Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a real time location service provider enables improved positioning services. The method includes processing a request for a position of a portable electronic device, where the request identifies at least one local access point and a connected cellular communication cell to which the device is operatively connected (step 705). The connected cellular communication cell is then matched with a listed cellular communication cell, where the listed cellular communication cell is associated with the real time location service provider and with a plurality of registered access points (step 710). Further, the at least one local access point is matched with at least one registered access point in the plurality of registered access points (step 715). Finally, the real time location service provider is selected based on an association of the at least one registered access point with the real time location service provider (step 720).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a real time location service provider enables improved positioning services. The method includes processing a request for a position of a portable electronic device, where the request identifies at least one local access point and a connected cellular communication cell to which the device is operatively connected (step 705). The connected cellular communication cell is then matched with a listed cellular communication cell, where the listed cellular communication cell is associated with the real time location service provider and with a plurality of registered access points (step 710). Further, the at least one local access point is matched with at least one registered access point in the plurality of registered access points (step 715). Finally, the real time location service provider is selected based on an association of the at least one registered access point with the real time location service provider (step 720).

Abstract: A method (300) of determining location information for an electronic device (100), the method (300) comprising receiving initial location information associated with the electronic device (305), determining proximate access point identifiers which identify a number of access points (225) corresponding to the initial location information (310), forwarding the proximate access point identifiers (315), receiving proximate access point location information associated with at least some of the proximate access point identifiers (320), determining final location information using the proximate access point location information (325), forwarding the final location information (330).

Abstract: An RFID system (100) includes an RFID privacy protection device (126) that keeps track of RFID tags possessed by a user, senses nearby RFID scanners (110, 112, 124) and limits the communication between the nearby RFID scanners and the RFID tags to what is necessary to accomplish the function of the RFID system by selectively generating a masking signal.