Method and apparatus for determining the location of a unit using neighbor lists

US7242947B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Motorola, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Feng Niu · Weston, US
• Spyros Kyperountas · Weston, US
• Frederick L. Martin · Jasper, US
• Jian-Cheng Huang · Santa Clara, US
• Qicai Shi · Coral Springs, US
• Timothy Bancroft · Boca Raton, US
• Neiyer S. Correal · Pembroke Pines, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 23, 2003
• Grant date: Jul 10, 2007
• Expiry date: Apr 9, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04W64/00
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and location determination module is provided for determining a location of one of a plurality of units using neighbor lists. Each unit is communicatively coupled to at least some of the other plurality of units, where at least some of the plurality of units are reference units, whose locations are known. The units communicate with other nearby units within communication range, to establish neighbor lists. A unit to be located then identifies an aggregate value corresponding to the number of occurrences of the reference units in the neighbor list of the unit to be located and the neighbor lists of each of a group of associated units. The location of the unit to be located is then determined, based upon the known locations of the reference units and the number of identified occurrences of the reference units in the corresponding neighbor lists.