System and method for enabling continuous geographic location estimation for wireless computing devices

• US 20060170591A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Holding, Inc. (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Mexens Intellectual Property Holding LLC
• Inventors: Houri, Cyril
• Granted Patent: US 7,397,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.310
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system

Abstract

System and method for enabling a wireless computing device to continuously determine its position includes a wireless computing device and a wireless positioning system substantially collocated therewith. The wireless positioning system has a first positioning mode in which it communicates with a wireless positioning network to enable the geographic location of the computing device to be determined upon reception of signals from the positioning network and a second positioning mode in which it enables the geographic location of the wireless computing device to be determined upon reception of signals from one or more of the wireless beacons and analysis of the signals in light of positional information about wireless beacons contained in a database. The wireless positioning system switches between the positioning modes depending on reception of signals from the wireless positioning network.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a wireless computing device to continuously determine its position, comprising:

a wireless computing device; and

a wireless positioning system substantially collocated with said wireless computing device,

said wireless positioning system having a first positioning mode in which it communicates with a wireless positioning network to enable the geographic location of said wireless computing device to be determined upon reception of signals from the wireless positioning network and a second positioning mode in which it enables the geographic location of said wireless computing device to be determined upon reception of signals from at least one wireless beacon and analysis of the signals in light of positional information about wireless beacons contained in a database and, said wireless positioning system being arranged to switch between said first and second positioning modes to obtain a determination of its geographic location depending on reception of signals from the wireless positioning network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless positioning system switches from said first positioning mode to said second positioning mode when signals from the wireless positioning network are not deemed sufficiently accurate or are unavailable, and from said second positioning mode to said first positioning mode when signals from the wireless positioning network are available and deemed accurate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless positioning system is arranged in said wireless computing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless positioning system includes a software-implemented switch to switch between said first and second positioning modes.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless positioning system includes a GPS system which communicates with a satellite-based GPS positioning system to provide said first positioning mode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless positioning system includes a calculation algorithm which determines the geographic location of said wireless computing device in said second positioning mode upon input of identification and signal strength information about the at least one wireless beacon derived from the received signals.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a scanner arranged to communicate with the wireless positioning network when in said first positioning mode to enable its geographic location to be determined upon reception of signals from the wireless positioning network, said scanner being arranged to obtain positional information about itself and identification and signal strength information about wireless beacons in order to derive positional information about the wireless beacons for inclusion in said database.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said scanner is arranged to analyze strength of signals received from the wireless beacons at a plurality of different positions of said scanner and apply an algorithm to determine the position of the wireless beacons therefrom.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said scanner is arranged in connection with said wireless computing device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said scanner is part of said wireless computing device.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said scanner is a PDA or cell phone.

12. A method for enabling a wireless computing device to continuously determine its position, comprising:

coupling the wireless computing device to a wireless positioning network to enable the geographic location of the wireless computing device to be determined upon reception of signals from the wireless positioning network;

providing a database of identification and positional information about wireless beacons; and

enabling the geographic position of the wireless computing device to be continuously determined by obtaining a position signal derived from the signals from the wireless positioning network upon reception thereof and in the absence of reception of usable signals from the wireless positioning network, deriving a position signal from reception of signals from wireless beacons detected by the wireless computing device and analysis of the received signals using the database.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of coupling the wireless computing device to the wireless positioning network comprising arranging a GPS device in the wireless computing device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising building the database by obtaining identification and signal strength data about each wireless beacon at a plurality of locations at which a signal from that wireless beacon is being received and applying an algorithm to determine positional information about the wireless beacons based on the signal strength data.

15. A method for administering a database of wireless beacons, comprising:

maintaining a central database of wireless beacons in a computing device;

coupling the central database to a plurality of wireless computing devices;

enabling each wireless computing device to determine identification and positional information about wireless beacons not contained in the central database;

periodically forwarding the identification and positional information about wireless beacons not contained in the central database from the wireless computing devices to the central database;

updating the central database to include the forwarded identification and positional information; and

periodically directing the updates of the central database to the plurality of wireless computing devices.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of enabling each wireless computing device to determine identification and positional information about wireless beacons comprises:

obtaining identification and signal strength data about each wireless beacon at a plurality of locations at which a signal from that wireless beacon is being received;

applying an algorithm to determine positional information about the wireless beacons based on the signal strength data; and

storing the positional information in association with the identification data.

17. A system for enabling a wireless computing device to continuously determine its position, comprising:

a central database containing identification and positional information about wireless beacons, said central database being arranged to receive identification and positional information about wireless beacons not previously contained therein and generate database updates based thereon;

a wireless computing device including a local database containing positional information about wireless beacons, said wireless computing device being arranged to wirelessly communicate with said central database to receive said database updates and add said database updates to said local database; and

a wireless positioning system substantially collocated with said wireless computing device, said wireless positioning system being arranged to enable the geographic location of said wireless computing device to be determined upon reception of signals from at least one wireless beacon and analysis of the signals in light of the positional information about wireless beacons contained in said local database.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said wireless positioning system includes a calculation algorithm which determines the geographic location of said wireless computing device upon input of identification and signal strength information about the at least one wireless beacon derived from the received signals.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said wireless positioning system is arranged in said wireless computing device.