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US 8,897,803 B2Granted
Finding wireless network access points
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsSeejo Pylappan, François M. Jouaux
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, computer-readable media, and computer systems for finding wireless network access points. Geographic location information describing a geographic location of a computer system within a geographic area is received. From a storage medium that stores information defining multiple geographic cells and, for each cell, information defining multiple wireless network access points, a particular geographic cell within which the geographic location described by the geographic location information is located is identified. Access points within the particular geographic cell are identified, and provided in response to receiving the geographic location information.
Claims40
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- receiving, at a server, geographic location information indicating a geographic location of a computing device within a geographic area, wherein the geographic area includes one or more geographic cells, and wherein a geographic cell is associated with one or more network access points;
- accessing stored information defining the geographic area;
- determining the geographic location of the computing device, wherein the determination includes using the stored information to identify a geographic cell;
- identifying, by the server, a plurality of network access points associated with the identified geographic cell;
- determining a sum of network access points associated with the one or more geographic cells;
- searching one or more additional geographic cells surrounding the identified geographic cell for additional network access points to be added to the sum when the sum is not greater than or equal to a threshold number of network access points, wherein the searching includes searching one or more geographic cells that are adjacent to the identified geographic cell, and wherein the searching is performed continuously to identify at least the threshold number of network access points;
- and
- sending, from the server, to the computing device, a list of the network access points in response to receiving the geographic location information from the computing device, the list including at least the threshold number of network access points.
5 more elements
A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:
- receive, at the data processing apparatus, geographic location information indicating a geographic location of a computing device within a geographic area, wherein the geographic area includes one or more non-overlapping geographic cells, and wherein a geographic cell is associated with one or more network access points;
- access stored information defining the geographic area;
- determine the geographic location of the computing device, wherein the determination includes using the stored information to identify a geographic cell;
- identify a plurality of network access points associated with the identified geographic cell;
- determine a sum of network access points associated with the one or more geographic cells;
- search one or more additional geographic cells surrounding the identified geographic cell for additional network access points to be added to the sum when the sum is not greater than or equal to a threshold number of network access points, wherein the search includes searching one or more geographic cells that are adjacent to the identified geographic cell, and wherein the searching is performed continuously to identify at least the threshold number of network access points;
- and
- send, from the data processing apparatus, to the computing device, a list of the network access points in response to receiving the geographic location information from the computing device, the list including at least the threshold number of network access points.
5 more elements
A computer-implemented system, comprising:
- one or more processors;
- an input device;
- and
- one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
- receiving geographic location information indicating a geographic location of a computing device within a geographic area, wherein the geographic area includes one or more non-overlapping geographic cells, and wherein a geographic cell is associated with one or more network access points;
- accessing stored information defining the geographic area;
- determining the geographic location of the computing device, wherein the determination includes using the stored information to identify a geographic cell;
- identifying a plurality of network access points associated with the identified geographic cell;
- determining a sum of network access points associated with the one or more geographic cells;
- searching one or more additional geographic cells surrounding the identified geographic cell for additional network access points to be added to the sum when the sum is not greater than or equal to a threshold number of network access points, wherein the searching includes searching one or more geographic cells that are adjacent to the identified geographic cell, and wherein the searching is performed continuously to identify at least the threshold number of network access points;
- and
- sending, to the computing device, a list of the network access points in response to receiving the geographic location information from the computing device, the list including at least the threshold number of network access points.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.