Location-sensitive calibration data

• US 20060089153A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheynblat, Leonid
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02523 Details of interaction of receiver with radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system, method and device are provided for determining the position of a mobile station through the identification of an approximate position of the mobile station. Thereafter received signal strength (RSSI) fingerprint data for the approximate position is requested and retrieved. The fingerprint data and received signal strength data collected at the mobile station are compared in connection with fixing the position of the mobile station.

Claims

1. A system for determining the position of a mobile station comprising:

a location estimator for identifying an approximate position of the mobile station;

a fingerprint requestor for requesting and obtaining, through radio channel access, pertinent location fingerprint data from a fingerprint database remote from said mobile station, said pertinent location fingerprint data being indicative of the approximate position of the mobile station; and

a fingerprint comparator for comparing measured RSSI data at said mobile station with said pertinent location fingerprint data in order to determine the position of said mobile station.

2. A system for determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 1 further comprising a display, said displaying being operable to indicate the position of the mobile station.

3. A system for determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said radio channel access is provided through a technique selected from the group of radio-channel access schemes consisting of CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, SDMA and a combination thereof.

4. A system for determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said remote fingerprint database contains RSSI data.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said mobile station is a mobile communications device selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant with wireless communications capability, a portable computer with wireless communications capability and a pager.

6. A mobile station comprising:

a location approximation identification section being operable to identify a pertinent portion of a remote fingerprint database, corresponding to a vicinity of said mobile station, to download to said mobile station;

a RSSI section for making RSSI measurements at said mobile station;

a memory;

a processor;

software held in memory and run in said processor for determining the position of said mobile station by comparing said pertinent portion of said remote fingerprint database with said RSSI measurements made at said mobile station.

7. A mobile station as recited in claim 6 wherein said location approximation identification section identifies a pertinent portion of a remote fingerprint database, corresponding to a vicinity of said mobile station by a method of advanced forward link trilateration.

8. A mobile station as recited in claim 6 wherein said location approximation identification section identifies a pertinent portion of a remote fingerprint database through identification of a base station site in the vicinity of said mobile station by measuring base station pilot signal strength.

9. A mobile station as recited in claim 6 wherein said location approximation identification section identifies a pertinent portion of a remote fingerprint database, corresponding to a vicinity of said mobile station by a method using cell-ID through the identification of a cellular base station located proximate said mobile station.

10. A mobile station as recited in claim 6 wherein said location approximation identification section identifies a pertinent portion of a remote fingerprint database, corresponding to a vicinity of said mobile station by a method using enhanced cell-ID.

11. A system for determining the position of a mobile station comprising:

a fingerprint database including RSSI data;

a mobile station including a location estimator for identifying an approximate position of said mobile station;

a fingerprint requestor for requesting and obtaining, through radio channel access, pertinent location fingerprint data from a fingerprint database remote from said mobile station, said pertinent location fingerprint data being indicative of the approximate position of the mobile station; and

a fingerprint comparator for comparing measured RSSI data at said mobile station with said pertinent location fingerprint data in order to determine the position of said mobile station.

12. A method of determining the position of a mobile station comprising:

collecting RSSI data at said mobile station;

determining the approximate location of said mobile station;

selecting fingerprint look-up token data, from a database located remotely from said mobile station, corresponding to said approximate location of said mobile station;

comparing said fingerprint look-up token data with said RSSI data collected at said mobile station; and

determining the position of said mobile station in accordance with finding said fingerprint look-up token data of highest correlation with said RSSI data.

13. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 12 further including determining whether said highest correlation meets a predetermined threshold.

14. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 13 wherein said method is reiterated should said highest correlation fail to meet said predetermined threshold.

15. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 12 wherein said fingerprint look-up token data includes RSSI data.

16. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the approximate location of said mobile station is accomplished using a method of AFLT.

17. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the approximate location of said mobile station is accomplished through identification of a base station site in the vicinity of said mobile station by measuring base station pilot signal strength.

18. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the approximate location of said mobile station is accomplished through identification of a cellular base station antenna located proximate said mobile station.

19. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 12 which further includes displaying said mobile station location.

20. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 19 wherein the display of said mobile station location includes longitudinal and latitudinal readings.

21. A method of determining the position of a mobile station as recited in claim 19 wherein the display of said mobile station location includes street location information.