System and method to discover device context and location using cellular signal information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10674474-B2
Application number	US-201716325783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Aug 17, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

System and method for receiving a plurality of cellular signals, determining a plurality of context data including at least one of an action data and a location data, mapping the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data, generating a plurality of context signatures based on the mapping of the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data, storing the plurality of context signatures, and determining a context profile associated with the communication device at an instance using a probability distribution of the stored plurality of context signatures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of determining a context profile associated with a portable communication device, the method comprising:
receiving, via a communication interface in the portable communication device, a plurality of cellular signals;
determining a plurality of context data in the communication device, the context data including at least one of an action data and a location data;
mapping the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data;
generating a plurality of context signatures based on the mapping of the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data;
storing the plurality of context signatures; and
determining a context profile associated with the communication device at an instance using a probability distribution of the stored plurality of context signatures.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the plurality of context signature includes determining a probability distribution of signal strength from one or more observable base stations at a location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving via the communication interface in the communication device, a plurality of cellular signals includes using at least one of a back channel parameter.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the back channel parameter is selected from the group consisting of a Received Signal Code Power (RSCP), a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cellular signals is received from one or more cellular networks selected from a group consisting of a GSM network, a UMTS network, and an LTE network.

6. A portable communication device, the portable communication device comprising:
an electronic processor configured to
receive, via a communication interface, a plurality of cellular signals;
determine a plurality of context data in the communication device, the context data including at least one of an action data and a location data;
map the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data;
generate a plurality of context signatures based on the mapping of the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data;
store the plurality of context signatures; and
determine a context profile associated with the communication device at an instance using a probability distribution of the stored plurality of context signatures.

7. The portable communication device of claim 6 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
determine a probability distribution of signal strength from one or more observable base stations at a location.

8. The portable communication device of claim 6 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
receive, via the communication interface, a plurality of cellular signals includes using at least one of a back channel parameter.

9. The portable communication device of claim 8 , the back channel parameter is selected from the group consisting of Received Signal Code Power (RSCP), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ).

10. The portable communication device of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of cellular signals is received from one or more cellular networks selected from a group consisting of a GSM network, a UMTS network, and an LTE network.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors in a portable communication device cause the one or more processors to:
receive, via a communication interface in the portable communication device, a plurality of cellular signals;
determine a plurality of context data in the communication device, the context data including at least one of an action data and a location data;
map the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data;
generate a plurality of context signatures based on the mapping of the plurality of cellular signals to the plurality of context data;
store the plurality of context signatures; and
determine a context profile associated with the communication device at an instance using a probability distribution of the stored plurality of context signatures.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to
determine a probability distribution of signal strength from one or more observable base stations at a location.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to
receive, via the communication interface, a plurality of cellular signals includes using at least one of a back channel parameter.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the back channel parameter is selected from the group consisting of Received Signal Code Power (RSCP), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ).

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of cellular signals is received from one or more cellular networks selected from a group consisting of a GSM network, a UMTS network, and an LTE network.

Assignees

• Univ North Carolina State

Inventors

• Poosamani Nithyananthan
• Rhee Injong

Classifications

• H04W64/003 Primary

  locating network equipment · CPC title

• H04W8/22

  Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities · CPC title

• H04W52/245 Primary

  taking into account received signal strength · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04B17/336

  Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] · CPC title