Patent ID: 9560532
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: G01S,H04W

Claim:
1. A method, comprising: receiving, at a mapping database, from apparatuses at least signal source identification and information derived from signal strength histograms, each histogram comprising a range of signal strength values divided into a series of consecutive, non-overlapping signal strength bins, wherein each histogram records a total number of occurrences of signal strength values of signals received from multiple signal sources observed by an apparatus of said apparatuses at a respective observing location that fall into each signal strength bin; creating, by the mapping database, coverage area maps in the mapping database corresponding to the identified signal sources utilizing at least the received signal source identities and information derived from said signal strength histograms, wherein the coverage area maps are created using only received information with a signal strength that is above a threshold value, and wherein the threshold value is at least one of a median signal strength, mode signal strength or mean signal strength; receiving from a requesting apparatus a request for positioning assistance at the mapping database; and transmitting at least one of a coverage area map type of the coverage area maps to utilize in positioning or identities of signal sources to which the coverage area maps correspond to utilize in positioning to the requesting apparatus, wherein the map type is at least one of a median type, a mode type or a mean type.