Method for positioning, a positioning system, and an electronic device

• US 20050122259A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Valio, Harri, Sairo, Hanna, Alanen, Kimmo, Syrjarinne, Paula, Syrjarinne, Jari, Kontola, Ilkka
• Granted Patent: US 7,576,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.250
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for positioning a wireless communication device includes storing position data relating to one or a plurality of reference areas to at least one data base. It is examined which of said reference areas is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device, and at least position data about the reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device is retrieved for the wireless communication device. In order to perform the positioning, the method further includes selecting the reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device as the default position of the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method for positioning of a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

storing position data relating to one or a plurality of reference areas to at least one data base,

examining which of said reference areas is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device, and

retrieving at least position data about said reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device,

wherein in order to perform the positioning, the method further comprises selecting said reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device as the default position of the wireless communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1, said retrieving comprising transmitting said position data to the wireless communication device.

3. The -method according to claim 1, comprising using one of the following as the reference area:

a location area code of a cell of a mobile communication network;

a mobile country code;

a mobile network code;

and when storing the position data of the reference areas different reference areas are separated-in accordance with said reference area.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising establishing a data base in the mobile communication network.

5. The method according to claim 3, comprising setting up a communication connection between the wireless communication device and the base station of the mobile communication network, and using the location area code of a cell of the base station that communicates with the wireless communication device at the time as the default position.

6. The method according to claim 3, comprising transmitting the position data of the cell of the base station from the base station to the wireless communication device.

7. The method according to claim 3, comprising setting up the data base in the data base server and establishing a communication connection from the data base to the wireless communication device to transfer position data between the wireless communication device and the data base.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising using a connection according to the WAP protocol as said communication connection.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising storing information on the position of the reference areas also in the wireless communication device.

10. The method according, to claim 9, comprising transmitting the cell global identity of the cell communicating with the wireless communication device to the wireless communication device, wherein when the identity of the cell changes, an examination is performed in the wireless communication device to determine whether any position data based on the identity of the new cell are stored in the wireless communication device, wherein in case no position data based on the identity of the new cell is stored in the wireless communication device, the method comprises sending a request from the wireless communication device for transmission of positioning data to the wireless communication device.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising performing positioning for determining the position data of the reference areas position at least in one wireless communication device, and transmitting the determined position data and the identity of the base station to be stored into the data base.

12. A positioning system to be used in the positioning of a wireless communication device, the positioning system comprising:

at least one data base for storing one or a plurality of reference areas, means for detecting which of said reference areas is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device,

means for retrieving the position data of the reference area located in the vicinity of said wireless communication device to the wireless communication device,

wherein for performing the positioning, the positioning system comprises a selecting element for selecting said reference area in the vicinity of the wireless communication device as the default position of the wireless communication device.

13. The positioning system according to claim 12, wherein said means for retrieving the position data of the reference area comprise means for transmitting the position data to the wireless communication device,

14. The positioning system according to claim 12, wherein the base stations of the mobile communication network are arranged to be used as the reference areas, for which a cell global identity is defined, and when storing the position data of the reference areas different reference areas are separated from each other according to said identity.

15. The positioning system according to claim 12, wherein the data base is established in the mobile communication network.

16. The positioning system according to claim 14, comprising means for establishing a communication connection between the wireless communication device and the base station of the mobile communication network, wherein the selected default position is the position of that base station that communicates with the wireless communication device at the time.

17. The positioning system according to claim 14, wherein it comprises means for transmitting position data of the base stations of the mobile communication network from the base station to the wireless communication device.

18. The positioning system according to claim 14, wherein the data base is set up in the data base server, and the positioning system comprises means for setting up a communication connection from the data base to the wireless communication device to transfer position data between the wireless communication device and the data base.

19. The positioning system according to claim 18, wherein said communication connection is a connection according to the WAP, protocol.

20. The positioning system according to claim 19, wherein the wireless communication device comprises memory for storing information on the position of the reference areas.

21. The positioning system according to claim 20, comprising means for transmitting to the wireless communication device the cell global identity of the cell with which the wireless communication device is communicating, wherein the wireless communication device comprises means to examine when the location area code changes whether the position data based on the new location area code is stored in the wireless communication device, wherein in case no data is stored in the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device is adapted to transmit a request for transmitting position data to the wireless communication device.

22. The positioning system according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communication device comprises means for performing positioning, and means for transmitting the defined position data and the location area code of the base station, and that the positioning system comprises means for receiving said positioning data and location area code transmitted from the wireless communication device and for storing them into the data base.

23. An electronic device to be used in a positioning system, which electronic device comprises at least:

positioning means, and

mobile communication means,

means for detecting which of the reference areas stored in the data base of the positioning system is located in the vicinity of the electronic device,

means for retrieving the position data of the reference area located in the vicinity of the electronic device, and

means for selecting the reference area located in the vicinity of said electronic device as the default position of the electronic device in the positioning.

24. A computer program product for positioning of a wireless communication device, the computer program product comprising machine executable steps for:

storing position data relating to one or a plurality of reference areas to at least one data base,

examining which of said reference areas is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device, and

retrieving at least position data about said reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device,

wherein in order to perform the positioning, the computer program product further comprises machine executable steps for selecting said reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device as the default position of the wireless communication device.

25. A wireless communication device to be used in a positioning system, which wireless communication device comprises at least:

positioning means, and

mobile communication means,

means for detecting which of the reference areas stored in the data base of the positioning system is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device,

means for retrieving the position data of the reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device, and

means for selecting the reference area located in the vicinity of said wireless communication device as the default position of the wireless communication device in the positioning.

26. A method for delivering assistance data for positioning of a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

storing position data relating to one or a plurality of reference areas to at least one data base,

examining which of said reference areas is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device, and

transmitting to the wireless communication device at least position data about said reference area located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device,

invoicing a user of the wireless communication device of the transmitted assistance data.

27. A module to be used in an electronic device which module comprises at least:

means for detecting which of the reference areas stored in the data base of the positioning system is located in the vicinity of the electronic device,

means for retrieving the position data of the reference area located in the vicinity of the electronic device, and

means for selecting the reference area located in the vicinity of said electronic device as the default position of the electronic device for positioning of the electronic device.