Positioning of low power devices

Abstract

The invention inter alia relates to a method, performed by a first apparatus, for positioning or assisting in positioning said first apparatus, said method comprising: obtaining multiple original identifiers identifying respective first radio networks or nodes thereof; generating, for each of at least two of said original identifiers, from a respective original identifier a shortened identifier being representative of said respective original identifier and having a smaller size than said respective original identifier; and providing said shortened identifiers over a second radio network for positioning or assisting in positioning said first apparatus.

Claims

1. Method, performed by a first apparatus, for positioning or assisting in positioning said first apparatus, said method comprising: obtaining multiple original identifiers identifying respective first radio networks or nodes thereof; generating, for each of at least two of said original identifiers, from a respective original identifier a shortened identifier being representative of said respective original identifier and having a smaller size than said respective original identifier; checking whether a-priori information on a location of said first apparatus is available or is potentially available, providing said shortened identifiers over a second radio network for positioning or assisting in positioning said first apparatus; providing at least one original identifier together with said shortened identifiers, when a result of said checking is that a-priori information on a location of said first apparatus is not available or potentially not available; and providing said shortened identifiers without providing an original identifier, when a result of said checking is that a-priori information on a location of said first apparatus is available or is potentially available.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed more than once and wherein, for at least some provisions of the at least one original identifier, a different original identifier is chosen from the obtained multiple original identifiers.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said at least two original identifiers for which a shortened identifier is generated and provided and/or said at least one original identifier to be provided with said shortened identifiers are/is selected from said multiple original identifiers at least in part based on a quality parameter of signals of respective first radio networks or nodes thereof.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said at least two original identifiers for which a shortened identifier is generated and provided and/or said at least one original identifier to be provided with said shortened identifiers are/is selected from said multiple original identifiers at least in part based on a commonality of said original identifiers.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein said commonality of said original identifiers is an identical section of one or more information units of respective original identifiers.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein said generating of a respective shortened identifier is at least based on truncating a respective original identifier.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein said generating of a respective shortened identifier is at least based on utilizing one or more information units of a respective original identifier.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein said generating of a respective shortened identifier is at least based on hashing a respective original identifier or a part thereof.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein a data rate of at said first apparatus for providing said shortened identifiers and/or said at least one original identifier is 50 kbit/s or less.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein a payload of a message and/or a packet of said first apparatus for providing said shortened identifiers and/or said at least one original identifier is at most 100 bytes.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein said shortened identifiers and/or said at least one original identifier are provided in a payload of a single message and/or a single packet.

12. Method for positioning or assisting in positioning a first apparatus, performed by a second apparatus, said method comprising: obtaining at least two shortened identifiers over a second radio network for positioning of said first apparatus, each of said shortened identifiers having been generated from a respective original identifier obtained at said first apparatus and identifying respective first radio networks or nodes thereof, wherein a respective shortened identifier is representative of a respective original identifier and having a smaller size than said respective original identifier; determining positioning data of respective first networks or nodes thereof based at least in part on said at least two shortened identifiers and, when available, a priori information on a location of the first apparatus or, when the a priori information on the location of the first apparatus is not available, an original identifier obtained at said first apparatus; and determining a position estimate of said first apparatus at least in part based on the positioning data of the respective first networks or nodes thereof associated with said at least two shortened identifiers, wherein, if available, said determining of a position estimate of said first apparatus is at least in part also based on a-priori knowledge on a position of said first apparatus.

13. Method according to claim 12, said method further comprising: obtaining at least one original identifier obtained at said first apparatus together with said shortened identifiers; wherein said determining of a position estimate of said first apparatus is at least in part also based on positioning data of respective first networks or nodes thereof associated with said at least one original identifier.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein positioning data of respective first networks or nodes thereof associated with said at least two shortened identifiers is identified by only considering positioning data of first networks or nodes thereof within a certain geographical proximity of said first network or node thereof associated with said at least one original identifier.

15. Method according to claim 12, wherein in case it is determined that an obtained shortened identifier is associated with positioning data of different first networks or nodes thereof, the positioning data of none, all or a preferred one of said different first networks or nodes thereof is used for said determining of a position estimate.

16. Method according to claim 12, wherein said shortened identifiers obtained at the second apparatus are in each case based on a respective truncated original identifier.

17. Method according to claim 12, wherein said shortened identifiers obtained at the second apparatus are in each case at least based on one or more information units of a respective original identifier.

18. Method according to claim 12, wherein said shortened identifiers obtained at the second apparatus are in each case at least based on a hash value of a respective original identifier or a part thereof.

19. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause an apparatus at least to: obtain multiple original identifiers identifying respective first radio networks or nodes thereof; generate, for each of at least two of said original identifiers, from a respective original identifier a shortened identifier being representative of said respective original identifier and having a smaller size than said respective original identifier; check whether a-priori information on a location of said first apparatus is available or is potentially available, provide said shortened identifiers over a second radio network for positioning or assisting in positioning said first apparatus; provide at least one original identifier together with said shortened identifiers, when a result of said checking is that a-priori information on a location of said first apparatus is not available or potentially not available; and providing said shortened identifiers without providing an original identifier, when a result of said checking is that a-priori information on a location of said first apparatus is available or is potentially available.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a positioning system in which example embodiments of apparatuses according to the present invention are provided;

(2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram of apparatuses 2 of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention for instance performed by the apparatus 2 of FIGS. 1, 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a block diagram of apparatus 4 of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(5) FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention for instance performed by apparatus 4 of FIGS. 1, 4; and

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of examples of tangible storage media according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a system 1, in which example embodiments of apparatuses according to the present invention are provided. The system 1 is therefore an example embodiment of the third aspect of the invention. In FIG. 1, a first apparatus 2, which is in this case a low power device of a LPWAN, is capable of obtaining original identifiers associated with nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5 of first radio networks. The nodes may belong to the same or different networks. Each of nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5 provides certain radio coverage in a respective coverage area 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-5. As already described, non-limiting examples of a node of a radio network may be an access point or beacon of a non-cellular radio network, such as for instance a WLAN network, or a base station (or sectors thereof) of a cellular radio network, such as for instance a 2G, 3G or 4G radio network.

(8) Obtaining an original identifier associated with a node of a first radio network by the first apparatus 2 may for instance require that the first apparatus is able to observe, e.g. to receive and correctly decode an original identifier of the node of the first radio network that provides the coverage area, for instance a basic service set identification (BSSID), a Medium Access Control (MAC) address, a service set identifier (SSID) or another identifier. For this, it may be required that the first apparatus is able to receive one or more signals (e.g. a broadcast channel) of the node of the first radio network, which are for example sent by the node with a pre-defined minimum quality (for instance defined in terms of a signal-to-noise ratio or a signal-to-noise and interference ratio), and/or is able to at least partially receive and correctly decode one or more signals of the node. Some or all of these conditions for obtaining an original identifier associated with a node of a first radio network may for instance be met when the first apparatus is within the coverage area of the node of the first radio network.

(9) A node of a first radio network may for instance have an original identifier that is unique (e.g. globally unique) at least in the radio network (and for instance also in all other radio networks). Equally well, a node of a radio network may for instance have an original identifier that is not globally unique (e.g. only locally unique) in the radio network, but that is at least unique in a certain region covered by the radio network.

(10) Obtaining an original identifier (or information in general) from the node of the first radio network may for instance require that the first apparatus is technically capable to receive such an identifier or such information. Thus, the first apparatus may have to support the transmission technology (e.g. the communication standard) used by the node. However, receiving such signals or information from the node may not necessarily require that the first device is also entitled to communicate with the node.

(11) The first apparatus 2 can send messages to a second apparatus 4 (a remote server) at least in part over a second radio network, which is a LPWAN network. Thus, the first apparatus 2 could generally provide the obtained original identifiers to the second apparatus 4. However, due to the limited bandwidth of the second radio network, this would take up too much bandwidth and/or require a too long time.

(12) Thus, the first apparatus 2 is capable of generating shortened identifiers from some or all of the obtained original identifiers and to inter alia provide these shortened identifiers to the second apparatus 4 and receive a position estimate as a response, as illustrated in FIG. 1, but which will be described in more detail below.

(13) Now, shortened (and optionally original) identifiers may be provided to the second apparatus 4 in the scope of a position request of the first apparatus 2 (requesting a determination of its position). Based on the shortened (and optionally original) identifiers obtained by the first apparatus 2 and received by the second apparatus 4 (and e.g. optionally also based on models of the coverage areas and/or radio channel models of the nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5) a position estimate of the first apparatus 2 can be determined. Therein, the determination of the position may be derived from an average of the position of the nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5 the intersection of the coverage areas 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-5, or by triangulation, to name but a few non-limiting examples. The position estimate may be provided to the first apparatus 2 as an answer to the position request.

(14) For the purpose of positioning, positioning data on the nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3′, 3-4, 3-5 and/or coverage areas 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5 of the respective radio networks is contained in datasets of a database of server 4 or a database server 4 has access to. The database may store a plurality of datasets with positioning data. The sets of positioning data may comprise geographical positions of the nodes, coverage area model information and/or radio channel model information. That is, the database may in particular comprise sets of positioning data associated with respective nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5. Optionally, the database may further comprise the shortened identifiers of the obtained original identifiers associated with the nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5.

(15) FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an example embodiment of a first apparatus 2 (e.g. low power device) according to the invention. The device may in particular be battery powered and/or powered by energy harvesting. Apparatus 2 may also form a part (e.g. as a module) of a low power device, for instance. A non-limiting example of such a low power device is a sensor device.

(16) First apparatus 2 comprises a processor 20. Processor 20 may represent a single processor or two or more processors, which are for instance at least partially coupled, for instance via a bus. Processor 20 executes a program code stored in program memory 21 (for instance program code causing apparatus 2 to perform one or more of the embodiments of a first method according to the invention (as for instance further described below), when executed on processor 20), and interfaces with a main memory 22. Some or all of memories 21 and 22 may also be included into processor 20. One of or both of memories 21 and 22 may be fixedly connected to processor 20 or at least partially removable from processor 20, for instance in the form of a memory card or stick. Program memory 21 may for instance be a non-volatile memory. It may for instance be a FLASH memory (or a part thereof), any of a ROM, PROM, EPROM and EEPROM memory (or a part thereof) or a hard disc (or a part thereof), to name but a few examples. Program memory 21 may also comprise an operating system for processor 20. Program memory 20 may for instance comprise a first memory portion that is fixedly installed in apparatus 2, and a second memory portion that is removable from apparatus 2, for instance in the form of a removable SD memory card. One or more sets of position information, for instance in a database, that are useable by apparatus 2 to deter-mine positions may for instance be stored in program memory 21. Main memory 22 may for instance be a volatile memory. It may for instance be a RAM or DRAM memory, to give but a few non-limiting examples. It may for instance be used as a working memory for processor 20 when executing an operating system and/or programs.

(17) Processor 20 further controls a WLAN interface 23 configured to at least receive and optionally to output information with respective first radio networks. For instance, WLAN interface 23 may be configured to at least identify nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5 of system 1 of FIG. 1, that is to obtain respective original identifiers. As explained, WLAN interface 23 may also be a stripped down interface, which is basically only able to receive respective original identifiers, but in particular not capable of sending data. The WLAN interface 23 may for instance comprise circuitry such as modulators, filters, mixers, switches and/or one or more antennas to allow transmission and/or reception of signals. WLAN interface 23 may in particular be configured to allow communication according to a non-cellular WLAN radio network. However, the WLAN interface 23 may in other examples be any other suitable communication interface, depending on the technology used by the first radio network. In embodiments of the invention, WLAN interface 23 is may also be a communication interface configured to allow communication according to a 2G/3G/4G cellular radio network.

(18) Processor 20 further controls a LPWAN interface 25 configured to receive and output information with a respective second radio network, in this case a LPWAN. In this way, the first apparatus 2 is able to at least send to and optionally receive information from the server 4 of system 1 (see FIG. 1). This may for instance comprise sending respective shortened (and optionally original) identifiers in the scope of positioning requests to server 4. Also, a position estimate may be received from server 4 via LPWAN interface 25. The communication with server 4 may for instance also be based on further connections, e.g. wired connections. That is, the communication route between first apparatus 2 and server 4 may equally well at least partially comprise wire-bound portions. For instance, server 4 may be connected to a back-bone of a wireless radio network (LPWAN) via an at least in part wire-bound system such as for instance the internet.

(19) Processor 20 may further control an optional user interface 24 configured to present information to a user of first apparatus 20 and/or to receive information from such a user. Such information may for instance comprise information on a position estimate received. User interface 24 may for instance be the standard user interface via which a user of first apparatus 2 with first apparatus 2 to control other functionality thereof. However, it may also be possible that first apparatus does not have a user interface.

(20) The components 21-25 of apparatus 2 may for instance be connected with processor 20 by means of one or more serial and/or parallel busses.

(21) An example embodiment of a method of the first aspect performed by the first apparatus 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 further below.

(22) Turning now to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an example embodiment of the second apparatus 4 according to the invention. Second apparatus 4 for instance is or forms a part (e.g. as a module) of a server, e.g. server 4 of FIG. 1.

(23) Apparatus 4 comprises a processor 40. Processor 40 may represent a single processor or two or more processors, which are for instance at least partially coupled, for instance via a bus. Processor 40 executes a program code stored in program memory 41 (for instance program code causing apparatus 4 to perform embodiments of the second method according to the invention (as for instance described further below), when executed on processor 40). Processor 40 further interfaces with a main memory 42 (for instance acting as a working memory) and a mass storage 44, which may for instance store a plurality of original identifiers associated with respective first radio networks or nodes thereof and respective sets of positioning data and optionally respective shortened identifiers. Memories 41 and/or 42 may also be included into processor 40. Memories 41 and/or 42 may be fixedly connected to the apparatus 4 or may at least partially be removable from apparatus 4, for instance in the form of a memory card or stick. Program memory 41 may for instance be a non-volatile memory. It may for instance be a FLASH memory (or a part thereof), any of a ROM, PROM, EPROM and EEPROM memory (or a part thereof) or a hard disc (or a part thereof), to name but a few examples. Program memory 41 may also comprise an operating system for processor 40. Program memory 40 may for instance be implemented as a hard disk. Main memory 42 may for instance be a volatile memory. It may for instance be a RAM or DRAM memory, to give but a few non-limiting examples. It may for instance be used as a working memory for processor 40 when executing an operating system and/or programs. Mass storage 44 may for instance be embodied as mass storage device, for instance with capacities of several Gigabytes or several Terabytes. It may either be fixedly connected to processor 40, or may be releasably connectable thereto. Non-limiting examples of mass storage 44 are a direct-attached storage (DAS), a storage area network (SAN) or a Network-attached storage (NAS).

(24) Processor 40 further controls a communication interface 43 configured to receive and/or output information. For instance, communication interface 43 may be configured to exchange information with first apparatus 2 of system 1 (see FIG. 1). This may for instance comprise receiving requests (comprising shortened identifiers and optionally original identifiers) from first apparatus 2 and providing a position estimate to first apparatus 2. Even though the communication with first apparatus 2 is inter alia realized via the second radio network (LPWAN), the communication interface 43 may also be based on other technologies and only a part (e.g. the last part, “last mile”) of the communication with first apparatus 2 is performed via said second radio network (LPWAN). The communication route from the server 4 to mobile terminal 2 may then for instance comprise both wire-bound and wireless portions. Thus, a wire-bound and/or wireless portion may for instance connect communication interface 43 with a back-bone of the second radio network (LPWAN) and thus with first apparatus 2. Communication interface 43 may for instance comprise circuitry such as modulators, filters, mixers, switches and/or one or more antennas to allow transmission and/or reception of signals.

(25) The components 41-44 of apparatus 4 may for instance be connected with processor 40 by means of one or more serial and/or parallel busses.

(26) It is to be noted that the circuitry formed by the components of apparatuses 2 and 4 may be implemented in hardware alone, partially in hardware and in software, or in software only, as further described at the end of this specification.

(27) Example embodiments of the method of the first aspect and the second aspect will now be described with reference to the flow diagrams 300, 500 of FIGS. 3 and 5.

(28) In the following MAC addresses are used as examples for the (original) identifiers. However, other identifiers may be used as well.

(29) The first apparatus 2 (low power device) first observes and obtains the MAC addresses of nearby WLAN access points (e.g. nodes 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5 of FIG. 1), action 301.

(30) The first apparatus 2 then checks whether a-priori information on a location of said first apparatus is already available, in order to determine whether only shortened identifiers shall be provided (a-priori information available) or whether also an original identifier shall be provided (a-priori information not available), action 302.

(31) In the present case, it is assumed, that a-priori information is not available. Therefore, the first apparatus 2 will generate, in this case for four of said original identifiers a respective shortened identifier, action 303. For instance, while the original identifier of node 3-1 shall be provided as a full MAC address, a respective shortened identifier is generated for original identifiers of nodes 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5.

(32) There is the question of how to select from the original identifiers obtained the one that is to be provided in full and also the ones to be provided as shortened identifiers, particularly if there are more observed identifiers than are supposed to be included in the message. One approach is to use the one with the highest received signal strength (=highest RSSI value or Rx level) as the node or radio network for which the identifier shall be provided in full. Then the other nodes or radio networks are selected in descending order of received signal strength. Another possible approach is to select or prefer those nodes or radio networks, which share a commonality, e.g. a MAC addresses with identical OUI, that is with identical first 3 bytes.

(33) Then, first apparatus 2 will create a 12-byte LPWAN message with one full original MAC address (of node 3-1) of 6 bytes and four shortened MAC addresses (of nodes 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5). The four shortened identifiers may each take up 1.5 bytes, so that a message of 12 bytes in total is created. Depending on the number of shortened identifiers also six 1-byte shortened identifiers, three 2-byte shortened identifiers, two 3-byte shortened identifiers, or one 2-byte+four 1-byte shortened identifiers, or any other suitable combination, may be used.

(34) One approach to generate the shortened identifier is to pick e.g. the lowest n bytes of the original identifier, e.g. three bytes in a 3-byte version or 1.5 bytes in the 1.5-byte version mentioned above. Alternatively, it is also possible to hash the original identifier to create an as unique shortened identifier as possible.

(35) To exemplify this feature, assume that the MAC addresses of the nodes are as follows:

(36) TABLE-US-00001 Node 3-1: AABBCCDDEEFF Node 3-2: AABBCCDDEABC Node 3-3: AABBCCDDEDEF Node 3-4: AABBCCDDEBFA Node 3-5: AABBCCDDECAD

(37) The first apparatus will then truncate the MAC addresses of node 3-2 to 3-5 and create a message or positioning request containing the following identifiers (one full MAC address and four 1.5-byte shortened MAC addresses): AABBCCDDEEFF (“full original identifier of node 3-1”) ABC (“shortened identifier of node 3-2”) DEF (“shortened identifier of node 3-3”) BFA (“shortened identifier of node 3-4”) CAD (“shortened identifier of node 3-5”)

(38) The 12-byte message with the shortened identifiers together with the one original identifier will be sent over the second radio network (LPWAN) to the server 4 for positioning or assisting in positioning said first apparatus 2, action 304.

(39) Turning now to FIG. 5, the second apparatus 4 (server) will receive the message with the original and shortened identifiers, action 501.

(40) Now the server 4 retrieves (e.g. from a positioning database) positioning data for the first radio network or node 3-1 for which the original identifier is available (and which positioning data can be determined unambiguously). Server 4 also retrieves positioning data and the original identifiers for all first networks or nodes thereof within a certain geographical proximity of said first network or node thereof associated with said at least one original identifier, action 502.

(41) For instance, this may result in obtaining positioning data and the following respective MAC addresses at server 4, as these are first radio networks or nodes thereof in proximity (e.g. within 100 meters or so) of node 3-1, for which the full MAC address (AABBCCDDEEFF) is known at server 4:

(42) TABLE-US-00002 AABBCCDDEABC AABBCCDDEEFE AABBCCDDEDEF AABBCCDDEBFA AABBCCDEEBFA

(43) Now, server 4 can (try to) identify positioning data of respective first networks or nodes thereof associated with said at least two shortened identifiers, action 503, which will lead to the following result:

(44) TABLE-US-00003 AABBCCDDEABC .fwdarw. matches to shortened identifier of node 3-2 AABBCCDDEEFE .fwdarw. does not math any shortened identifier AABBCCDDEDEF .fwdarw. matches to shortened identifier of node 3-3 AABBCCDDEBFA .fwdarw. matches to shortened identifier of node 3-4 AABBCCDEEBFA .fwdarw. also matches to shortened identifier of node 3-4

(45) Now, as can be noticed, unique matches were found for the nodes 3-2 and 3-3. However, for the node 3-4 there was a non-unique match. One option is not to use the identifiers AABBCCDDEBFA and AABBCCDEEBFA identified with shortened identifier BFA and the respective positioning data for positioning. However, another option would be to use the positioning data for both MAC addresses AABBCCDDEBFA and AABBCCDEEBFA for positioning. Finally, there was no match for the shortened identifier of node 3-5. Therefore, the positioning data of in total three nodes (node 3-1, node 3-2 and node 3-3) can be used for positioning. Using the positioning data a positioning estimate of said first apparatus 2 can be determined, action 504.

(46) In other words, since server 4 has obtained one MAC address in its full, unique form, the respective database can be queried for the respective positioning data of the first network or node thereof. Then, the MAC addresses of geographically nearby first networks or nodes thereof can be compared to the shortened MAC addresses received in the positioning request. This makes it possible in the described example case to use more than two nodes in positioning. In this scheme the database is searchable not only by MAC addresses, but also by location so that positioning data for geographically nearby first networks or nodes thereof can be retrieved, too.

(47) However, if there is prior information on the position of the first apparatus 2, no full MAC address is needed, not even of node 3-1. In that case, the 12-byte message could be used to carry e.g. six 2-byte shortened MAC addresses. Such prior information might result, for instance, from an earlier positioning determination and/or the knowledge that the first apparatus has not moved substantially.

(48) FIG. 6 illustrates examples of tangible storage media that may for instance be used to implement program memory 21 of FIG. 2 and/or program memory 41 of FIG. 4. To this end, FIG. 6 displays a flash memory 61, which may for instance be soldered or bonded to a printed circuit board, a solid-state drive 62 comprising a plurality of memory chips (e.g. Flash memory chips), a magnetic hard drive 63, a Secure Digital (SD) card 64, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory stick 65, an optical storage medium 66 (such as for instance a CD-ROM or DVD) and a magnetic storage medium 67.

(49) Any presented connection in the described embodiments is to be understood in a way that the involved components are operationally coupled. Thus, the connections can be direct or indirect with any number or combination of intervening elements, and there may be merely a functional relationship between the components.

(50) Further, as used in this text, the term ‘circuitry’ refers to any of the following:

(51) (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in only analog and/or digital circuitry)

(52) (b) combinations of circuits and software (and/or firmware), such as: (i) to a combination of processor(s) or (ii) to portions of processor(s)/ software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone, to perform various functions) and

(53) (c) to circuits, such as a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that re-quire software or firmware for operation, even if the software or firmware is not physically present.

(54) This definition of ‘circuitry’ applies to all uses of this term in this text, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this text, the term ‘circuitry’ also covers an implementation of merely a processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and/or firmware. The term ‘circuitry’ also covers, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone.

(55) Any of the processors mentioned in this text, in particular but not limited to processors 20 and 40 of FIGS. 2 and 4, could be a processor of any suitable type. Any processor may comprise but is not limited to one or more microprocessors, one or more processor(s) with accompanying digital signal processor(s), one or more processor(s) without accompanying digital signal processor(s), one or more special-purpose computer chips, one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAS), one or more controllers, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS), or one or more computer(s). The relevant structure/hardware has been programmed in such a way to carry out the described function.

(56) Moreover, any of the actions described or illustrated herein may be implemented using executable instructions in a general-purpose or special-purpose processor and stored on a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., disk, memory, or the like) to be executed by such a processor. References to ‘computer-readable storage medium’ should be understood to encompass specialized circuits such as FPGAs, ASICs, signal processing devices, and other devices.

(57) It will be understood that all presented embodiments are only exemplary, and that any feature presented for a particular exemplary embodiment may be used with any aspect of the invention on its own or in combination with any feature presented for the same or another particular exemplary embodiment and/or in combination with any other feature not mentioned. It will further be understood that any feature presented for an example embodiment in a particular category may also be used in a corresponding manner in an example embodiment of any other category.