METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE RELATED TO LOCATION DETERMINATION IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080293436A1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Fok, Kenny, Singh, Jagatpreet, Yip, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices and computer program products for executing a predetermined routine including one or more location determination modes to determine a geographic position, i.e., the location of a wireless communication device. In certain aspects, the predetermined routine may be configured to adjust the Quality of Service (QoS) for one or more of the location determination modes implemented in the routine. Based on the pre-configuration of the routine, adjustment of the QoS of one or more location determination modes may occur as a matter of course or the routine may be configured to adaptively adjust the QoS based on conditions, such as network conditions, environmental conditions and the like, existing at the point in time in which the location determination mode is executed.

Claims

1. A method for location determination in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

providing for a predetermined location determination routine that includes a plurality of location determination modes comprising a Quality of Service (QoS) adjustable location determination mode;

receiving a request for a location of the wireless communication device;

attempting to obtain a location of the wireless communication device by executing a first location determination mode from the predetermined location determination routine;

adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a lower level if the attempt to obtain a location by executing the first location determination mode fails;

attempting to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode; and

storing in memory a result of the attempt to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode.

2. The method of claim 1, providing for a predetermined location determination routine that includes a plurality of location determination modes comprising a Quality of Service (QoS) adjustable location determination mode further defines the QoS adjustable location determination mode as Mobile Station-Assisted mode (MS-Assisted mode).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising wherein determining, prior to adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode, whether to make a lower QoS adjustment for the QoS adjustable location determination mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether to make a QoS adjustment further comprises determining whether to make a lower QoS adjustment based on the pre-configuration of the predetermined location determination routine.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether to make a QoS adjustment further comprises determining whether to make a dynamic lower QoS adjustment based on one or more existing conditions affecting location determination.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether to make a dynamic QoS adjustment based on one or more existing conditions affecting location determination further comprises whether to make a dynamic QoS adjustment based on one or more existing conditions affecting location determination, wherein the existing conditions are further defined as at least one wireless signal state, voice call state, data call state, battery power state and location determination entity information state.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether to make a QoS adjustment further comprises determining whether to make an adaptive lower QoS adjustment based on historical conditions affecting location determination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a lower level further comprises adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a minimum level.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a higher level after the attempt to obtain a location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, prior to adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a higher level, whether to make a higher QoS adjustment for the QoS adjustable location determination mode.

11. At least one processor configured to determine location in wireless device, comprising:

a first module for providing for a predetermined location determination routine that includes a plurality of location determination modes comprising a Quality of Service (QoS) adjustable location determination mode;

a second module for receiving a request for a location of the wireless communication device;

a third module for attempting to obtain a location of the wireless communication device by executing a first location determination mode from the predetermined location determination routine;

a fourth module for adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a lower level if the attempt to obtain a location by executing the first location determination mode fails;

a fifth module for attempting to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode; and

a sixth module for storing in memory a result of the attempt to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode.

12. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to provide for a predetermined location determination routine that includes a plurality of location determination modes comprising a Quality of Service (QoS) adjustable location determination mode;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive a request for a location of the wireless communication device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to attempt to obtain a location of the wireless communication device by executing a first location determination mode from the predetermined location determination routine;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to adjust the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a lower level if the attempt to obtain a location by executing the first location determination mode fails;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to attempt to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to store in memory a result of the attempt to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode.

13. A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for providing for a predetermined location determination routine that includes a plurality of location determination modes comprising a Quality of Service (QoS) adjustable location determination mode;

means for receiving a request for a location of the wireless communication device;

means for attempting to obtain a location of the wireless communication device by executing a first location determination mode from the predetermined location determination routine;

means for adjusting the QoS of the QoS adjustable location determination mode to a lower level if the attempt to obtain a location by executing the first location determination mode fails;

means for attempting to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode; and

means for storing in memory a result of the attempt to obtain the location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode.

14. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a computer platform including at least one processor and a memory; and

a predetermined location determination routine stored in the memory and executable by the at least one processor, the routine including a plurality of location determination mode comprising,

a Quality of Service (QoS) adjustable location determination mode including a QoS adjustable parameter that is operable to be adjusted to a lower level if another location determination mode in the routine is executed and fails to obtain a fix.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein the predetermined location determination routine further defines the QoS adjustable location determination mode as Mobile Station-Assisted mode (MS-Assisted mode).

16. The wireless communication of claim 14, further comprising a QoS adjuster stored in the memory and executable by the at least one processor, wherein the QoS adjuster is operable to determine whether to make the lower QoS adjustment for the QoS adjustable location determination mode prior to adjusting the QoS

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the QoS adjuster is further operable to determine whether to make a dynamic lower QoS adjustment for the QoS adjustable location determination mode based on one or more existing conditions affecting location determination.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the QOS adjuster is further operable to determine whether to make a dynamic lower QoS adjustment for the QoS adjustable location determination mode based on one or more existing conditions affecting location determination, wherein the existing conditions are further defined as at least one wireless signal state, voice call state, data call state, battery power state and location determination entity information state.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the QoS adjuster is further operable to determine whether to make an adaptive lower QoS adjustment for the QoS adjustable location determination mode based on historical conditions affecting location determination.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein the Quality of Service (QoS) adjustable location determination mode including the QoS adjustable parameter is further operable to be adjusted to a minimum level if the other location determination mode in the routine is executed and fails to obtain the fix.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the QoS adjuster is further operable to determine whether to make a higher QoS adjustment for the QoS adjustable location determination mode after an attempt to obtain a location of the wireless communication device by executing the QoS adjustable location determination mode when the QoS is adjusted to a lower level.