Patent ID: 7149499
Filing Date: 2006-12-12
Classification: H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. A network entity configured to source and/or sink messages in a computer network, the network entity comprising: a location determination engine; a radio frequency (RF) receiver in communicating relationship with the location determination engine, the RF receiver configured to capture beacon signals transmitted by a plurality of base stations, the beacon signals encoded with location information of the respective base stations, the location information of a particular base station having longitude and latitude and height of the particular base station, the height including an indication of a floor of a building; the location determination engine configured to decode the longitude and latitude of the plurality of base stations from received beacon signals, and to compute a longitude and latitude location of the network entity in response to longitude and latitude of the plurality of base stations by comparison of a time of transmission of each beacon signal with a time of reception of that beacon signal at the network entity and determination there from of a distance that beacon signal has traveled; and the location determination engine further configured to compute a floor of the building location of the network entity, in response to the floor of the building height information of the plurality of base stations encoded in the beacon signals.