Method and apparatus for wireless network hybrid positioning

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for position determination and other operations. In one embodiment of the present invention, a mobile station uses wireless signals from a plurality of wireless networks (e.g., with different air interfaces and/or operated by different service providers) for position determination (e.g., for data communication, for obtaining time and/or frequency information, for range measurement, for sector or altitude estimation). In one embodiment of the present invention, mobile stations are used to harvest statistical data about wireless access points (e.g., the locations of mobile stations that have received signals from the wireless access points, such as from cellular base stations, wireless local area network access points, repeaters for positioning signals, or other wireless communication transmitters) and to derive location information (e.g., position and coverage area of the wireless access points) for the wireless networks from the collected statistical data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for location determination, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a first mobile station, during a first time period, satellite positioning system (SPS) signals from SPS satellites;   determining, by the first mobile station during the first time period, one or more positions of the first mobile station based on the received SPS signals;   receiving, by the first mobile station, at the one or more positions of the first mobile station during the first time period, first wireless signals from a first access point of a first wireless network, wherein the first wireless signals received from the first wireless access point comprise identification information of the first wireless access point, wherein the first wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), and wherein the first mobile station is not authorized to have access to the first wireless network;   transmitting, from the first mobile station to a location server, information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point;   receiving, by a second mobile station, during a second time period after the first time period, second wireless signals from the first access point, wherein the second wireless signals comprise the identification information of the first wireless access point;   determining, by the second mobile station, positioning information with respect to the first wireless access point using the second wireless signals received from the first wireless access point, the positioning information comprising signal strength measurements, timing measurements, or both;   transmitting, from the second mobile station to the location server, information comprising the identification information of the first wireless access point;   receiving, at the second mobile station, from the location server, location information of the first wireless access point; and   determining, by the second mobile station, a position of the second mobile station using the location information received from the location server and the positioning information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first mobile station is the same as the second mobile station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first mobile station is different than the second mobile station. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second mobile station is not authorized to have access to the first wireless network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point are transmitted from the first mobile station to the location server via a cellular base station of a cellular network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information comprising the identification of the first wireless access point is transmitted from the second mobile station to the location server via a cellular base station of a cellular network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing, at the first mobile station, the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point, and transmitting, from the first mobile station, the information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point after a communication connection between the first mobile station and location server has been established. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising transmitting, from the first mobile station, information comprising one or more additional positions of the first mobile station and identification information of one or more additional wireless access points after the communication connection has been established. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the position of the second mobile station is additionally based on signals from a second wireless access point of a second wireless network. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second wireless access point comprises a cellular base station and the second wireless network comprises a cellular network. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identification information of the first wireless access point comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address or an Internet Protocol (IP) address. 
     
     
         12 . A system for location determination, the system comprising:
 a first mobile station comprising:
 a first transceiver; 
 a first memory; and 
 a first processor, wherein the first processor is communicatively coupled with the first transceiver and the first memory and configured to:
 receive, via the first transceiver, during a first time period, 
 
 satellite positioning system (SPS) signals from SPS satellites;
 determine, during the first time period, one or more positions of the first mobile station based on the received SPS signals; 
 receive, via the first transceiver, at the one or more positions of the first mobile station during the first time period, first wireless signals from a first access point of a first wireless network, wherein the first wireless signals received from the first wireless access point comprise identification information of the first wireless access point, wherein the first wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), and wherein the first mobile station is not authorized to have access to the first wireless network; and 
 transmit, via the first transceiver to a location server, information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point; and 
 
   a second mobile station comprising:
 a second transceiver; 
 a second memory; and 
 a second processor, wherein the second processor is communicatively coupled with the second transceiver and the second memory and configured to:
 receive, via the second transceiver, during a second time period after the first time period, second wireless signals from the first access point, wherein the second wireless signals comprise the identification information of the first wireless access point; 
 determine positioning information with respect to the first wireless access point using the second wireless signals received from the first wireless access point, the positioning information comprising signal strength measurements, timing measurements, or both; 
 transmit, via the second transceiver, to the location server, information comprising the identification information of the first wireless access point; 
 receive, via the second transceiver, from the location server, location information of the first wireless access point; and 
 determine a position of the second mobile station using the location information received from the location server and the positioning information. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second mobile station is not authorized to have access to the first wireless network. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first processor is further configured to transmit, via the first transceiver, the information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point to the location server via a cellular base station of a cellular network. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second processor is further configured to transmit, via the second transceiver, the information comprising the identification of the first wireless access point to the location server via a cellular base station of a cellular network. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first processor is configured to store, in the first memory, the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point, and wherein the first processor is further configured to transmit, via the first transceiver, the information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point after a communication connection between the first mobile station and location server has been established. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first processor is configured to transmit, via the first transceiver, information comprising one or more additional positions of the first mobile station and identification information of one or more additional wireless access point after the communication connection has been established. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second processor is configured to determine the position of the second mobile station additionally based on signals from a second wireless access point of a second wireless network. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the second wireless access point comprises a cellular base station and the second wireless network comprises a cellular network. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the identification information of the first wireless access point comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address or an Internet Protocol (IP) address. 
     
     
         21 . A system of location determination, the system comprising:
 means for receiving, by a first mobile station, during a first time period, satellite positioning system (SPS) signals from SPS satellites;   means for determining, by the first mobile station during the first time period, one or more positions of the first mobile station based on the received SPS signals;   means for receiving, by the first mobile station, at the one or more positions of the first mobile station during the first time period, first wireless signals from a first access point of a first wireless network, wherein the first wireless signals received from the first wireless access point comprise identification information of the first wireless access point, wherein the first wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), and wherein the first mobile station is not authorized to have access to the first wireless network;   means for transmitting, from the first mobile station to a location server, information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point;   means for receiving, by a second mobile station, during a second time period after the first time period, second wireless signals from the first access point, wherein the second wireless signals comprise the identification information of the first wireless access point;   means for determining, by the second mobile station, positioning information with respect to the first wireless access point using the second wireless signals received from the first wireless access point, the positioning information comprising signal strength measurements, timing measurements, or both;   means for transmitting, from the second mobile station to the location server, information comprising the identification information of the first wireless access point;   means for receiving, at the second mobile station, from the location server, location information of the first wireless access point; and   means for determining, by the second mobile station, a position of the second mobile station using the location information received from the location server and the positioning information.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first mobile station is the same as the second mobile station. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the second mobile station is not authorized to have access to the first wireless network. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising means for storing, at the first mobile station, the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point, wherein the means for transmitting the information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point are configured to transmit the information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point after a communication connection between the first mobile station and location server has been established. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising means for transmitting, from the first mobile station, information comprising one or more additional positions of the first mobile station and identification information of one or more additional wireless access points after the communication connection has been established. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising means for determining the position of the second mobile station additionally based on signals from a second wireless access point of a second wireless network. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the second wireless access point comprises a cellular base station and the second wireless network comprises a cellular network. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the identification information of the first wireless access point comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address or an Internet Protocol (IP) address. 
     
     
         29 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for location determination, the instructions comprising code for:
 receiving, by a first mobile station, during a first time period, satellite positioning system (SPS) signals from SPS satellites;   determining, by the first mobile station during the first time period, one or more positions of the first mobile station based on the received SPS signals;   receiving, by the first mobile station, at the one or more positions of the first mobile station during the first time period, first wireless signals from a first access point of a first wireless network, wherein the first wireless signals received from the first wireless access point comprise identification information of the first wireless access point, wherein the first wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), and wherein the first mobile station is not authorized to have access to the first wireless network;   transmitting, from the first mobile station to a location server, information comprising the one or more positions of the first mobile station and the identification information of the first wireless access point;   receiving, by a second mobile station, during a second time period after the first time period, second wireless signals from the first access point, wherein the second wireless signals comprise the identification information of the first wireless access point;   determining, by the second mobile station, positioning information with respect to the first wireless access point using the second wireless signals received from the first wireless access point, the positioning information comprising signal strength measurements, timing measurements, or both;   transmitting, from the second mobile station to the location server, information comprising the identification information of the first wireless access point;   receiving, at the second mobile station, from the location server, location information of the first wireless access point; and   determining, by the second mobile station, a position of the second mobile station using the location information received from the location server and the positioning information.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the first mobile station is the same as the second mobile station.