System and methods for IP and VoIP device location determination
First Claim
1. A method for determining position of a device connected to a computer network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:
- estimating position of a device relative to a fixed coordinate system to a first level of accuracy by communicating over a computer network with a model server;
obtaining data over said computer network regarding signal characteristics of a positioning system relative to said position estimated to said first level of accuracy;
providing at least one peering point server attached to said computer network, wherein time and frequency references of said at least one peering point server are calibrated to time and frequency references of said positioning system;
calibrating time and frequency references of said device to said time and frequency references of said at least one peering point server at least in part through communications over said computer network between said device and said at least one peering point servers;
aligning time and frequency elements in a receiver of said device to signal characteristics of at least one transmitter of said positioning system, wherein said signal characteristics were acquired in said obtaining step;
receiving a plurality of signals from said at least one transmitter of said positioning system; and
determining position of said device relative to said fixed coordinate system to a second level of accuracy based at least in part on said calibration and received plurality of signals, wherein said second level of accuracy is more accurate than said first level of accuracy.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for precise position determination of general Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected devices. A method enables use of remote intelligence located at strategic network points to distribute relevant assistance data to IP devices with embedded receivers. Assistance is tailored to provide physical timing, frequency and real time signal status data using general broad band communication protocols. Relevant assistance data enables several complementary forms of signal processing gain critical to acquire and measure weakened or distorted in-building Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) signals and to ultimately extract corresponding pseudo-range time components. A method to assemble sets of GNSS measurements that are observed over long periods of time while using standard satellite navigation methods, and once compiled, convert using standard methods each pseudo-range into usable path distances used to calculate a precise geographic position to a known degree of accuracy.
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Citations
106 Claims
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1. A method for determining position of a device connected to a computer network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:
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estimating position of a device relative to a fixed coordinate system to a first level of accuracy by communicating over a computer network with a model server;
obtaining data over said computer network regarding signal characteristics of a positioning system relative to said position estimated to said first level of accuracy;
providing at least one peering point server attached to said computer network, wherein time and frequency references of said at least one peering point server are calibrated to time and frequency references of said positioning system;
calibrating time and frequency references of said device to said time and frequency references of said at least one peering point server at least in part through communications over said computer network between said device and said at least one peering point servers;
aligning time and frequency elements in a receiver of said device to signal characteristics of at least one transmitter of said positioning system, wherein said signal characteristics were acquired in said obtaining step;
receiving a plurality of signals from said at least one transmitter of said positioning system; and
determining position of said device relative to said fixed coordinate system to a second level of accuracy based at least in part on said calibration and received plurality of signals, wherein said second level of accuracy is more accurate than said first level of accuracy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method of verifying a previously determined position of a device connected to a network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining position of said device relative to said fixed coordinate system;
gathering a first set of information regarding attachment of said device to said network indicative of an attachment to said network at said determined position;
storing said first set of gathered information;
receiving a request for location information of said device;
gathering a second set of information regarding attachment of said device to said network indicative of a unique attachment to said network;
comparing said first set of information to said second set of information; and
verifying in near real time that said device is at said previously determined position if said comparison results in surpassing a predetermined threshold of characteristic similarity. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of selecting a process of determining the position of a device connected to a computer network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:
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estimating a position of a device relative to a fixed coordinate system to a first level of accuracy by communicating over a computer network with a network operations center, wherein said network operations center contains a database of locations of other devices on said computer network;
obtaining data over said computer network regarding characteristics of a positioning system relative to said position estimated to said first level of accuracy;
attempting to receive a plurality of signals from said positioning system;
determining the quality of said plurality of signals from said positioning system; and
selecting between, based on said quality level of said signals from said positioning system, a first process where a time a reference of said positioning system is obtained over said computer network and a second process where said time reference of said positioning system is obtained from said positioning system. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71)
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72. A method of presenting a located call from an IP device connected to an IP network to an emergency services dispatch center, said method comprising the steps of:
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dialing an emergency telephone number from an IP device connected to an IP network to generate a call, wherein said device is capable of receiving signals from a positioning system;
connecting said IP device through said IP network to a network interconnection capable of interconnecting said IP network to a public-switched-telephone-network (PSTN);
connecting said IP device to an emergency services network attached to said PSTN;
providing a location of said IP device to said emergency services network;
selecting an appropriate emergency services dispatch center based at least in part on said location;
transmitting said location from said emergency services network to said emergency services dispatch center; and
presenting said call to said selected emergency services dispatch center. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A method for calculating a position of a device attached to a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at a server over a computer network an indication from a device attached to said computer network to initiate a location routine for said device;
performing an IP trace route between said server and said device;
estimating a position of said device based at least in part on said IP trace route;
sending signal characteristics of at least one signal of a positioning system incident at said estimated position from said server to said device over said computer network, receiving from said device information about at least one signal from said positioning system received by said device;
calculating a position of said device based at least in part on said at least one signal received by said device.
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79. A method for determining position of a first device connected to a computer network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:
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connecting a first device and a second device to an edge device of a computer network;
receiving a first at least one signal from a positioning system at said first device;
receiving a second at least one signal from said positioning system at said second device; and
estimating position of said first device relative to a fixed coordinate system based at least in part on said first and second at least one signals.
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80. An apparatus comprising:
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a network interface module;
a signal receiving module for receiving signals from transmitters of a positioning system;
a frequency and time aligning module for aligning said signal receiving module, wherein said frequency and time aligning module is operable to be obtain frequency and time aligning information regarding said positioning system over a connection to a network via said network interface module; and
a timing module, wherein said timing module is operable to calibrate a time reference of said apparatus with a time reference of said positioning system over a connection to said network via said network interface module. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device comprising:
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a voice conversion module operable to convert voice to data and data to voice;
a network interface module;
a signal receiving module for receiving signals from transmitters of a GNSS;
a frequency and time aligning module for aligning said signal receiving module, wherein said frequency and time aligning module is operable to obtain frequency and time information regarding said GNSS over a connection to a network via said network interface module;
a timing module, wherein said timing module is operable to calibrate a time reference of said apparatus with a time reference of said GNSS over a connection to said network via said network interface module; and
a processing module for processing signals received by said signal receiving module, wherein said processing module is operable to determine a position of said apparatus relative to said GNSS based at least in part on said signals received by said signal receiving module and said calibration. - View Dependent Claims (90)
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91. A system for use in determining a position of a device connected to a network relative to a fixed coordinate system, comprising:
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a device connected to a network, wherein said device is operable to receive signals from transmitters of a positioning system;
a model server in communication with said device over said network, wherein said model server is operable to provide to said device information regarding signal characteristics of said transmitters of said positioning system; and
a peering point server to communicate with said device over said network, wherein said peering point server is operable to calibrate over said network a time reference of said device to a time reference of said positioning system. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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98. An apparatus for use in calibrating time and frequency references of a device attached to an asynchronous network with time and frequency references of a satellite based positioning system, comprising:
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structure for obtaining input information corresponding to signals from said satellite based positioning system;
a processing module for synchronizing time and frequency references of said apparatus with time and frequency references of said satellite based positioning system derived from said input information; and
an interface module for generating an output to said asynchronous network addressed to said device, wherein said output is calibrated to said time and frequency references of said satellite based positioning system and is usable by said device to calibrate time and frequency references of said device to time and frequency references of said satellite based positioning system. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101)
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102. A method for use in determining position of a device connected to a network using signals from a satellite-based positioning system, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at said device, a first signal from a first satellite of said satellite-based positioning system at a first time;
receiving, at said device, a second signal from a second satellite of said satellite-based positioning system at a said second time;
wherein said second time is separated from said first time by at least one minute; and
combinatively using first information derived from said first signal and second information derived from said second signal to determine a position of said device free from any determination of a position of said device based on signals from said satellite-based positioning system at said first time or a position of said device based on signals from said satellite-based positioning system at said second time.
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103. A method for use in determining position of a device connected to a network using signals from a satellite-based positioning system, said satellite-based positioning system including multiple satellites providing signals sufficient to position a receiver device that receives signals from a number of said satellites at a given time, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at a first receiver device at a first time, one or more first signals from said satellite-based positioning system, wherein said first signals are insufficient to determine a position of said receiver device;
receiving, at said first receiver device at a second time different than said first time, one or more second signals from said satellite-based positioning system, wherein said second signals are insufficient to determine a position of said receiver device; and
processing at least one of said first signals and one of said second signals to determine a position of said first receiver device.
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104. An apparatus for use in determining position of a device connected to a network using signals from a satellite-based positioning system, comprising:
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structure for receiving first information corresponding to a first signal received at said device from a first satellite of said satellite-based positioning system at a first time;
structure for receiving second information corresponding to a second signal received at said device from a second satellite of said satellite-based positioning system at a second time; and
a processor operative for combinatively using said first information and said second information to determine a position of said device free from any determination of a position of said device based on signals from said satellite-based positioning system at said first time or a position of said device based on signals from said satellite-based positioning system at said second time.
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105. An apparatus for use in determining position of a device connected to an asynchronous network using signals from a satellite-based positioning system, comprising:
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structure for receiving a first set of information across said asynchronous network corresponding to a plurality of signals received at said device from said satellite-based positioning system;
a processor operative for using said first set of information to determine a position of said device. - View Dependent Claims (106)
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Specification