(19)
(11)EP 1 359 714 A3

(12)EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)Date of publication A3:
21.06.2006 Bulletin 2006/25

(43)Date of publication A2:
05.11.2003 Bulletin 2003/45

(21)Application number: 03010045.7

(22)Date of filing:  02.05.2003
(51)International Patent Classification (IPC): 
H04L 12/28(2006.01)
(84)Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK

(30)Priority: 02.05.2002 US 137912

(71)Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Redmond, WA 98052 (US)

(72)Inventors:
  • Moore, Timothy M.
    Bellevue, Washington 98008 (US)
  • Polastre, Joseph
    Fl. 2, Berkely, California 94703 (US)
  • Barkley, Warren
    Mill Creek, Washington 98012 (US)
  • Bahl, Paramvir
    Sammamish, Washington 98075 (US)

(74)Representative: Grünecker, Kinkeldey, Stockmair & Schwanhäusser Anwaltssozietät 
Maximilianstrasse 58
80538 München
80538 München (DE)

  


(54)Method and system for determining the location of a mobile computer


(57) A mobile computer establishes a wireless communication session with a wireless access point of a computer network. The location of each wireless access point is known and obtainable either from a database on the network or from the access points themselves. The strengths of wireless signals passing between the mobile computer and multiple wireless access points of the network, including the access point with which the mobile computer has established the session are measured at multiple time intervals. The measurements may be taken at the mobile computer itself or at the wireless access points. The measured strength values are then weighted according to such factors as whether the mobile computer has already established a communication session with the access point from which the sample was taken, and how old the sample is. For each location, the weighted strength values obtained for access points in that location are summed. The location having the highest sum is deemed to be the location of the mobile computer.







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