RADIO FREQUENCY SIGNAL FOR DETERMINING LOCATION

• US 20070254611A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheung, Matthew, Jordan, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/161.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0268 by deriving positions from different combinations of signals or of estimated positions in a single positioning system

Abstract

Systems and methods of position sensing for a receiver, via employing an ability thereof to receive signals in a broader range than what such receiver is initially tuned for. A frequency skip component can skip channel frequencies such that the spectrum range is scanned without a typical requirement of tuning to all the channels during such scan. Accordingly, the subject innovation enables the entire spectrum of interest to be scanned at a substantially reduced amount of time. Location interpolation for the receiver and time stamping of received signals can be implemented as part of the position sensing.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a receiver that receives signals over a spectrum of frequencies from base stations;

a signal analyzer unit associated with the receiver, to supply a scan for the spectrum of frequencies and identify the signals; and

a frequency skip component as part of the signal analyzer unit, to skip frequencies during the scan.

2. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising a location interpolation component that evaluates kinetics data for a motion of the receiver.

3. The communication system of claim 2, the location interpolation component with a linear interpolation for location of the receiver.

4. The communication system of claim 2, the signal analyzer system further comprising a time stamp component that stamps incoming data at time of reception of signal.

5. The communication system of claim 2, the frequency skip component designates a channel selected at interval m as:

Channel at Interval m=[1+(2B+1)×

m][Mod N]

wherein;

N=number of interested channels;

B=±

channel tolerance that represents number of neighboring channel(s) that can be detected at one of above and below a channel that the receiver is tuned for.

6. The communication system of claim 2, further comprising a GPS system that supplies location related information for the receiver.

7. The communication system of claim 3, the signal analyzer system further comprising a transmitter.

8. The communication system of claim 3 further comprising an artificial intelligence component that interacts with the signal analyzer unit to facilitate an operation thereof.

9. The communication system of claim 3, a channel selectable in a non-random manner.

10. A method of scanning a spectrum of interested frequencies comprising:

receiving a signal by a receiver associated with a signal analyzer unit;

scanning a spectrum of frequencies; and

skipping channels that are adjacent to a channel that the signal analyzer unit is tuned for.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising locating a position of the receiver.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising skipping channels in a non-randomized manner.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising interpolating location of the receiver based on known positions thereof.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising skipping channels in a non-linear fashion.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising locating position of base stations that transmit the signal.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising acquiring data related to motion of the receiver.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising assigning a time stamp to the signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising retrieving a time stamp associated with the signal.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising processing the signal.

20. A communication system comprising:

means for skipping frequencies as part of a spectrum of frequencies transmitted from base stations;

means for analyzing a signal identified on the spectrum of frequencies.