Various systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for locating a patron and delivering an order. One example method may comprise detecting a mobile device of a customer at an establishment. The example method may further comprise determining a location of the mobile device of the customer within the establishment. The example method may further comprise linking the determined location to an order placed by the customer. The example method may further comprise enabling delivery of the order to the customer at the determined location. Similar and related methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer program products are also provided.

The reconfigurable radio direction finder system and method uses a reconfigurable antenna to electronically cycle through a plurality of different antenna configurations to determine a signal direction. Specifically, the reconfigurable antenna is cycled through N different antenna configurations, where N is an integer greater than one, where each antenna configuration has a pointing direction associated therewith defined by an elevation angle θ.sub.n of an n-th antenna configuration, where n is an integer between 1 and N, and an azimuthal angle φ.sub.n of the n-th antenna configuration. A received signal strength of the radio signal is measured for each of the antenna configurations as a power output of the n-th antenna configuration, P.sub.n. A spherical weighted directional mean vector (X.sub.DF, Y.sub.DF, Z.sub.DF) is then estimated for the radio signal as $X_{\mathrm{DF}}=\frac{1}{N}\underset{n=1}{\overset{N}{.Math.}}{P}_n\cos \left({\varphi }_n\right)\sin \left({\theta }_n\right),Y_{\mathrm{DF}}=\frac{1}{N}\underset{}{\overset{}{.Math.}}$

In a method for determining a location of an electronic device, a plurality of beacon signals are received from a plurality of beacon devices at the electronic device, wherein each beacon signal of the plurality of beacon signals includes an identity of a beacon device transmitting a respective beacon signal, and each beacon device of the plurality of beacon devices has a known location. A received signal strength for each beacon signal of the plurality of beacon signals is measured. A distance of the electronic device from each beacon device for which the plurality of beacon signals is received is determined, wherein the distance of the electronic device from a beacon device is based at least in part on the received signal strength of the beacon signal transmitted by the beacon device. A location of the electronic device is determined based at least on part on the distance of the electronic device from each beacon device for which the plurality of beacon signals is received.

A femtocell calibration solution is provided that uses the known location of the femtocell to calibrate timing based locating systems. The calculated time differences of different signals sent between macrocells and a mobile device can be used to solve for a reference time difference that accounts for the timing differences of the unsynchronized macrocells. The reference time difference can then be used to solve for the location of another mobile device if the calculated time differences between that mobile device and the macrocells are known. The solution can include taking many measurements of the calculated time difference at the first mobile device in order to average them to get a more accurate reference time difference. The solution can further include ceasing measurements at the first mobile device when the mobile device is no longer within range of the femtocell.

According to one aspect of the invention, the PASS-Tracker is a hand-held device that improves the ability of a rescuer to quickly locate a distressed firefighter by two processes: (1) detecting and recognizing the acoustic alarm sound from a PASS device in Alarm Mode, and (2) providing an indication to rescue personnel of the shortest path to the victim. The invention does not require a pre-installed infrastructure in a particular building; rather the device can be used in an ad hoc fashion at any fire scene. The PASS-Tracker utilizes a plurality of small microphones to detect the acoustic signal from the PASS device. Internal electronics in the PASS-Tracker measure the time-of-arrival (TOA) of the leading edge of the acoustic wave at each microphone and calculate and display the angle-of-arrival (AOA) of the wave.

A software-defined radio system has a plurality of fixed radio receivers each operable to receive radio signals in a receiving band, to sample a received radio signal to produce a sample stream, and to send the sample stream over a network. The radio system includes at least one fixed sync signal transmitter operable to transmit predetermined sync signals in said receiving band to receivers of the aforementioned plurality. The radio system further comprises a data processing system which is connected to the network for receiving sample streams from the receivers. The data processing system is operable to align samples of a data signal contained in sample streams from different receivers by: detecting a sync signal in those sample streams; determining a timing offset between samples of the sync signal in those sample streams in dependence on predetermined locations of the different receivers and the transmitter of that sync signal; and aligning the samples of the data signal in dependence on the timing offset.

A radio frequency signal mediator configured indoors passively receives signals from a user wireless device and determines layer two radio access network measurement data from the signals. At least one other radio frequency signal mediator in the same space also passively receives signals from the user wireless device and determines layer two radio access network measurement data from the signals. The radio frequency signal mediators send the data to a location determining device that determines a location for the user device based on the at least two sets of data and send the location data to a location server.

A radio frequency signal mediator configured indoors passively receives signals from a user wireless device and determines layer two radio access network measurement data from the signals. At least one other radio frequency signal mediator in the same space also passively receives signals from the user wireless device and determines layer two radio access network measurement data from the signals. The radio frequency signal mediators send the data to a location determining device that determines a location for the user device based on the at least two sets of data and send the location data to a location server.

A method of adapting determination of location of mobile communication devices. The method comprises receiving and storing the time and self-location of an emergency (e911) call message from a mobile communication device. The method then retrieves the time and self-location information and the trilateration data associated with the mobile communication device that originated the e911 call message. An estimated position is then calculated from the trilateration data by using a trilateration position estimating model. An error is determined between the self-location and the estimated position of the mobile communication device, whereby the self-location is deemed authoritative. The trilateration position estimating model is adapted based on the error determined and then used to determine the position of a second mobile communication device.

This disclosure describes methods and apparatus to promote sustainable usage of smartphones such as preventing phone loss, preventing overheating and overcharging, and decreasing packaging waste. A method and apparatus to prevent phone loss is disclosed. Radio frequency beacons (or tags) attached to the owner transmit signals to the smartphone. The distance of the owner from the smartphone is estimated based on the quality of the received radio frequency signals in the smartphone. The system alerts user whenever the distance gets farther than a preset value. A method and apparatus to prevent overcharging of the battery is also disclosed. A plugging mechanism is presented that will be automatically detached from the smart phone when the battery is fully charged. Moreover, an alerting system is disclosed that alerts the user to stop using the device when the internal temperature of the device gets hotter than a preset threshold.