# US 11,906,645 B2 · Certified location for mobile devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,645 B2 - Document ID: US11906645B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/932,602 - Filed: 2022-09-15 - Published: 2023-01-12 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-24 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: Skyhook Wireless, Inc. - Inventors: Russel Jones; Christopher Steger; Nicolas Brachet; Farshid Alizadeh-Shabdiz; Andrew Broadstone; Joel Morrin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906645B2 ## CPC - G01S 5/0231: {Emergency, distress or locator beacons} - G01S 5/02: using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) - G01S 5/0205: {Details} - G01S 5/0244: {Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto} - G01S 5/0295: {Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals} - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract In one example embodiment, a certified location service enables a mobile device to access a location-based service when a determined location meets a location requirement and an overall confidence score for the determined location exceeds a confidence threshold. A data package is received including identifiers of beacons observed by the mobile device, and a location of the mobile device is determined based on a calculated location of one or more of the beacons. An overall confidence score for the determined location is calculated based on one or more individual confidence scores for the one or more beacons used in determining the location or composite confidence scores for types of the one or more beacons. The determined location and the overall confidence score are provided to one or more provider servers that allow the mobile device to access a location-based service based thereon. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving, at one or more location determination servers, a data package from a mobile device including identifiers of one or more beacons observed by the mobile device, the one or more beacons including at least an observed Wi-Fi access point (AP), an observed cell tower, or an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the mobile device, the data package also including location information for the mobile device; calculating, at the one or more location determination servers, a determined location of the mobile device based on at least one of the one or more beacons observed by the mobile device; calculating, at the one or more location determination servers, an overall confidence score for the determined location based on consistency of the determined location and the location information for the mobile device; and providing an indication that allows the mobile device to access a location-based service only when the determined location meets a location requirement and the overall confidence score for the determined location exceeds a confidence threshold, providing the determined location to the location-based service, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the location information for the mobile device comprises location information that was calculated by the mobile device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the location information for the mobile device includes a reported location of the mobile device, and consistency of the determined location of the mobile device is determined at least in part by comparing the reported location of the mobile device to the determined location for the mobile device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising reducing the overall confidence score when the reported location of the mobile device is not possible in view of the determined location of the mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more location determination servers maintain a location history of the mobile device that records a location of the mobile device over time, and wherein consistency of the determined location and the location information for the mobile device is determined at least in part by detecting whether the location of the mobile device has changed over time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising reducing the overall confidence score when no change in location of the mobile device over time is detected or when a change in location of the mobile device over time is impossible. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the overall confidence score for the determined location comprises basing the overall confidence score on one or more individual confidence scores for the one or more beacons used in calculating the determined location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the overall confidence score for the determined location comprises basing the overall confidence score on one or more composite confidence scores for types of the one or more beacons used in calculating the determined location. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the indication includes transmitting the determined location and the overall confidence score to one or more provider servers without passing through the mobile device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the indication includes transmitting a digital claim check to the mobile device, wherein the digital claim check is exchangeable for the determined location and the overall confidence score. ### Claim 11 An apparatus, comprising: a memory; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to: receive, at one or more location determination servers, a data package from a mobile device including identifiers of one or more beacons observed by the mobile device, the one or more beacons including at least an observed Wi-Fi access point (AP), an observed cell tower, or an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the mobile device, the data package also including location information for the mobile device; calculate, at the one or more location determination servers, a determined location of the mobile device based on at least one of the one or more beacons observed by the mobile device; calculate, at the one or more location determination servers, an overall confidence score for the determined location based on a consistency of the determined location and the location information for the mobile device; and provide an indication that allows the mobile device to access a location-based service only when the determined location meets a location requirement and the overall confidence score for the determined location exceeds a confidence threshold, provide the determined location to the location-based service, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the location information for the mobile device comprises location information that was calculated by the mobile device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the location information for the mobile device includes a reported location of the mobile device, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the consistency of the determined location of the mobile device at least in part by comparing the reported location of the mobile device to the determined location for the mobile device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reduce the overall confidence score when the reported location of the mobile device is not possible in view of the determined location of the mobile device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more location determination servers maintain a location history of the mobile device that records a location of the mobile device over time, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the consistency of the determined location of the mobile device at least in part by detecting whether the location of the mobile device has changed over time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reduce the overall confidence score when no change in location of the mobile device over time is detected or when a change in location of the mobile device over time is impossible. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate the overall confidence score for the determined location based on the overall confidence score on one or more individual confidence scores for the one or more beacons used in calculating the determined location. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least on processor is configured to calculate the overall confidence score for the determined location based on the overall confidence score on one or more composite confidence scores for types of the one or more beacons used in calculating the determined location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the indication by transmitting the determined location and the overall confidence score to one or more provider servers without passing through the mobile device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the indication by transmitting a digital claim check to the mobile device, wherein the digital claim check is exchangeable for the determined location and the overall confidence score.