Apparatuses and methods for identifying mobile access points (APS) in mobile positioning systems

1. A computer system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs), location information, and Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of a plurality of Access Points (APs); and

a controller configured to determine a group of APs among the APs, whose MAC addresses are within a MAC address block, determine a first number of the group of APs whose SSIDs match one or more of a plurality of predetermined naming patterns or whose location information indicates a location change across a predetermined distance, determine whether a ratio of the first number to a total number of the group of APs exceeds a predetermined threshold, and classify the APs in the group as mobile APs when the ratio exceeds the predetermined threshold.

2. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage device is further configured to store a respective mobile-block flag for each of the APs, and the controller is further configured to set the mobile-block flags of the group of APs.

3. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage device is further configured to store a respective dictionary-based mobile flag for each of the APs, and the controller is further configured to set the dictionary-based mobile flags of the group of APs whose SSIDs match one or more of the predetermined naming patterns.

4. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage device is further configured to store a respective geographic-based mobile flag for each of the APs, and the controller is further configured to set the geographic-based mobile flags of the group of APs whose location information indicates the location change across the predetermined distance.

5. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined naming patterns indicate names of mobile device companies, mobile device models, or mobile device Operating Systems (OSs).

6. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the MAC address block is comprised of MAC addresses with a predetermined number of digits starting from the head being the same.

7. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to exclude the group of APs when processing a request for mobile positioning.

8. A method for a mobile positioning system to identify mobile Access Points (APs), the method comprising:

determining a group of APs whose MAC addresses are within a MAC address block;

determining a first number of the group of APs whose SSIDs match one or more of a plurality of predetermined naming patterns or whose location information indicates a location change across a predetermined distance;

determining whether a ratio of the first number to a total number of the group of APs exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

classifying the APs in the group as mobile APs when the ratio exceeds the predetermined threshold.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:

storing the SSIDs, the location information, the MAC addresses, and mobile-block flags of the APs; and

setting the mobile-block flags of the group of APs.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:

storing the SSIDs, the location information, the MAC addresses, and dictionary-based mobile flags of the APs; and

setting the dictionary-based mobile flags of the group of APs whose SSIDs match one or more of the predetermined naming patterns.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:

storing the SSIDs, the location information, the MAC addresses, and geographic-based mobile flags of the APs; and

setting the geographic-based mobile flags of the group of APs whose location information indicates the location change across the predetermined distance.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the predetermined naming patterns indicate names of mobile device companies, mobile device models, or mobile device OSs.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the MAC address block is comprised of MAC addresses with a predetermined number of digits starting from the head being the same.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:

excluding the group of APs when processing a request for mobile positioning.

15. A product comprising one or more computer readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor logic, enable the at least one processor logic to:

determine a group of APs whose MAC addresses are within a MAC address block;

determine a first number of the group of APs whose SSIDs match one or more of a plurality of predetermined naming patterns or whose location information indicates a location change across a predetermined distance;

determine whether a ratio of the first number to a total number of the group of APs exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

classify the APs in the group as mobile APs when the ratio exceeds the predetermined threshold.

16. The product as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor logic, further enable the at least one processor logic to:

set mobile-block flags corresponding to the group of APs in a database.

17. The product as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor logic, further enable the at least one processor logic to:

set dictionary-based mobile flags, corresponding to the group of APs whose SSIDs match one or more of the predetermined naming patterns, in a database.

18. The product as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor logic, further enable the at least one processor logic to:

set geographic-based mobile flags, corresponding to the group of APs whose location information indicates the location change across the predetermined distance, in a database.

19. The product as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the predetermined naming patterns indicate names of mobile device companies, mobile device models, or mobile device OSs.

20. The product as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the MAC address block is comprised of MAC addresses with a predetermined number of digits starting from the head being the same.

21. The product as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor logic, further enable the at least one processor logic to:

exclude the group of APs when processing a request for mobile positioning.