Assistance data provision

• US 20080234980A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Halivaara, Ismo, Wirola, Lauri
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/04 providing carrier phase data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry

Abstract

For supporting the provision of a continuous stream of assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning, a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data is generated. The messages are provided for transmission to a wireless communication terminal. The wireless communication terminal receives the sequence of interlinked messages and provides the assistance data in the received messages for use in positioning computations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning; and

providing the messages for transmission to a wireless communication terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the messages are interlinked in that they are generated periodically.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the messages are interlinked in that generating a message is triggered by a receipt of a respective request from the wireless communication terminal, which in turn transmits a new request upon receipt of a generated message.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising checking whether the assistance data that is to be included in a message has a desired continuity with the assistance data in a preceding message and including at least one corresponding continuity indicator in each message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assistance data includes carrier-phase measurements on satellite signals for a reference station, the carrier-phase measurements enabling a relative positioning of a satellite signal receiver to the reference station.

6. An apparatus comprising at least one processing component

configured to generate a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning;

and

configured to provide the messages for transmission to a wireless communication terminal.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processing component is configured to generate a sequence of interlinked messages by generating the messages of the sequence periodically.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processing component is configured to generate a sequence of interlinked messages in that the at least one processing component is further configured to detect a receipt of a request for a message from the wireless communication terminal and to trigger a generation of a new message of the sequence of messages upon receipt of such a request, the wireless communication terminal transmitting a new request upon receipt of a generated message.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to check whether the assistance data that is to be included in a message has a desired continuity with the assistance data in a preceding message of a sequence of messages and to include at least one corresponding continuity indicator in each message.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processing component is configured to include carrier-phase measurements on satellite signals for a reference station in the assistance data, the carrier-phase measurements enabling a relative positioning of a satellite signal receiver to the reference station.

11. A device comprising:

an apparatus according to claim 6; and

an interface configured to enable a communication with a wireless communication terminal.

12. A computer program product in which program code is stored in a computer readable medium the program code realizing the following when executed in a processor:

generating a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning; and

providing the messages for transmission to a wireless communication terminal.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the messages are interlinked in that they are generated periodically.

14. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the messages are interlinked in that generating a message is triggered by a receipt of a respective request from the wireless communication terminal, which in turn transmits a new request upon receipt of a generated message.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning; and

means for providing the messages for transmission to a wireless communication terminal.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning; and

providing the assistance data in the received messages for use in positioning computations.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the messages are interlinked in that they are received periodically.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the messages are interlinked in that they are received upon a respective request, and in that the method further comprises generating a respective request upon receipt of a respective message of the sequence of messages.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein providing the assistance data in the received messages for use in positioning computations comprises storing the provided assistance data for later use in positioning computations.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising performing positioning computations based on the provided assistance data.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein each received message includes at least one continuity indicator, the method further comprising accepting only assistance data for which a continuity indicator indicates that it has a desired continuity with assistance data in a preceding message to be correct assistance data.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the assistance data includes carrier-phase measurements on satellite signals for a reference station, the method further comprising using the provided assistance data in determining a relative position of a satellite signal receiver to the reference station.

23. An apparatus comprising at least one processing component,

configured to receive a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning;

and

configured to provide the assistance data in the received messages for use in positioning computations.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the messages are interlinked in that the messages are received periodically.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the messages are interlinked in that the messages are received upon a respective request, and wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to generate a respective request upon receipt of a respective message of the sequence of messages.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to provide the assistance data in the received messages for use in positioning computations by storing the provided assistance data for later use in positioning computations.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to perform positioning computations based on the provided assistance data.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each received message includes at least one continuity indicator, wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to accept only assistance data for which a continuity indicator indicates that it has a desired continuity with assistance data in a preceding message to be correct assistance data.

29. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the assistance data includes carrier-phase measurements on satellite signals for a reference station, wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to use the provided assistance data in determining a relative position of a satellite signal receiver to the reference station.

30. A device comprising:

an apparatus according to claim 23; and

a wireless communication component configured to enable a communication with another device.

35. A system comprising:

an apparatus according to claim 6; and

an apparatus according to claim 23.

31. A computer program product in which program code is stored in a computer readable medium, the program code realizing the following when executed by a processor:

receiving a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning; and

providing the assistance data in the received messages for use in positioning computations.

32. The computer program product according to claim 31, wherein the messages are interlinked in that the messages are received periodically.

33. The computer program product according to claim 31, wherein the messages are interlinked in that the messages are received upon a respective request, and in that the program code further generates a respective request upon receipt of a respective message of the sequence of messages.

34. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a sequence of interlinked messages comprising assistance data for a satellite signal based positioning; and

means for providing the assistance data in the received messages for use in positioning computations.