System and method for determining signal source location in wireless local area network
AssigneeWHERENET CORP., Corporation of the State of California
InventorRobert W. BOYD
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method locates a wireless local area network (WLAN) signal source. A wireless LAN signal as an RF signal is propagated from a WLAN signal source at a fixed, known location to a plurality of receivers having unsynchronized clocks. The time-of-arrival is measured at each receiver and the timing relationship from the fixed, known location of the signal source is used to relate time-of-arrival measurements from a signal arriving from an unknown location.
Claims27
A system for locating a signal source in a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:
- at least one WLAN signal source positioned at a known location that transmits a wireless radio frequency (RF) signal;
- a plurality of receivers having unsynchronized clocks that receive the RF signal from the at least one WLAN signal source;
- and
- a processor operative with the receivers that measures the time-of-arrival of the RF signal at each receiver and uses a timing relationship from the fixed, known location of the at least one WLAN signal source to relate time-of-arrival measurements from a signal arriving from a WLAN signal source at an unknown location within the WLAN.
A system for locating a wireless station in communication with a wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising:
- a plurality of wireless mobile devices each forming a WLAN signal source that transmit RF signals;
- a plurality of cells defining a WLAN and each having a receiver forming an access point in the WLAN and adapted for communicating with WLAN signal sources, wherein at least one WLAN signal source is positioned at a known location;
- and
- a processor communicating with each receiver that measures at each receiver the time-of-arrival of the RF signal transmitted from the WLAN signal source at a known location and uses a timing relationship from the fixed, known location of the at least one WLAN signal source to relate time-of-arrival measurements from a signal arriving from a WLAN signal source at an unknown location within the WLAN.
A method for locating a signal source in a wireless local area network (WLAN), which comprises:
- propagating a wireless radio frequency (RF) signal from a WLAN signal source at a fixed, known location to a plurality of receivers having unsynchronized clocks;
- and
- measuring the time-of-arrival of the RF signal at each receiver and using the timing relationship from the fixed, known location of the WLAN signal source to relate time-of-arrival measurements from a signal arriving from a WLAN signal source at an unknown location within the WLAN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.