Increasing the accuracy of location estimates for wireless local area network (WLAN) and cellular enabled devices
AssigneeSkyhook Wireless, Inc.
InventorFarshid Alizadeh-Shabdiz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed subject matter relates to a method and system for increasing the accuracy of a WLAN based position estimate using cellular positioning information. In some embodiments, the method can include determining a set of possible WLAN location solutions for a WLAN and cellular enabled device based on one or more WLAN access points, obtaining cellular measurements from at least one cell tower, and determining the best WLAN location solution from the set of possible WLAN location solutions using the cellular measurements. In one embodiment, the method can include using the cellular measurements from the at least one cell tower to provide a cellular based location estimate for the WLAN and cellular enabled device.
Claims18
A method of increasing the accuracy of location estimates for wireless local area network (WLAN) and cellular enabled devices, the method comprising:
- by a WLAN positioning system (PS),
- identifying at least one WLAN access point (AP) in signal range of a WLAN and cellular enabled device based on wireless signals received by the WLAN and cellular enabled device transmitted by the at least one WLAN AP,
- retrieving an estimated location of the at least one WLAN AP stored in a reference database, and
- determining a WLAN-based location estimate for the WLAN and cellular enabled device based at least in part on the estimated location of the at least one WLAN AP;
- by a cellular positioning system (CPS),
- identifying at least one cell tower in signal range of the WLAN and cellular enabled device based on cellular signals received by the WLAN and cellular enabled device transmitted by the at least one cell tower, the at least one cell tower having a cell identifier (ID) associated with a location stored in the reference database, and
- determining a cellular-based location estimate for the WLAN and cellular enabled device based at least in part on the location associated with the cell ID;
- comparing the cellular-based location estimate to the WLAN-based location estimate to determine whether a distance between the cellular-based location estimate and the WLAN-based location estimate exceeds a pre-determined threshold;
- and
- upon the condition that the distance exceeds the pre-determined threshold, inferring that the location associated with the cell ID is inaccurate and updating the location associated with the cell ID in the reference database, the updated location used in determining resulting location estimates for the WLAN and cellular enabled devices.
A system for increasing the accuracy of location estimates for wireless local area network (WLAN) and cellular enabled devices, the system comprising:
- a wireless local area network (WLAN) module for receiving wireless signals transmitted by at least one WLAN access point (WLAN AP);
- a cellular module for receiving cellular signals from at least one cell tower;
- and
- logic configured to
- identify the at least one WLAN AP in signal range of a WLAN and cellular enabled device based at least in part on the wireless signals,
- retrieve an estimated location of the at least one WLAN AP stored in a reference database,
- determine a WLAN-based location estimate for the WLAN and cellular enabled device based at least in part on the estimated location of the at least one WLAN AP,
- identify the at least one cell tower in signal range of the WLAN and cellular enabled device based on cellular signals received by the WLAN and cellular enabled device transmitted by the at least one cell tower, the at least one cell tower having a cell identifier (ID) associated with a location stored in the reference database,
- determine a cellular-based location estimate for the WLAN and cellular enabled device based at least in part on the location associated with the cell ID,
- compare the cellular-based location estimate to the WLAN-based location estimate to determine whether a distance between the cellular-based location estimate and the WLAN-based location estimate exceeds a pre-determined threshold, and
- upon the condition that the distance exceeds the pre-determined threshold, infer that the location associated with the cell ID is inaccurate and update the location associated with the cell ID in the reference database, the updated location used in determining resulting location estimates for WLAN and cellular enabled devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.