Apparatus and method for locating devices using an acoustic gyroscope

• US 20030208336A1
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Petty, Norman W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,792,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

Accurately determining a location of a device by using an acoustic gyroscope within the device The acoustic gyroscope is periodically adjusted using information from external sources.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining a location of a device, comprising:

acoustic gyroscope;

controller for calculating the location of the device from information received from the acoustic gyroscope; and

the controller further responsive to external location information for adjusting the acoustic gyroscope.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device is a wireless device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprises a wireless circuit for receiving wireless transmissions from external transmitting stations;

and

the controller further responsive to the received wireless transmissions for calculating the location of the device to generate the external location information.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprises a detector for receiving information from local fixed location transmitters;

the controller further responsive to the received information for calculating the location of the device to generate the external location information.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein wireless device is a wireless telephone.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

7. A wireless device for determining a location of the wireless device, comprising:

acoustic gyroscope;

controller for calculating the location of the wireless device from information received from the acoustic gyroscope;

wireless circuit for receiving wireless transmissions from external transmitting stations;

the controller further responsive to the received wireless transmissions for generating external location information; and

the controller further responsive to external location information for adjusting the acoustic gyroscope.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

10. A wireless device for determining a location of the wireless device, comprising:

acoustic gyroscope;

controller for calculating the location of the wireless device from information received from the acoustic gyroscope;

a detector for receiving information from local fixed location transmitters;

the controller further responsive to the received information for calculating external location information; and

the controller further responsive to external location information for adjusting the acoustic gyroscope.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

13. A method for determining a location of a device, comprising the steps of:

analyzing information from an acoustic gyroscope;

calculating the location of the device from the analyzed information; and

adjusting the acoustic gyroscope periodically using external location information.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprises the step of receiving the external location information from external transmitting stations;

and

the step of adjusting comprises the steps of generating adjustment information from the received external location information and transmitting the adjustment information to the acoustic gyroscope.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprises the step of receiving the external location information from local fixed location transmitters;

and

the step of adjusting comprises the steps of generating adjustment information from the received external location information and transmitting the adjustment information to the acoustic gyroscope.

16. A method for determining a location of a wireless device, comprising the steps of:

analyzing information from an acoustic gyroscope;

calculating the location of the device from the analyzed information;

receiving the external location information from external transmitting stations;

generating periodically adjustment information from the received external location information;

transmitting the adjustment information to the acoustic gyroscope.

adjusting the acoustic gyroscope periodically using the generated adjustment information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

19. A method for determining a location of a wireless device, comprising the steps of:

analyzing information from an acoustic gyroscope;

calculating the location of the device from the analyzed information;

receiving the external location information from local fixed location transmitters;

generating periodically adjustment information from the received external location information;

transmitting the adjustment information to the acoustic gyroscope.

adjusting the acoustic gyroscope periodically using the generated adjustment information.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

22. An apparatus for calculating a position of a wireless device, comprising:

means for periodically receiving location information from external cellular base stations;

means for obtaining the position of the wireless device from an acoustic gyroscope;

means for analyzing the received location information to determine an adjustment for the acoustic gyroscope using multi-path calculations; and

transmitting the adjustment to the acoustic gyroscope.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

25. An apparatus for calculating a position of a wireless device, comprising:

means for periodically receiving location information from local fixed location transmitters via infra-red transmission;

means for obtaining the position of the wireless device from an acoustic gyroscope;

means for analyzing the received location information to determine an adjustment for the acoustic gyroscope; and

transmitting the adjustment to the acoustic gyroscope.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

28. An apparatus for calculating a position of a wireless device, comprising:

means for periodically receiving location information from external cellular base stations;

means for obtaining the position of the wireless device from an acoustic gyroscope;

means for analyzing the received location information to determine an adjustment for the acoustic gyroscope using triangulation calculations; and

transmitting the adjustment to the acoustic gyroscope.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the wireless device is a wireless personal digital assistant.