Cooperative global positioning system (GPS) processing by mobile terminals that communicate via an ad hoc wireless network

• US 20070225016A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jendbro, Magnus, Camp, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data

Abstract

The position of a given mobile terminal is determined by communicating satellite positioning system information between the given mobile terminal and at least one other mobile terminal over a short-range, ad hoc wireless network, such as a Bluetooth network, to cooperatively determine the position of the given mobile terminal by the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal that communicate over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network. Satellite positioning system information may communicated by distributing processing of the satellite positioning information, by distributing receiving of satellite positioning system information from a satellite, by communicating assistance data and/or by synchronizing timing of satellite positioning information, between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position of a given mobile terminal comprising:

communicating satellite positioning system information between the given mobile terminal and at least one other mobile terminal over a short-range, ad hoc wireless network to cooperatively determine the position of the given mobile terminal by the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal that communicate over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein communicating satellite positioning system information comprises:

partitioning the satellite positioning information that is used to determine the position of the given mobile terminal into a plurality of partitions; and

communicating at least one of the plurality of partitions to the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network for processing by the at least one other mobile terminal.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

receiving results of processing the at least one of the plurality of partitions from the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network; and

combining the results to determine the position of the given mobile terminal.

4. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

communicating processing instructions for the at least one of the plurality of partitions from the given mobile terminal to the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

5. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

communicating ancillary data for the at least one of the plurality of partitions from the given mobile terminal to the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

6. A method according to claim 2 wherein partitioning comprises partitioning processing of the satellite positioning information for a respective one of a plurality of satellite positioning system satellites into a respective one of the plurality of partitions.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein communicating at least one of the plurality of partitions comprises communicating one of the plurality of partitions to more than one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network for duplicate processing by the more than one other mobile terminal.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein communicating satellite positioning system information comprises:

receiving a first portion of the satellite positioning system information from the satellite positioning system at the given mobile terminal;

receiving at least a second portion of the satellite positioning system information from the satellite positioning system at the at least one other mobile terminal; and

communicating at least one of the portions of the satellite positioning system information between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising:

processing the at least a second portion of the satellite positioning system information from the satellite positioning system at the at least one other mobile terminal to provide processed satellite positioning system information; and

wherein communicating at least one of the portions of the satellite positioning system information comprises communicating the processed satellite positioning system information from the at least one other mobile terminal to the given mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein communicating satellite positioning system information comprises:

communicating satellite positioning system timing information between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network to cooperatively determine the position of the given mobile terminal by the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal that communicate over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein communicating satellite positioning system timing information comprises:

synchronizing the satellite positioning system timing information that is communicated between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network relative to a feature of a protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the satellite positioning timing information comprises timing of a satellite positioning system PN code phase.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the feature of the protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications comprises a header field in the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein communicating satellite positioning system timing information is preceded by communicating a request for satellite positioning system timing information between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network and wherein communicating satellite positioning system timing information is performed in response to communicating the request for the satellite positioning system timing information.

15. A method according to claim 10 wherein communicating satellite positioning system timing information comprises repeatedly broadcasting satellite positioning system timing information between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

16. A method according to claim 1 wherein communicating satellite positioning system information comprises:

synchronizing the satellite positioning system information that is communicated between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network relative to a feature of a protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein communicating satellite positioning system information comprises:

communicating assistance data between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network to cooperatively determine the position of the given mobile terminal by the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal that communicate over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network, using the assistance data.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein communicating assistance data is preceded by communicating a request for assistance data between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network and wherein communicating assistance data is performed in response to communicating the request for the assistance data.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein communicating assistance data comprises repeatedly broadcasting assistance data between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

20. A method according to claim 17 wherein communicating assistance data comprises:

synchronizing the assistance data that is communicated between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network relative to a feature of a protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

21. A method according to claim 17 wherein communicating assistance data comprises:

sending the assistance data from the given mobile terminal to the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network; and

receiving the position of the given mobile terminal from the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network, in response to sending the assistance data.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein the short-range, ad hoc wireless network comprises a Bluetooth network.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein communicating satellite positioning system information comprises distributing processing of the satellite positioning information, distributing receiving of satellite positioning system information, communicating assistance data and/or synchronizing timing of satellite positioning information between the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network to cooperatively determine the position of the given mobile terminal by the given mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal that communicate over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network.

24. A mobile terminal comprising:

a cellular network transceiver that is configured to communicate with a cellular base station;

a short-range, ad hoc wireless network transceiver that is configured to communicate over a short-range, ad hoc wireless network; and

a mobile terminal positioning system that is configured to communicate satellite positioning system information between the mobile terminal and at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless network transceiver so as to determine the position of the given mobile terminal cooperatively with the at least one other mobile terminal.

25. A mobile terminal according to claim 24 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to partition the satellite positioning information that is used to determine the position of the mobile terminal into a plurality of partitions and to communicate at least one of the plurality of partitions to the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless network transceiver for processing by the at least one other mobile terminal.

26. A mobile terminal according to claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to receive results of processing the at least one of the plurality of partitions from the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver and to combine the results to determine the position of the mobile terminal.

27. A mobile terminal according to claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to communicate processing instructions for the at least one of the plurality of partitions from the mobile terminal to the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver.

28. A mobile terminal according to claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to communicate ancillary data for the at least one of the plurality of partitions from the mobile terminal to the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver.

29. A mobile terminal according to claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is configured to partition by partitioning processing of the satellite positioning information for a respective one of a plurality of satellite positioning system satellites into a respective one of the plurality of partitions.

30. A mobile terminal according to claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is configured to communicate at least one of the plurality of partitions by communicating one of the plurality of partitions to more than one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver for duplicate processing by the more than one other mobile terminal.

31. A mobile terminal according to claim 24 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to receive a first portion of the satellite positioning system information from the satellite positioning system and to receive at least a second portion of the satellite positioning system information from the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver.

32. A mobile terminal according to claim 31 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is configured to receive processed satellite positioning system information from the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver.

33. A mobile terminal according to claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to communicate satellite positioning system timing information between the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver to cooperatively determine the position of the mobile terminal.

34. A mobile terminal according to claim 33 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is configured to communicate satellite positioning system timing information by synchronizing the satellite positioning system timing information that is communicated between the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver relative to a feature of a protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

35. A mobile terminal according to claim 34 wherein the satellite positioning timing information comprises timing of a satellite positioning system PN code phase.

36. A mobile terminal according to claim 35 wherein the feature of the protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications comprises a header field in the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

37. A mobile terminal according to claim 24 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to synchronize the satellite positioning system information that is communicated between the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver relative to a feature of a protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

38. A mobile terminal according to claim 24 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to communicate assistance data between the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver to cooperatively determine the position of the mobile terminal by the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal that communicate over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network, using the assistance data.

39. A mobile terminal according to claim 38 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to synchronize the assistance data that is communicated between the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver relative to a feature of a protocol that is used for the short-range, ad hoc wireless network communications.

40. A mobile terminal according to claim 24 wherein the short-range, ad hoc wireless network comprises a Bluetooth network.

41. A mobile terminal according to claim 24 wherein the mobile terminal positioning system is further configured to communicate satellite positioning system information by distributing processing of the satellite positioning information, distributing receiving of satellite positioning system information, communicating assistance data and/or synchronizing timing of satellite positioning information between the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal via the short-range, ad hoc wireless transceiver.

42. A short-range, ad hoc wireless network comprising:

a plurality of mobile terminals that are configured to communicate satellite positioning system information among one another over short-range, ad hoc wireless network links to cooperatively determine a position of at least one of the mobile terminals.

43. A network according to claim 42 wherein the short-range, ad hoc wireless network comprises a Bluetooth network.

44. A network according to claim 42 wherein the plurality of mobile terminals are configured to communicate satellite positioning system information by distributing processing of the satellite positioning information, distributing receiving of satellite positioning system information, communicating assistance data and/or synchronizing timing of satellite positioning information over the short-range, ad hoc wireless network links to cooperatively determine the position of the at least one of the mobile terminals.