U.S. patent application number 13/478462 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-13 for gps-based ce device wireless access point mapping.
Invention is credited to Fredrik Carpio, Nikolaos Georgis, Paul Jin Hwang, Benjamin Lo.
Application Number | 20120229341 13/478462 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44530878 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120229341 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hwang; Paul Jin ; et
al. |
September 13, 2012 |
GPS-BASED CE DEVICE WIRELESS ACCESS POINT MAPPING
Abstract
A CE device can incorporate a GPS receiver and can be moved
around a building with wireless access point (AP) signal strengths
recorded at various locations. The optimum AP location is selected
on the basis of the location-to-signal strength correlations.
Inventors: |
Hwang; Paul Jin; (San Diego,
CA) ; Carpio; Fredrik; (San Diego, CA) ;
Georgis; Nikolaos; (San Diego, CA) ; Lo;
Benjamin; (San Diego, CA) |
Family ID: |
44530878 |
Appl. No.: |
13/478462 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12715525 |
Mar 2, 2010 |
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13478462 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
342/451 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02D 30/70 20200801;
G01S 5/06 20130101; Y02D 70/164 20180101; Y02D 70/142 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
342/451 |
International
Class: |
G01S 3/02 20060101
G01S003/02 |
Claims
1. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising: housing bearing a
processor and a visual display, the processor controlling the
display; position sensor in the housing and generating geographic
position signals; wireless receiver in the housing and receiving
signals from a wireless access point (AP) configured to communicate
with a wide area network and located at a current AP location; the
processor using the signals from the position sensor and wireless
receiver to generate a correlation of wireless access point (AP)
communication conditions with respective locations in a building,
the processor presenting an indication on the display of a
suggested location of the AP that is different from the current AP
location, wherein the suggested location of the AP is a location
that is geographically between plural positions of equally good
communication conditions, or wherein the suggested location of the
AP is a furthest location from the current AP location having a
corresponding communication condition that meets or exceeds a
minimum threshold.
2-3. (canceled)
4. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the suggested location of the
AP is a location with a highest communication condition.
5-6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the device instructs a user to
enter locations of wireless AP physical connections to a network, a
respective communication condition being recorded for each wireless
AP physical connection location entered, the suggested location of
the AP being a wireless AP physical connection location with a
higher communication index than communication indices associated
with other wireless AP physical connection locations.
9. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor presents on the
display a suggested location for disposing a wireless AP repeater
communicating wirelessly with the wireless AP.
10. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor presents on the
display a suggested most secure wireless AP location using the
correlation of wireless access point (AP) communication conditions
with respective locations.
11. Method comprising: receiving, in a computing device, location
information indicating location of the device; receiving, in the
computing device, signals from a wireless access point (AP); moving
the computing device relative to the AP; correlating at least first
and second locations of the computing device to first and second AP
communication indices; and based on the correlating act, outputting
a suggested location of the AP that is different from a current
location of the AP, further comprising presenting indication of the
first and second locations along with the first and second AP
communication indices.
12. (canceled)
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the suggested location of the
AP is a location with a highest communication condition.
14-16. (canceled)
17. The method of claim 11, comprising instructing a user to enter
locations of wireless AP physical connections to a network,
recording a respective communication condition for each wireless AP
physical connection location entered, the suggested location of the
AP being a wireless AP physical connection location with a higher
communication index than communication indices associated with
other wireless AP physical connection locations.
18. The method of claim 11, comprising presenting a suggested
location for disposing a wireless AP repeater communicating
wirelessly with the wireless AP.
19. The method of claim 11, comprising presenting a suggested most
secure wireless AP location using a correlation of wireless access
point (AP) communication conditions with respective locations.
20. System comprising: computing device including a position
receiver and a wireless transceiver; and wireless access point (AP)
communicating with the computing device, the computing device
determining communication indicia for respective locations of the
computing device relative to the AP and based thereon outputting to
a user a suggested best AP location, a suggested most secure AP
location, and a suggested AP repeater location.
Description
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present application is directed to using global
positioning satellite (GPS) signals to map optimal wireless access
point (AP) coverage for a CE device.
II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A wide variety of CE devices such as wireless telephones,
personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, etc. have
been provided that leverage digital processing to provide a
multiplicity of useful features to users. Such devices typically
connect to wide area networks such as the Internet and many such
devices do so using wireless links. When wireless links are used,
the CE device ordinarily communicates with a so-called wireless
"access point" (AP), essentially a wireless transceiver, which in
turn is connected via a wired path to the Internet.
[0003] As understood herein, use of a CE device's wireless network
connectivity can be limited in a business or home environment
depending on the wireless Internet coverage. A CE device cannot be
used to access a network in areas where it inadequately receives
signals from the wireless AP. This problem may be addressed by
improving the wireless range of the AP and/or CE device but as
understood herein, power consumption concerns counterbalance this
approach. Or, wireless repeaters may be added, e.g., inside a home
to improve connectivity with the AP, but as recognized herein use
of such repeaters cascades costs. In such cases, however, a user
typically has little good idea where to locate a repeater.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Accordingly, a consumer electronics (CE) device includes a
housing bearing a processor and a visual display controlled by the
processor. A position sensor is in the housing and generates
geographic position signals. Also, a wireless receiver is in the
housing and receives signals from a wireless access point (AP)
configured to communicate with a wide area network and located at a
current AP location. The processor uses the signals from the
position sensor and wireless receiver to generate a correlation of
wireless access point (AP) communication conditions with respective
locations in a building. The processor further presents an
indication on the display of a suggested location of the AP that is
different from the current AP location.
[0005] In some implementations, the processor presents on the
display a map illustrating communication conditions as a function
of position in the building. The communication condition can
include signal strength (SS).
[0006] The suggested location of the AP can be a location with a
highest communication condition, or a location that is
geographically between plural positions of equally good
communication conditions, or a furthest location from the current
AP location having a corresponding communication condition that
meets or exceeds a minimum threshold. Yet again, the suggested
location of the AP can be a location having a lowest communication
index.
[0007] In example embodiments, the device instructs a user to enter
locations of wireless AP physical connections to a network, with a
respective communication condition being recorded for each wireless
AP physical connection location entered. The suggested location of
the AP can then be a wireless AP physical connection location with
a higher communication index than communication indices associated
with other wireless AP physical connection locations.
[0008] In other examples, the processor presents on the display a
suggested location for disposing a wireless AP repeater
communicating wirelessly with the wireless AP. If desired, the
processor presents on the display a suggested most secure wireless
AP location using the correlation of wireless access point (AP)
communication conditions with respective locations.
[0009] In another aspect, a method includes receiving, in a
computing device, location information indicating location of the
device. The method also includes receiving, in the computing
device, signals from a wireless access point (AP), moving the
computing device relative to the AP, and correlating first and
second locations of the computing device to first and second AP
communication indices. Based on the correlating act, a suggested
location of the AP that is different from a current location of the
AP is output.
[0010] In another aspect, a system includes a computing device
including a position receiver and a wireless transceiver. The
system also includes a wireless access point (AP) communicating
with the computing device. The computing device determines
communication indicia for respective locations of the computing
device relative to the AP and based thereon outputs to a user a
suggested best AP location, a suggested most secure AP location,
and a suggested AP repeater location. The details of the present
invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be
understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like
reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system in accordance
with present principles;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of example logic for mapping wireless
access point (AP) signal strengths; and
[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating the mapping of
AP signal strengths.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a CE device 10 is shown that
includes a housing 12 bearing a digital processor 14. The CE device
10 may be, e.g., a personal computer (PC) or laptop computer or
notebook computer, although other digital processing apparatus are
envisioned.
[0015] The processor 14 can control a visual display 16 and an
audible display 18 such as one or more speakers. The visual display
16 may be, e.g., a capacitive touchscreen display, although other
display types may be used.
[0016] To undertake present principles, the processor 14 may access
one or more computer readable storage media 20 such as but not
limited to disk-based or solid state storage. In example
non-limiting embodiments, the media 20 may store various software
modules, including, for example, a wireless access point (AP) map
module 22.
[0017] The left portion of FIG. 1 shows that in addition to the
processor 14, displays 16, 18, and media 20, the housing 12 may
hold a computer clock 24 to output a time of day signal to the
processor 14 for, e.g., display of the time on the visual display
16 and for, e.g., the sounding of a time-based alarm on the audible
display 18. If desired, a wireless network interface 26 may be in
the housing 12 and may communicate with the processor 14 to permit
the processor 14 to communicate with a wide area computer network
such as the Internet. The interface 26 may be, without limitation,
a WiFi interface. A position receiver 28 such as a global
positioning satellite (GPS) receiver may be provided in the housing
12 and may communicate signals to the processor 14 representative
of the terrestrial position of the housing 12.
[0018] As also shown in FIG. 1, the CE device 10 communicates with
a wireless access point (AP) 30 including an AP processor 32
receiving position signals from a position receiver 34 and
communicating wirelessly with the CE device 10 using a wireless
transceiver 36 over a wireless link 38. In cases where the wireless
link 38 is insufficient, the CE device 10 may communicate with the
AP 30 via a wireless repeater 40. Without limitation, the AP 30 may
be implemented by a wireless router.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows example logic in accordance with present
principles. Commencing at block 42 the user sets up the AP 30 in a
convenient part of a dwelling such as a home, e.g. nearby a
telephone jack for connecting the AP to the wireless telephony
network (and, hence, the Internet). At block 44 the map module 22
may then be invoked on the device 10 from, e.g., a setup screen or
other location.
[0020] Proceeding to block 46, the device 10 executing the map
module 22 instructs the user to enter the location of the AP by,
e.g., standing next to the AP and inputting an "enter" signal using
a keypad or point-and-click device associated with device 10. This
signals the device 10 to record the position indicated by the
position receiver 28 as the AP position. The instruction to enter
the AP position may be presented on the visual display 16 and/or
audible display 18.
[0021] Then, at block 48 the device 10 executing the map module 22
instructs the user to ambulate around the dwelling in which the AP
is located, recording, as the user does so, indicia of signal
reception from the AP at the device 10 at block 50. One or more
indicia of AP communication conditions may be used, such as signal
strength (SS) or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or bit error rate
(BER) or other parameter or parameters. The one or more indicia are
recorded on the medium 20 and correlated to the position indicated
by the position sensor 28 at the time a signal characterized by the
indicia is received. In this way, a map (which may be implemented
on the medium 20 in any suitable format such as a table) is
generated that correlates various geographic positions of the
device 10 to respective AP communication conditions, e.g., to
SS.
[0022] After creating this signal strength map, the device 10
executing the map module 22 can determine an optimum AP location
using the map at block 52. In one implementation, the location with
the highest communication index is selected. In another
implementation, the location that is geographically between plural
positions of equally good communication indices is selected. In
another implementation, the furthest location from the AP position
recorded at block 46 whose corresponding communication index meets
or exceeds a minimum threshold is selected. In another
implementation, the location having the lowest communication index
is selected.
[0023] Other heuristics may be used. For example, the device 10
executing the map module 22 may instruct the user to enter the
locations not just of the initial AP set up but also of the
telephone jacks in the dwelling using above principles as the user
ambulates with the device 10 at block 48. At each jack location,
the communication index is recorded, and the jack location with the
highest communication index is selected at block 52.
[0024] Regardless of how selected, the device 10 executing the map
module 22 can present the "best" location to the user on, e.g., the
visual display 16. This may be done by presenting an image of a map
on the display and highlighting as in green the "best" location. An
example map is further discussed below.
[0025] Additionally, if a user requests advice (by, e.g., selecting
a user interface element presented on the display 16 indicating
"repeater location optimization") at decision diamond 54, repeater
location advice can be presented to the user on the display 16
and/or 18 at block 56. In one example, the repeater location advice
may be a ranked list of locations, e.g., an image of the map
discussed below, with position rankings indicated alpha-numerically
and/or by color. The order of the list may be established to be:
location with lowest communication first, location with
second-lowest communication index second, and so on.
[0026] Moreover, a user may be enabled to select, at decision
diamond 58, whether to be provided secure location advice.
Selection of this option may be effected by selecting a user
interface element presented on the display 16 indicating "show me
the most secure AP location". At block 62 a secure location may be
presented to the user by, e.g., presenting the map and showing a
color-coded or alpha-numerically designated "secure" location on
the display 16. In one example, the secure location output at block
62 is the map location with the lowest corresponding communication
index. The process ends at state 60.
[0027] Other potential uses of above principles are to create a
service in which technicians execute the logic of FIG. 2 on the
behalf of a customer.
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates a map 66 that may be presented on the
visual display 16 in accordance with above principles. The map 66
may include wall and door boundaries 68 derived from a
computer-stored floor plan of the user's home that is downloaded
via, e.g., the network interface 26 and stored on the media 20,
although in some embodiments no boundaries 68 need be
presented.
[0029] In FIG. 3, "PID (1)" represents the CE device 10, and a
track 70 representing the user's movement at blocks 48 and 50 in
FIG. 2 may be presented on the map. The map can present an image or
icon 72 of the wireless AP at the position indicated by the user to
be the origin of the map. Indications of AP SS can be presented on
the track 70 as recorded at block 50 for various locations on the
track. The indications may be color coded (e.g., green for "good",
orange for "marginal", red for "poor") or, as shown at 74, 76, and
78 in FIG. 3, may be textual, e.g., "good", "strong", and "dead
zone", respectively.
[0030] While the particular GPS-BASED CE DEVICE WIRELESS ACCESS
POINT MAPPING is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be
understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the
present invention is limited only by the claims.
* * * * *