Skyhook Wireless, Inc.

Shyhook Wireless, Inc.

Joel N Nelson

Farshid Alizadeh-Shabdiz

Russel Kipp Jones

Nicolas Brachet

Nicholas Brachet

In one embodiment, Wi-Fi access point data is cached on a mobile client device in response to distances to WPS tile boundaries. The mobile client device identifies one or more Wi-Fi access points in range based on signals received by a Wi-Fi radio, and estimates its location utilizing the identified one or more Wi-Fi access points and Wi-Fi access point data of one or more Wi-Fi positioning system (WPS) tiles in a WPS tile store on the mobile client device. Based on the estimated location, the mobile client device determines it is within a threshold distance of a boundary of the one or more WPS tiles present in the WPS tile store and requests one or more new WPS tiles from a reference database of a remote server. Upon receipt, the one or more new WPS tiles are cached in the WPS tile store on the mobile client device.

Techniques for caching Wi-Fi access point data on a mobile client device using tiles

In one embodiment, when it is determined that one or more Wi-Fi positioning system (WPS) tiles that are necessary to estimate a location of a mobile client device are not present in a WPS tile store on the mobile client device, or are present in the WPS tile store on the mobile client device but out of date, one or more new WPS tiles are requested from a remote server. Each WPS tile is a set of Wi-Fi access point data for Wi-Fi access points within a bounded geographical region. The one or more new WPS tiles are received from the remote server, and are cached in the WPS tile store on the mobile client device. Subsequent to the caching, one or more further locations of the mobile client device are estimated autonomously from the remote server, utilizing Wi-Fi access point data in the WPS tile store.

Method and system for selecting and providing a relevant subset of wi-fl location information to a mobile client device so the client device may estimate its position with efficient utilization of resources

A method of providing a relevant subset of information to a client device is based in part on scanning for Wi-Fi access points within range of the client device, using a Wi-Fi database that covers a large target region to retrieve information about these access points, using this information to estimate the position of the mobile client device, selecting a limited region in the vicinity of the estimated location of the client device, and providing information about Wi-Fi access points within this limited region to the client. For efficient transfer and maintenance of data, the target region may be divided into a hierarchy of fixed geographical tiles.

Method and system for selecting and providing a relevant subset of Wi-Fi location information to a mobile client device so the client device may estimate its position with efficient utilization of resources

Methods and systems for selecting and providing a relevant subset of Wi-Fi location information to a mobile client device so the client device may estimate its position with efficient utilization of resources. A method of providing a relevant subset of information to a client device is based in part on scanning for Wi-Fi access points within range of the client device, using a Wi-Fi database that covers a large target region to retrieve information about these access points, using this information to estimate the position of the mobile client device, selecting a limited region in the vicinity of the estimated location of the client device, and providing information about Wi-Fi access points within this limited region to the client. For efficient transfer and maintenance of data, the target region may be divided into a hierarchy of fixed geographical tiles.

Growing community of inventors

Groton, MA, United States of America

Joel N Nelson