Method for performing positioning operation and associated electronic device

• US 10,171,948 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Po-Yu, Kuo, Sheng-Po, Yang, Jen-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/407,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20180206076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

An electronic device includes an application processor and a sensor hub, where the application processor is arranged for executing applications running on a system of the electronic device, and the sensor hub is arranged for obtaining and processing sensed data from a plurality of sensors within the electronic device. In addition, the application processor further downloads location data from a remote device via a network module, and at least a portion of the downloaded location data is further stored in a storage unit of the sensor hub to be reused for positioning.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an application processor, for executing applications running on a system of the electronic device; and

a sensor hub, coupled to the application processor, for obtaining and processing sensed data from a plurality of sensors within the electronic device;

wherein the application processor further downloads location data from a remote device via a network module, and at least a portion of the downloaded location data is further stored in a storage unit of the sensor hub to be reused for positioning;

wherein the location data corresponds to a plurality of cell identities; and

when a positioning operation is performed, the sensor hub receives surrounding cell IDs and asks the storage unit of the sensor hub for their location data directly; and

the sensor hub calculates a location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit of the sensor hub;

wherein a portion of the downloaded location data is stored in the storage unit of the sensor hub, and another portion of the downloaded location data is stored in a storage unit of the application processor; and

when a positioning operation is performed, the sensor hub receives surrounding cell IDs and asks the storage unit of the sensor hub for their location data directly; and

the application processor asks the storage unit of the application processor for part or all of the location data only when the part or all of the location data cannot be found in the storage unit of the sensor hub; and

the sensor hub calculates a location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit of the sensor hub and the location data obtained from the application processor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cell IDs comprises Wi-Fi access point IDs and/or cellular base station IDs and/or BLUEBOOTH device ID, and the location data comprises latitude and longitude corresponding to each cell ID.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the sensor hub cannot obtain the location data of one or more surrounding cell IDs from the storage unit of the sensor hub and the storage unit of the application processor, the application processor further downloads the location data, which is not obtained from the storage units of the sensor hub and the application processor, from the remote device via the network module, and the sensor hub calculates the location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit of the sensor hub, the location data obtained from the storage unit of the application processor, and the newly downloaded location data;

wherein the newly downloaded location data is stored in each of the storage unit of the sensor hub and the storage unit of the application processor.

4. An electronic device, comprising:

an application processor, for executing applications running on a system of the electronic device; and

a sensor hub, coupled to the application processor, for obtaining and processing sensed data from a plurality of sensors within the electronic device;

wherein the application processor further downloads location data from a remote device via a network module, and at least a portion of the downloaded location data is further stored in a storage unit of the sensor hub to be reused for positioning;

wherein the location data corresponds to a plurality of cell identities; and

when a positioning operation is performed, the sensor hub receives surrounding cell IDs and asks the storage unit of the sensor hub for their location data directly; and

the sensor hub calculates a location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit of the sensor hub;

wherein a portion of the downloaded location data is stored in the storage unit of the sensor hub, and another portion of the downloaded location data is stored in a storage unit of the application processor; and

when a positioning operation is performed, the sensor hub receives surrounding cell IDs and asks the storage unit of the sensor hub for their location data directly; and

the sensor hub asks the storage unit of the application processor for part or all of the location data only when the part or all of the location data cannot be found in the storage unit of the sensor hub; and

the sensor hub calculates a location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit of the sensor hub and the location data obtained from the application processor.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein when the sensor hub cannot obtain the location data of one or more surrounding cell IDs from the storage unit of the sensor hub and the storage unit of the application processor, the application processor further downloads the location data, which is not obtained from the storage units of the sensor hub and the application processor, from the remote device via the network module, and the sensor hub calculates the location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit of the sensor hub, the location of obtained from the storage unit of the application processor, and the newly downloaded location data;

wherein the newly downloaded location data is stored in each of the storage unit of the sensor hub and the storage unit of the application processor.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of cell IDs comprises Wi-Fi access point IDs and/or cellular base station IDs and/or BLUEBOOTH device ID, and the location data comprises latitude and longitude corresponding to each cell ID.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

an application processor, for executing applications running on a system of the electronic device; and

a sensor hub, coupled to the application processor, for obtaining and processing sensed data from a plurality of sensors within the electronic device;

wherein the application processor further downloads location data from a remote device via a network module, and at least a portion of the downloaded location data is further stored in a storage unit of the sensor hub to be reused for positioning;

wherein the location data corresponds to a plurality of cell identities; and

when a positioning operation is performed, the sensor hub receives surrounding cell IDs and asks the storage unit of the sensor hub for their location data directly; and

the sensor hub calculates a location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit of the sensor hub;

wherein a portion of the downloaded location data is stored in the storage unit of the sensor hub, and another portion of the downloaded location data is stored in another storage unit of the sensor hub; and

when a positioning operation is performed, the sensor hub receives surrounding cell IDs and asks the storage unit of the sensor hub for their location data directly; and

the storage unit asks the other storage unit of the sensor hub for part or all of the location data only when the part or all of the location data cannot be found in the storage unit of the sensor hub; and

the sensor hub calculates a location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit and the other storage unit of the sensor hub.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein when the sensor hub cannot obtain the location data of one or more surrounding cell IDs from the storage unit and the other storage unit of the sensor hub, the application processor further downloads the location data, which is not obtained from the storage unit and the other storage unit of the sensor hub, from the remote device via the network module, and the sensor hub calculates the location of the electronic device according to at least a portion of the location data obtained from the storage unit and the other storage unit of the sensor hub and the newly downloaded location data;

wherein the newly downloaded location data is stored in each of the storage unit of the sensor hub and the other storage unit of the sensor hub and the storage unit of the application processor.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cell IDs comprises Wi-Fi access point IDs and/or cellular base station IDs and/or BLUEBOOTH device ID, and the location data comprises latitude and longitude corresponding to each cell ID.