METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOCATING POSITION OF A SATELLITE SIGNAL RECEIVER

• US 20040257277A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Global Locate Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles, van Diggelen, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 6,975,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.09
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station

Abstract

A method and apparatus for locating position of a satellite signal receiver is described. In one example, groups of pseudoranges from the satellite signal receiver to a plurality of satellites are determined at a respective plurality of times. The groups of pseudoranges are transmitted to a server, where a position of the satellite signal receiver may be determined using the groups of pseudoranges. In another example, a plurality of groups of pseudoranges are applied to a time-based filter located in the server. The position of the satellite signal receiver is derived from the time-based filter.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a first group of pseudoranges from a satellite signal receiver to a plurality of satellites;

transmitting the first group of pseudoranges to a server to define a batch of pseudoranges;

obtaining at least one additional group of pseudoranges at the satellite signal receiver in response to an indication that said batch of pseudoranges requires additional pseudoranges;

transmitting the at least one additional group of pseudoranges to the server; and

adding the at least one additional group of pseudoranges to the batch at the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a position of the satellite signal receiver using the batch of pseudoranges.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each group of pseudoranges in the batch is transmitted from the satellite signal receiver to the server using a wireless communication system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

transmitting the position to the satellite signal receiver; and

transmitting the position to a requester over a communication network.

3-4. -4. Cancelled.

5. A method comprising:

determining groups of pseudoranges from a satellite signal receiver to a plurality of satellites over a period of time;

transmitting the groups of pseudoranges to a server

applying the groups of pseudoranges to a time-based filter located in the server; and

deriving the position of the satellite signal receiver from the time-based filter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the applying step comprises:

initializing a plurality of states within the time-based filter;

using a first group of the groups of pseudoranges to update the plurality of states; and

iteratively updating the plurality of states using the remaining groups of pseudoranges.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a-priori aiding information;

initializing a plurality of states within the time-based filter using the a-priori aiding information; and

iteratively updating the plurality of states using the groups of pseudoranges.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the a-priori aiding information comprises at least one of an approximate position of the satellite signal receiver and an approximate time of reception of satellite signals.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the time-based filter is a statistically weighted time-based filter.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the statistically weighted time-based filter is a Kalman filter.

13-23. -23. Cancelled.

24. A position location server, comprising:

an interface for receiving groups of pseudoranges from a satellite signal receiver via a wireless communication network;

a processor for defining a batch of pseudoranges from a first group of pseudoranges received by the interface for requesting at least one additional group of pseudoranges from the satellite signal receiver in response to an indication that said batch of pseudoranges requires additional pseudoranges, and for adding the at least one additional group of pseudoranges to the batch of pseudoranges.

25. The server of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compute a position of the satellite signal receiver using the set batch of pseudoranges.

26-27. -27. Cancelled.

28. A system for locating position of a satellite signal receiver, comprising:

a mobile device having a satellite signal receiver for determining groups of pseudoranges and a wireless transceiver for transmitting the groups of pseudoranges over a wireless communication network; and

a server in wireless communication with the mobile device for defining a batch of pseudoranges from a first group of pseudoranges received from the mobile device for requesting at least one additional group of pseudoranges from the mobile device in response to an indication that said batch of pseudoranges requires additional pseudoranges, for adding the at least one additional group of pseudoranges to the batch of pseudoranges, and for computing position of the mobile device using the batch of pseuodoranges.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the server is further configured to at least one of:

transmit the position to the satellite signal receiver; and

transmit the position to a requester over a communication network.

30-32. -32. Cancelled.

33. A position location server, comprising:

an interface for receiving groups of pseudoranges from a satellite signal receiver over a period of time via a wireless communication system;

a time-based filter for processing the groups of pseudoranges; and

a processor for deriving position of the satellite signal receiver from the time based filter.

34. The server of claim 33, wherein the time-based filter is a statistically weighted time-based filter.

35. The server of claim 34, wherein the statistically weighted time-based filter is a Kalman filter.

36. A system for locating position of a satellite signal receiver, comprising:

a mobile device having a satellite signal receiver for determining groups of pseudoranges over a period of time and a wireless transceiver for transmitting the groups of pseudoranges over a wireless communication network; and

a server in wireless communication with the mobile device having a time-based filter for processing the groups of pseudoranges received from the mobile device and a processor for deriving position of the mobile device from the time-based filter.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the time-based filter is a statistically weighted time-based filter.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the statistically weighted time-based filter is a Kalman filter.