Method and apparatus for providing local orientation of a GPS capable wireless device

• US 20030008671A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Locate Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: van Diggelen, Frank, Lundgren, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/186,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20030008671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18545 Arrangements for managing station mobility, i.e. for station registration or localisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A wireless device having position location capabilities that are further enhanced by circuitry that enables the wireless device to compute its local orientation. The wireless device includes a wireless transceiver subsystem, a position location receiver subsystem, a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a user interface. The CPU is coupled to local orientation data sensors that provide information regarding the local orientation of the device. The device orientation and position of the wireless device is used to identify certain information that is requested by the device. The information is then displayed to the user at the remote device.

Claims

1. Apparatus providing a local orientation to a position location enabled wireless device comprising:

a location server for providing position location information to a plurality of remote wireless devices; and

at least one remote wireless device comprising local orientation circuits for identifying an orientation of the remote device, and a wireless subsystem for communicating the orientation to the location server.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a reference network system for providing position information to the location server.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one remote wireless device comprises a position location receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said orientation circuits comprise a magnetic sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the magnetic sensor is a magnetometer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the orientation circuits include an accelerometer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the remote wireless device comprises a position location receiver subsystem for processing received satellite signals and the position location information supplied by the location server.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display for displaying information to a user.

9. A method of providing local orientation to a position location enabled wireless device comprising:

orienting the device;

transmitting a request for position and orientation related information from the device to a location server;

transmitting, in response to the request, position location information from the location server to the device;

processing the position location information and received satellite signals to compute a position of the device;

transmitting the device orientation to the location server;

identifying, within the location sever, information related to the position and orientation of the device; and

transmitting the information to the device for display.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of processing comprises:

producing a plurality of pseudo-ranges within the device using the position location information from the location server and the received satellite signals;

transmitting the plurality of pseudo-ranges to the location server;

computing, within the location server, the position of the device; and

transmitting the device position to the device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the position of the device is computed within the device using the position location information and the received satellite signals.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the location server receives position information from a reference network system.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of orienting the device comprises determining the orientation of the device using a magnetic sensor.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of orienting the device comprises determining the acceleration of the device using an accelerometer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of processing comprises:

producing a plurality of pseudo-ranges within the device using the position location information from the location server and the received satellite signals;

transmitting the plurality of pseudo-ranges to the location server;

computing, within the location server, the position of the device; and

transmitting the device position to the device.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the position of the device is computed within the device using the position location information and the received satellite signals.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the location server receives position information from a reference network system.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of orienting the device comprises determining the orientation of the device using a magnetic sensor.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of orienting the device comprises determining the acceleration of the device using an accelerometer.

15. A method of providing local orientation to a position location enabled wireless device comprising:

orienting the device;

transmitting a request for position information from the device to a location server;

transmitting, in response to the request, position location information from the location server to the device;

processing the position location information and received satellite signals to compute a position of the device; and

identifying, within the mobile device, information related to the position and orientation of the device for display.