Mobile Device Proxy Location for Access Point
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Solution Overview
Problem
User devices may be unable to determine their location or receive location information due to signal obstructions or lack of compatible receivers, and access point devices are not aware of their location to provide this information.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device establishes an association with an access point device, determines its current location, and transmits this location to a location server as a proxy location for the access point, allowing user devices to use this information even if they cannot determine their own location, while maintaining user privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user devices attempt to determine their location using traditional location systems (GPS, cellular transmitters, location beacons), then location information can be obtained, but signal obstructions or lack of compatible receivers prevent reliable location determination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using a mobile device that has successfully determined its location as a mediator to provide location information to other user devices. Instead of relying on obstructed signals from traditional location systems, the system uses a trusted mobile device as an intermediate source of location data, which then propagates this information through the network to assist other devices in determining their locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements copying by having mobile devices transmit their determined location information to serve as a proxy or copy of location data for other devices. Rather than each device independently attempting to receive obstructed location signals, one device's location determination is copied and shared with others, eliminating the need for multiple devices to independently overcome signal obstruction problems.
2Loss of information
If access point devices do not have location awareness, then they cannot provide location information to user devices, but adding location determination capabilities to access points increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling mobile devices to automatically determine their own locations and then voluntarily share this information with the network. Instead of requiring access point devices to perform complex location determination functions, the mobile devices serve themselves by obtaining location data and then making this information available to others, including user devices that need location services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling mobile devices to perform multiple roles: they act as both users of location services and as providers of location information. The same mobile device that consumes location data can also function as a location server for other devices, eliminating the need for dedicated location determination capabilities in access point devices.
3Loss of information
If each user device determines its own location independently, then location privacy can be maintained, but network bandwidth usage increases and devices without location capabilities cannot receive location information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining multiple location determination efforts into a single shared resource. Instead of each user device independently attempting to determine its location (wasting redundant network bandwidth), the system merges location determination efforts so that one or a few mobile devices perform the determination and share the results with all other devices, significantly reducing overall network bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having mobile devices determine their locations in advance and store this information for later use by other devices. Rather than performing repeated location determinations whenever a user device needs location information, the system performs the determination once and makes the result available for multiple subsequent queries, reducing redundant network traffic.
Data Source
AI summary
Providing mobile device location as a proxy location for an access point in response to mobile device association with the access point, and related methods, devices, and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile device receives signals from a transmitter(s). Based on the received signals, the mobile device determines its current location. The mobile device also establishes an association with an access point device. In response to the association, the mobile device transmits to a location server an identification of the access point device and the current location of the mobile device as a proxy location for the access point device. In this manner, the location server may determine a location of the access point device while maintaining the privacy of user(s) of the mobile device(s). The location server may provide the access point device location to user device(s) to allow the user device(s) to determine its location.