Patent ID: 9078099
Filing Date: 2015-07-07
Classification: G01S,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of determining a location of a mobile device without using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, comprising: receiving, in the mobile device, transmissions from a plurality of wireless utility meters; transmitting, by the mobile device, an approximate location of the mobile device to a server; receiving, at the mobile device from the server, a subset of a meter signal signature database corresponding to the approximate location of the mobile device, wherein the approximate location of the mobile device is used to identify the subset of the meter signal signature database within a vicinity of the approximate location of the mobile device; determining from the received transmissions signal strengths and meter identifiers of each of the plurality of wireless utility meters; comparing the determined meter identifiers and respective signal strengths to the received subset of the meter signal signature database, wherein the received subset of the meter signal signature database comprises a plurality of records that associate a plurality of geographic coordinates with a plurality of wireless utility meter identifiers and respective signal strengths; identifying a best match data record within the received subset of the meter signal signature database that represents a best match between signal strengths and meter identifiers determined from received transmissions and the plurality of wireless utility meter identifiers and respective signal strengths stored in the best match data record; and using geographic coordinates of the identified best match data record as the location of the mobile device.