of wireless signals passing between the mobile computer and multiple wireless access points of the network, including the access point with which the mobile computer has established the session are measured at multiple time intervals. The measurements may be taken at the mobile computer itself or at the wireless access points. The measured strength values are then weighted according to such factors as whether the mobile computer has already established a communication session with the access point from which the sample was taken, and how old the sample is. For each location, the weighted strength values obtained for access points in that location are summed. The location having the highest sum is deemed to be the location of the mobile computer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.