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 maintaining a location database at a location server, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a first mobile station, information comprising identification for a first wireless access point, one or more locations of the first mobile station, and positioning information determined by the first mobile station using signals transmitted by the first wireless access point and received by the first mobile station at the one or more locations of the first mobile station, wherein the positioning information includes a signal strength measurement, a timing measurement, or both;   determining first location information of the first wireless access point based on the one or more locations of the first mobile station and the positioning information;   creating an entry in the location database for the first wireless access point, wherein the entry for the first wireless access point includes the identification for the first wireless access point and the first location information of the first wireless access point;   receiving, from a second mobile station, a request for location information regarding the first wireless access point, wherein the request for location information includes the identification of the first wireless access point; and   providing, to the second mobile station, location information for the first wireless access point wherein the location information is obtained from the location database based on the identification of the first wireless access point.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning information further includes a distance between a first location of the one or more locations of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first location information comprises a location of the first wireless access point, a coverage area of the first wireless access point, or both. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: determining second location information of the first wireless access point based on information received from one or more additional mobile stations. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising updating the entry in the location database for the first wireless access point based on the second location information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the first location information of the first wireless access point comprises using the positioning information to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining the weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station comprises determining, for each of the one or more locations of the first mobile station, a distance between the respective location of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the first location information of the first wireless access point comprises using a time at which the positioning information was received to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first mobile station is the same as the second mobile station. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first mobile station is different than the second mobile station. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless access point is an access point of a local area network. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second mobile station is not authorized to have access to the local area network. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the information comprising the identification for the first wireless access point, the one or more locations of the first mobile station, and the positioning information is received through a second wireless access point. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second wireless access point is a cellular base station. 
     
     
         15 . A server for maintaining a location database, the server comprising:
 a communication interface;   a memory configured to store instructions; and   one or more processors communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface and configured to:
 receive, from a first mobile station, information comprising identification for a first wireless access point, one or more locations of the first mobile station, and positioning information determined by the first mobile station using signals transmitted by the first wireless access point and received by the first mobile station at the one or more locations of the first mobile station, wherein the positioning information includes a signal strength measurement, a timing measurement, or both; 
 determine first location information of the first wireless access point based on the one or more locations of the first mobile station and the positioning information; 
 create an entry in the location database for the first wireless access point, wherein the entry for the first wireless access point includes the identification for the first wireless access point and the first location information of the first wireless access point; 
 receive, from a second mobile station, a request for location information regarding the first wireless access point, wherein the request for location information includes the identification of the first wireless access point; and 
 provide, to the second mobile station, location information for the first wireless access point wherein the location information is obtained from the location database based on the identification of the first wireless access point. 
   
     
     
         16 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein the positioning information includes a distance between a first location of the one or more locations of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         17 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein the first location information includes a location of the first wireless access point, a coverage area of the first wireless access point, or both. 
     
     
         18 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine second location information of the first wireless access point based on information from one or more additional mobile stations. 
     
     
         19 . The server of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to update the entry in the location database for the first wireless access point based on the second location information. 
     
     
         20 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein, to determine the first location information of the first wireless access point, the one or more processors are further configured to use the positioning information to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station. 
     
     
         21 . The server of  claim 20 , wherein, to determine the weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station, the one or more processors are further configured to determine for each of the one or more locations of the first mobile station, a distance between the respective location of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         22 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein, to determine the first location information of the first wireless access point, the one or more processors are further configured to use a time at which the positioning information was received to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station. 
     
     
         23 . A device for maintaining a location database at a location server, the device comprising:
 means for receiving, from a first mobile station, information comprising identification for a first wireless access point, one or more locations of the first mobile station, and positioning information determined by the first mobile station using signals transmitted by the first wireless access point and received by the first mobile station at the one or more locations of the first mobile station, wherein the positioning information includes a signal strength measurement, a timing measurement, or both;   means for determining first location information of the first wireless access point based on the one or more locations of the first mobile station and the positioning information;   means for creating an entry in the location database for the first wireless access point, wherein the entry for the first wireless access point includes the identification for the first wireless access point and the first location information of the first wireless access point;   means for receiving, from a second mobile station, a request for location information regarding the first wireless access point, wherein the request for location information includes the identification of the first wireless access point; and   means for providing, to the second mobile station, location information for the first wireless access point wherein the location information is obtained from the location database based on the identification of the first wireless access point.   
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the positioning information includes a distance between a first location of the one or more locations of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the first location information comprises a location of the first wireless access point, a coverage area of the first wireless access point, or both. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 23 , further comprising means for determining second location information of the first wireless access point based on information from one or more additional mobile stations. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , further comprising means for updating the entry in the location database for the first wireless access point based on the second location information. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the means for determining the first location information of the first wireless access point comprise means for using the positioning information to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein the means for determining the weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station comprises means for determining, for each of the one or more locations of the first mobile station, a distance between the respective location of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the means for determining the first location information of the first wireless access point comprises means for using a time at which the positioning information was received to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station. 
     
     
         31 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for maintaining a location database at a location server, the instructions comprising code for:
 receiving, from a first mobile station, information comprising identification for a first wireless access point, one or more locations of the first mobile station, and positioning information determined by the first mobile station using signals transmitted by the first wireless access point and received by the first mobile station at the one or more locations of the first mobile station, wherein the positioning information includes a signal strength measurement, a timing measurement, or both;   determining first location information of the first wireless access point based on the one or more locations of the first mobile station and the positioning information;   creating an entry in the location database for the first wireless access point, wherein the entry for the first wireless access point includes the identification for the first wireless access point and the first location information of the first wireless access point;   receiving, from a second mobile station, a request for location information regarding the first wireless access point, wherein the request for location information includes the identification of the first wireless access point; and   providing, to the second mobile station, location information for the first wireless access point wherein the location information is obtained from the location database based on the identification of the first wireless access point.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the positioning information includes a distance between a first location of the one or more locations of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the first location information comprises a location of the first wireless access point, a coverage area of the first wireless access point, or both. 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions comprise code for determining second location information of the first wireless access point based on information from one or more additional mobile stations. 
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions comprise code for updating the entry in the location database for the first wireless access point based on the second location information. 
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein, to determine the first location information of the first wireless access point, the instructions comprise code for using the positioning information to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station. 
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 36 , wherein, to determine the weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station, the instructions comprise code for determining for each of the one or more locations of the first mobile station, a distance between the respective location of the first mobile station and a location of the first wireless access point. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein, to determine the first location information of the first wireless access point, the instructions comprise code for, using a time at which the positioning information was received to determine a weight for the one or more locations of the first mobile station.