IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,823,835
Granted Patent B2
US 10,823,835 · App. 16/509,832 · Granted Nov 3, 2020

Electromagnetic reflection profiles

Inventors: Robert Raymond Miller, II (Convent Station, NJ); Kevin A. Li (New York, NY); Troy C. Meuninck (Newnan, GA); James H. Pratt (Round Rock, TX); Horst J. Schroeter (New Providence, NJ); Behzad Shahraray (Holmdel, NJ)
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
G01S13/46G01S5/0252G01S13/06G01S2013/462
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,823,835
App. No.
16/509,832
Granted
Nov 3, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and products determine electromagnetic reflective characteristics of ambient environments. A wireless communications device sends a cellular impulse and receives reflections of the cellular impulse. The cellular impulse and the reflections of the cellular impulse may be compared to determine the electromagnetic reflective characteristics of an ambient environment.

Claims (31)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, a query from a smartphone reporting a location and requesting a reflection electromagnetic profile;

determining, by the server, whether the reflection electromagnetic profile is unknown for the location reported by the smartphone; and

in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being unknown, determining, by the server, a wireless access point associated with the location reported by the smartphone.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving the reflection electromagnetic profile.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising responsive to determining that the reflection electromagnetic profile is known, receiving the reflection electromagnetic profile from the smartphone.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the wireless access point by querying a database for the location.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising responsive to determining that the reflection electromagnetic profile is known, transmitting the reflection electromagnetic profile.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising responsive to determining that the reflection electromagnetic profile is known, transmitting the reflection electromagnetic profile to the smartphone.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising responsive to determining that the reflection electromagnetic profile is known, sending the reflection electromagnetic profile to the smartphone via at least one of a cellular network and the wireless access point.

8. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a query from a smartphone reporting a location;

determining whether a reflection electromagnetic profile is unknown for the location reported by the smartphone; and

in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being unknown, determining a wireless access point associated with the location reported by the smartphone.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the reflection electromagnetic profile.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, sending the reflection electromagnetic profile to an address associated with the smartphone.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, sending the reflection electromagnetic profile to an Internet protocol address associated with the wireless access point.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, transmitting the reflection electromagnetic profile.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, transmitting the reflection electromagnetic profile to the smartphone.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, sending the reflection electromagnetic profile to the smartphone via at least one of a cellular network and a wireless local area network.

15. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a query from a smartphone reporting a location;

determining whether a reflection electromagnetic profile is unknown for the location reported by the smartphone; and

in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being unknown, determining a wireless access point associated with the location reported by the smartphone.

16. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the reflection electromagnetic profile.

17. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, sending the reflection electromagnetic profile to an address associated with the smartphone.

18. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, sending the reflection electromagnetic profile to an Internet protocol address associated with the smartphone.

19. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, transmitting the reflection electromagnetic profile.

20. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the reflection electromagnetic profile being known, transmitting the reflection electromagnetic profile to the smartphone.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 15, 2019
From: LI, KEVIN A.; MEUNINCK, TROY C.; MILLER, ROBERT RAYMOND, II; PRATT, JAMES H.; SCHROETER, HORST J.; SHAHRARAY, BEHZAD
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 049748/0152 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15867797 · Jan 11, 2018
Continuation 14886004 · Oct 17, 2015
Continuation 13685741 · Nov 27, 2012
Related Publication 20190339375A1 · Nov 7, 2019