Patent · US Active

Methods and systems for estimating a user position in a WLAN positioning system based on user assigned access point locations

US7471954B2 · kind B2 · utility

220Cited by
10References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 23, 2007
Grant dateDec 30, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 26, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W48/08
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of estimating a location of a WLAN-enabled user-device in a WLAN-based positioning system is provided. The WLAN-enabled device receives signals transmitted by WLAN-enabled access points in range of the WLAN-enabled user-device so that observed WLAN-enabled access points identify themselves. The method includes accessing a master database that associates WLAN-enabled access points with corresponding audited locations as determined by an audit of a relatively large geographic area and obtaining location information for any identified WLAN-enabled access point. The method includes accessing a supplemental database to obtain inferred location information corresponding to any identified WLAN-enabled access point. The supplemental database has a relatively small set of WLAN-enabled access points and corresponding inferred locations. The inferred locations are inferred based on input by a user of the WLAN-based positioning system. The method includes estimating a location of the WLAN-enabled user-device based on the audited location information and the inferred location information.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.