Methods and apparatus for locating mobile devices using wireless signals in mixed mode

Abstract

Disclosed examples operate in a transmit mode during a first period of time to cause transmission of first signals, the first signals to be received by a plurality of access points; operate in a receive mode during a second period of time to receive second signals from the plurality of access points; log device identifiers of the plurality of access points in association with signal strengths of corresponding ones of the second signals; and cause transmission of the device identifiers and the signal strengths to a server, the device identifiers and the signal strengths to facilitate processes at the server to: (a) train a neural network, (b) generate a corrected contour map associated with the plurality of access points based on the neural network, and (c) determine a location of the programmable circuitry based on the corrected contour map.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device comprising:
 a transceiver to:
 operate in a transmit mode during a first period of time to transmit first signals to be received by a plurality of access points; and 
 operate in a receive mode during a second period of time to receive second signals from the plurality of access points; 
   log generator circuitry to log device identifiers of the plurality of access points in association with signal strengths of corresponding ones of the second signals; and   interface circuitry to send the device identifiers and the signal strengths to a server, the device identifiers and the signal strengths to facilitate processes at the server to: (a) train a neural network, (b) generate a corrected contour map associated with the plurality of access points based on the neural network, and (c) determine a location of the mobile device based on the corrected contour map.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the signal strengths are first signal strengths, the first signals associated with second signal strengths at the plurality of access points, the interface circuitry to send the device identifiers and the first signal strengths to the server to facilitate the processes at the server to train the neural network based on the first and second signal strengths. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the device identifiers are service set identifiers. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the log generator circuitry is to log a timestamp to indicate a time at which the mobile device switches between the receive mode and the transmit mode. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein, during the transmit mode, the transceiver is to transmit at least one of a universal device identifier, an identifier for advertising, an identifier for vendor, an Android identifier, a device name, or a media access control address, the at least one of the universal device identifier, the identifier for advertising, the identifier for vendor, the Android identifier, the device name, or the media access control address to identify the mobile device. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , further including a timer to control the first period of time and the second period of time. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one memory;   instructions in the apparatus; and   programmable circuitry to be programmed based on the instructions to:
 operate in a transmit mode during a first period of time to cause transmission of first signals, the first signals to be received by a plurality of access points; 
 operate in a receive mode during a second period of time to receive second signals from the plurality of access points; 
 log device identifiers of the plurality of access points in association with signal strengths of corresponding ones of the second signals; and 
 cause transmission of the device identifiers and the signal strengths to a server, the device identifiers and the signal strengths to facilitate processes at the server to: (a) train a neural network, (b) generate a corrected contour map associated with the plurality of access points based on the neural network, and (c) determine a location of the apparatus based on the corrected contour map. 
   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the signal strengths are first signal strengths, the first signals associated with second signal strengths at the plurality of access points, the programmable circuitry to cause the transmission of the device identifiers and the signal strengths to the server to facilitate the processes at the server to train the neural network based on the first and second signal strengths. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the device identifiers are service set identifiers. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to log a timestamp to indicate a time at which the apparatus switches between the receive mode and the transmit mode. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein, during the transmit mode, the programmable circuitry is to cause transmission of a mobile device identifier to be received by the plurality of access points. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile device identifier is at least one of a universal device identifier, an identifier for advertising, an identifier for vendor, an Android identifier, a device name, or a media access control address. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to control the first period of time and the second period of time. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause programmable circuitry to at least:
 operate in a transmit mode during a first period of time to cause transmission of first signals, the first signals to be received by a plurality of access points;   operate in a receive mode during a second period of time to receive second signals from the plurality of access points;   log device identifiers of the plurality of access points in association with signal strengths of corresponding ones of the second signals; and   cause transmission of the device identifiers and the signal strengths to a server, the device identifiers and the signal strengths to facilitate processes at the server to: (a) train a neural network, (b) generate a corrected contour map associated with the plurality of access points based on the neural network, and (c) determine a location of the programmable circuitry based on the corrected contour map.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the signal strengths are first signal strengths, the first signals associated with second signal strengths at the plurality of access points, the instructions to cause the programmable circuitry to cause the transmission of the device identifiers and the signal strengths to the server to facilitate the processes at the server to train the neural network based on the first and second signal strengths. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the device identifiers are service set identifiers. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions are to cause the programmable circuitry to log a timestamp, the timestamp to indicate a time at which the programmable circuitry switches between the receive mode and the transmit mode. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions are to cause the programmable circuitry to control the first period of time and the second period of time. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein, during the transmit mode, the instructions are to cause the programmable circuitry to cause transmission of a mobile device identifier to be received by the plurality of access points. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the mobile device identifier is at least one of a universal device identifier, an identifier for advertising, an identifier for vendor, an Android identifier, a device name, or a media access control address.