Patent ID: 9622036
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: H04B,H04L,H04M,H04W

Claim:
1. A method for estimating and use of device location based on a radio frequency (RF) signature of wireless coverage from a single base station, wherein the base station is positioned at a location, the method comprising: for a plurality of first wireless communication devices (WCDs) provided with coverage from the base station, storing data records that associate (i) RF signatures of the first WCDs' coverage from the base station with (ii) locations of the first WCDs corresponding with the RF signatures, wherein the locations of the first WCDs define bearings from the base station's location and distances from the base station's location; for a second WCD provided with coverage from the base station, receiving an RF signature of the second WCD's coverage from the base station; querying the stored data records to identify multiple data records whose RF signatures most closely match the RF signature of the second WCD's coverage of the base station; combining the bearings defined by the locations of the identified multiple data records to establish a representative bearing from the base station, and combining the distances defined by the locations of the identified multiple data records to establish a representative distance from the base station; based on the established representative bearing and the established representative distance, estimating as a location of the second WCD a location that has the established representative bearing from the base station and the established representative distance from the base station; and using the estimated location of the second WCD as a basis to provide a location-based service.