Positioning with wireless local area networks and WLAN-aided global positioning systems

• US 10,674,472 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Yi-Hsiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Danh C
• Application Number:
  US16/240,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20190158976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 4554566, 4555521, 4555501, 34235771
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/29 carrier including Doppler, related G01S19/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Accurate position capability can be quickly provided using a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). When associated with a WLAN, a wireless device can quickly determine its relative and/or coordinate position based on information provided by an access point in the WLAN. Before a wireless device disassociates with the access point, the WLAN can periodically provide time, location, and decoded GPS data to the wireless device. In this manner, the wireless device can significantly reduce the time to acquire the necessary GPS satellite data (i.e. on the order if seconds instead of minutes) to determine its coordinate position.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a wireless baseband configured to;

receive decoded global positioning system (GPS) data from one or more access points in a communication system;

a GPS baseband configured to;

identify a first GPS satellite based at least in part on the decoded GPS data;

acquire a first GPS signal from the first GPS satellite;

determine a first frequency offset of the first GPS signal based at least in part on a frequency difference between an oscillator frequency of the first GPS satellite and a receiver frequency of the wireless device; and

determine a frequency offset for one or more other GPS satellites based at least in part on the first frequency offset of the first GPS signal.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the GPS baseband is further configured to:

acquire a second GPS signal from a second GPS satellite based at least in part on the determined frequency offset of the first GPS signal and ephemeris data included in the decoded GPS data; and

determine a location of the wireless device based at least in part on the second GPS signal.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the GPS baseband is further configured to identify the first GPS satellite based on an elevation angle between the wireless device and the first GPS satellite.

4. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein the elevation angle is determined based at least in part on the decoded GPS data.

5. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein the elevation angle is determined based at least in part on GPS almanac data provided by the wireless baseband.

6. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein the GPS baseband is further configured to determine a Doppler effect on a second GPS signal based at least in part on the decoded GPS data.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the decoded GPS data includes GPS almanac data.

8. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the GPS baseband is configured to identify the first GPS satellite based at least in part on the GPS almanac data.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the decoded GPS data is received periodically from the one or more access points.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless baseband of a wireless device, decoded global positioning system (GPS) data from one or more access points in a communication system;

identifying, by a GPS baseband of the wireless device, a first GPS satellite based at least in part on the decoded GPS data;

acquiring a first GPS signal from the first GPS satellite;

determining a first frequency offset of the first GPS signal based at least in part on a frequency difference between an oscillator frequency of the first GPS satellite and a receiver frequency of the wireless device; and

determining a frequency offset for one or more other GPS satellites based at least in part on the determined frequency offset of the first GPS signal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

acquiring a second GPS signal from a second GPS satellite based at least in part on the determined frequency offset of the first GPS signal and ephemeris data included in the decoded GPS data; and

determining a location of the wireless device based at least in part on the second GPS signal.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying the first GPS satellite based on an elevation angle between the wireless device and the first GPS satellite.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the elevation angle is determined based at least in part on the decoded GPS data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the elevation angle is determined based at least in part on GPS almanac data provided by the wireless baseband.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a Doppler effect on a second GPS signal based at least in part on the decoded GPS data.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the decoded GPS data includes GPS almanac data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying the first GPS satellite based at least in part on the GPS almanac data.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the decoded GPS data is received periodically from the one or more access points.