Method and apparatus for filtering access points for WiFi positioning

A method, comprising:

• detecting, in a device, a plurality of access points;
• classifying one or more access points of the plurality of access points as being either fixed or mobile according to i) a hybrid position of the device determined independent of the one or more access points of the plurality of access points and ii) a recorded position of the one or more access points, wherein an access point is classified as being mobile when a difference between the hybrid position of the device and the recorded position of the access point exceeds a threshold,
• wherein classifying the one or more access points includes determining the threshold according to a statistical distribution of a positioning error, and wherein the access point is classified as mobile to indicate that the access point changes positions, and wherein the access point is classified as being fixed to indicate that the access point is located at a fixed position;
• and
• determining a position of the device according to channel powers of signals received from one or more of the plurality of access points classified as being fixed;
• and
• wherein determining the position of the device includes ignoring positions of access points of the plurality of access points classified as being mobile.

A device comprising:

• a wireless transceiver;
• and
• an application processor comprising:
• positioning logic configured to receive respective positions of a plurality of access points;
• and
• monitoring logic configured to classify a respective one of the plurality of access points as being mobile or fixed according to i) a hybrid position of the device determined independent of the respective one of the plurality of access points and ii) a recorded position of the respective one of the plurality of the access points,
• wherein the monitoring logic is configured to classify an access point as being mobile when a difference between the hybrid position of the device and the recorded position of the access point exceeds a threshold, wherein the monitoring logic is configured to determine the threshold according to a statistical distribution of a positioning error, and wherein the monitoring logic classifies the access point as mobile when the access point changes positions, and wherein the monitoring logic classifies the access point as being fixed when the access point is located at a fixed position and does not change positions;
• wherein the positioning logic is further configured to determine a position of the device according to:
• i) channel powers of signals received from access points of the plurality of access points classified as being fixed and
• ii) fixed positions of the access points classified as being fixed, and
• wherein the positioning logic is configured to ignore positions of access points of the plurality of access points classified as being mobile when determining the position of the device.