Position location using digital audio broadcast signals

• US 20050015162A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rosum Corporation (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Spilker, James J. Jr., Omura, Jimmy K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,042,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0218 Multipath in signal reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02216 Timing or synchronisation of the receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0268 by deriving positions from different combinations of signals or of estimated positions in a single positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/145 Using a supplementary range measurement, e.g. based on pseudo-range measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/615 Signal processing at physical level signal processing in analog two-way television systems H04N7/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable media for determining the position of a user terminal comprises receiving, at the user terminal, a digital audio broadcast signal; and determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal based on a known component of the digital audio broadcast signal; wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining the position of a user terminal, comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive, at the user terminal, a digital audio broadcast signal; and

a pseudo-range unit adapted to determine a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal based on a known component of the digital audio broadcast signal;

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor adapted to determine the position of the user terminal based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) signal; and

an In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) audio broadcast signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the known component of the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronization symbol;

a null symbol in a synchronization channel; and

a phase reference symbol in a synchronization channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a further receiver adapted to receive, at the user terminal, a broadcast signal; and

a further pseudo-range unit adapted to determine a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of the broadcast signal based on a known component of the broadcast signal;

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the broadcast signal, a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a broadcast television signal;

a mobile telephone cell site broadcast signal; and

a Global Positioning System signal.

7-16. -16. (canceled)

17. An apparatus for determining the position of a user terminal, comprising:

receiver means for receiving, at the user terminal, a digital audio broadcast signal; and

pseudo-range unit means for determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal based on a known component of the digital audio broadcast signal;

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

processor means for determining the position of the user terminal based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) signal; and

an In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) audio broadcast signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the known component of the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronization symbol;

a null symbol in a synchronization channel; and

a phase reference symbol in a synchronization channel.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

further receiver means for receiving, at the user terminal, a broadcast signal; and

further pseudo-range unit means for determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of the broadcast signal based on a known component of the broadcast signal;

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the broadcast signal, a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a broadcast television signal;

a mobile telephone cell site broadcast signal; and

a Global Positioning System signal.

23-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method for determining the position of a user terminal, comprising:

receiving, at the user terminal, a digital audio broadcast signal; and

determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal based on a known component of the digital audio broadcast signal;

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

determining the position of the user terminal based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) signal; and

an In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) audio broadcast signal.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the known component of the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronization symbol;

a null symbol in a synchronization channel; and

a phase reference symbol in a synchronization channel.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving, at the user terminal, a broadcast signal; and

determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of the broadcast signal based on a known component of the broadcast signal;

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the broadcast signal, a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast signal.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a broadcast television signal;

a mobile telephone cell site broadcast signal; and

a Global Positioning System signal.

39-48. -48. (canceled)

49. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform a method for determining the position of a user terminal, the method comprising:

determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of a digital audio broadcast signal received at the user terminal based on a known component of the digital audio broadcast signal; and

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

50. The media of claim 49, wherein the method further comprises:

determining the position of the user terminal based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal and a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal.

51. The media of claim 49, wherein the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) signal; and

an In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) audio broadcast signal.

52. The media of claim 51, wherein the known component of the digital audio broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronization symbol;

a null symbol in a synchronization channel; and

a phase reference symbol in a synchronization channel.

53. The media of claim 49, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and a transmitter of a broadcast signal received at the user terminal based on a known component of the broadcast signal;

wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, the pseudo-range between the user terminal and the transmitter of the broadcast signal, a location of the transmitter of the digital audio broadcast signal, and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast signal.

54. The media of claim 53, wherein the broadcast signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a broadcast television signal;

a mobile telephone cell site broadcast signal; and

a Global Positioning System signal.

55-64. -64. (canceled)