Abstract: Disclosed is a wireless communication system, including one or more monitoring devices and one or more asset tag devices. The one or more monitoring devices are configured to: transmit a beacon frame on at least one first communication channel and listen to the second communication channel. The one or more asset tag devices are configured to: scan at least one first communication channel to receive at least one beacon frame; select a monitoring device; switch to the second communication channel indicated in the beacon frame; and initiate communication with the selected monitoring device on the second communication channel. The selected monitoring device is further configured to communicate with the one or more asset tag devices on the second communication channel. Also disclosed are discovery methods, an asset tag device and a monitoring device for the wireless communication system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wireless communication system, including one or more monitoring devices and one or more asset tag devices. The one or more monitoring devices are configured to: transmit a beacon frame on at least one first communication channel and listen to the second communication channel. The one or more asset tag devices are configured to: scan at least one first communication channel to receive at least one beacon frame; select a monitoring device; switch to the second communication channel indicated in the beacon frame; and initiate communication with the selected monitoring device on the second communication channel. The selected monitoring device is further configured to communicate with the one or more asset tag devices on the second communication channel. Also disclosed are discovery methods, an asset tag device and a monitoring device for the wireless communication system.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed pertain to apparatuses, systems, and methods for dynamically characterizing a mobile station (MS) in a wireless network by determining the variability of measured Round Trip Time (RTT) parameter values, the variability of measured Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) parameter values and other determined characteristics and classifying the MS into at least one of a plurality of classification groups based on the values of at least one of the RTT variability, the RSSI variability, or the other determined characteristics. The classification groups associated with a mobile station may be used to selecting a positioning method to determine the position of the MS.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for determining a cyclic shift diversity (CSD) mode are presented. Examples use a channel impulse response (CIR) to determine a current CSD mode. Specifically, a channel impulse response from an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, which forms CIR samples. The CIR samples are examined to find a local maxima. A current CSD mode may be selected based on the local maxima found in the CIR samples.

Abstract: A wireless communication device can determine its position in accordance with a distributed positioning mechanism to minimize bandwidth and power consumption at the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can detect positioning control messages exchanged between independent pairs of access points in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication device can determine position information associated with each access point of each of the pairs of access points and timing information associated with the pairs of access points based, at least in part, on the detected positioning control messages. The position of the wireless communication device can then be calculated based, at least in part, on the position information and the timing information associated with the pairs of access points.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for determining a position of a mobile device in a network service area are described. An example of a method for determining the position of the mobile device includes receiving a positioning request for the position of the mobile device and, in response to receiving the positioning request, receiving signal characteristic measurements, estimating an a priori mobile device position area based on the signal characteristic measurements, determining a selected AD model, and determining the position of the mobile device using the selected AD model.

Abstract: A network based positioning (NBP) system that improves the accuracy of wireless positioning systems by concurrently performing RTT ranging operations and associated TDOA operations to generate a number of difference measurement values from which the position of a station device (STA) can be determined using, for example, multilateration techniques. Because the RTT values and their corresponding TDOA values both include the turn-around time (TAT) of the STA, subtracting TDOA values from their corresponding RTT values generates difference measurement values that do not include such TAT values of the STA. In this manner, the STA position can be determined without estimating the STA's TAT.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed pertain to apparatuses, systems, and methods for dynamically characterizing a mobile station (MS) in a wireless network by determining the variability of measured Round Trip Time (RTT) parameter values, the variability of measured Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) parameter values and other determined characteristics and classifying the MS into at least one of a plurality of classification groups based on the values of at least one of the RTT variability, the RSSI variability, or the other determined characteristics. The classification groups associated with a mobile station may be used to selecting a positioning method to determine the position of the MS.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining data accuracy in an access point (AP) location database including a plurality of stored location data are disclosed that can automatically update the AP location database meanwhile maintaining the data accuracy in the database. In some embodiments, the AP location database server receives a first set of location measurements for a first AP from a first mobile device, determines a trustworthiness of the first set of location measurements based on a first comparison between the first set of location measurements and the location data for the first AP stored in the AP location database, and selectively updates the stored location data for the first AP in the AP location database with the received first set of location measurements in response to the determined trustworthiness.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for determining a cyclic shift diversity (CSD) mode are presented. Examples use a channel impulse response (CIR) to determine a current CSD mode. Specifically, a channel impulse response from an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, which forms CIR samples. The CIR samples are examined to find a local maxima. A current CSD mode may be selected based on the local maxima found in the CIR samples.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to selectively enable and disable one or more modules in a mobile communication device based on a variation in received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values to reduce power consumption while the mobile device is relatively stationary.

Abstract: The present application describes a system and method for testing the position locating and navigation technology of a wireless client. To simulate the locations of the wireless access points in the array that are visible to the wireless client from the simulated location, the round-trip time between the wireless client and a wireless access point can be modified by delaying a response signal from the wireless access point in response to a signal received from the wireless client. The wireless client, knowing the location of the wireless access point and the expected response time of the wireless access point, interprets the delay in the response of the wireless access point as proportional to the distance of the wireless access point from the simulated location of the wireless client.

Abstract: A network based positioning (NBP) system that improves the accuracy of wireless positioning systems by concurrently performing RTT ranging operations and associated TDOA operations to generate a number of difference measurement values from which the position of a station device (STA) can be determined using, for example, multilateration techniques. Because the RTT values and their corresponding TDOA values both include the turn-around time (TAT) of the STA, subtracting TDOA values from their corresponding RTT values generates difference measurement values that do not include such TAT values of the STA. In this manner, the STA position can be determined without estimating the STA's TAT.

Abstract: A WLAN positioning system for calculating the geographic location of a mobile device minimizes the amount of data retrieved from a remote access point location server by dynamically switching between public fetching operations and private fetching operations in response to one or more parameters including, for example, whether the mobile device is in motion, the data retrieval history of the mobile device, and/or the capacity and utilization of local memory provided within the mobile device.

Abstract: A mobile device transmits to a server a request for information regarding access points in a wireless network. In response to the request, the mobile device receives encoded access point identifiers for a plurality of access points. The encoded access point identifiers include a reference identifier that has a number of groups of bits. The encoded access point identifiers also include encoding masks for respective access point identifiers, wherein a respective encoding mask identifies groups of bits for the respective access point identifier that are identical to corresponding groups of bits for the reference identifier. The encoded access point identifiers further include, for the respective access point identifiers, groups of bits that are not identical to the corresponding groups of bits for the reference identifier. The mobile device decodes at least some of the encoded access point identifiers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining data accuracy in an access point (AP) location database including a plurality of stored location data are disclosed that can automatically update the AP location database meanwhile maintaining the data accuracy in the database. In some embodiments, the AP location database server receives a first set of location measurements for a first AP from a first mobile device, determines a trustworthiness of the first set of location measurements based on a first comparison between the first set of location measurements and the location data for the first AP stored in the AP location database, and selectively updates the stored location data for the first AP in the AP location database with the received first set of location measurements in response to the determined trustworthiness.

Abstract: A wireless communication device can determine its position in accordance with a hybrid positioning mechanism to minimize bandwidth and power consumption at the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can detect one or more request messages and one or more corresponding response messages exchanged between a master access point and one or more target access points, and can accordingly determine TDOA information associated with the one or more target access points. The wireless communication device can receive, from the master access point, RTT measurement information determined by the master access point based, at least in part, on the one or more request messages and the one or more corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and the one or more target access points. The wireless communication device can calculate its position information based, at least in part, on the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information.

Abstract: A mobile device transmits to a server a request for information regarding access points in a wireless network. In response to the request, the mobile device receives encoded access point identifiers for a plurality of access points. The encoded access point identifiers include a reference identifier that has a number of groups of bits. The encoded access point identifiers also include encoding masks for respective access point identifiers, wherein a respective encoding mask identifies groups of bits for the respective access point identifier that are identical to corresponding groups of bits for the reference identifier. The encoded access point identifiers further include, for the respective access point identifiers, groups of bits that are not identical to the corresponding groups of bits for the reference identifier. The mobile device decodes at least some of the encoded access point identifiers.

Abstract: A WLAN positioning system for calculating the geographic location of a mobile device minimizes the amount of data retrieved from a remote access point location server by dynamically switching between public fetching operations and private fetching operations in response to one or more parameters including, for example, whether the mobile device is in motion, the data retrieval history of the mobile device, and/or the capacity and utilization of local memory provided within the mobile device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to selectively enable and disable one or more modules in a mobile communication device based on a variation in received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values to reduce power consumption while the mobile device is relatively stationary.