METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A POSITION OF A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090002237A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: NONOYAMA, YOKO
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/450
• 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: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for determining a position of a portable electronic device is useful for conserving power, processor and bandwidth resources. The method includes detecting at a portable electronic device a first signal received from a local terminal (step 605). In response to the first signal, a second signal is transmitted from the device, indicating a proximity of the portable electronic device to the local terminal (step 610). Positioning method priority information, which is based on a location of the local terminal and is received from the local terminal in response to the second signal, is then processed at the device (step 615). A positioning method priority list based on the positioning method priority information is then processed (step 620). Finally, the position of the portable electronic device is determined using a positioning method identified in the positioning method priority list (step 625).

Claims

1. A method for determining a position of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a first signal received from a local terminal;

transmitting from the portable electronic device, in response to the first signal, a second signal indicating a proximity of the portable electronic device to the local terminal;

processing positioning method priority information, which is based on a location of the local terminal and is received from the local terminal in response to the second signal;

updating a positioning method priority list based on the positioning method priority information; and

determining the position of the portable electronic device using a positioning method identified in the positioning method priority list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signal is transmitted from a radio frequency identification tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second signals are near field communications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning method priority list is updated before executing any positioning method identified in the positioning method priority list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the positioning method priority list to a default priority list after the expiration of a predetermined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning method priority information comprises a current position of the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the positioning method priority information comprises reading the positioning method priority information from a radio frequency identification tag in the portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the second signal is performed using power from a wireless excitation signal received from the local terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning method priority list identifies positioning methods selected from the following methods:

satellite based, cell based, short range wireless based, radio frequency identification based, and hybrid positioning methods.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning method priority information identifies a single preferred positioning method or

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning method priority information identifies a ranked list of a plurality of positioning methods.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method conforms to the Open Mobile Alliance Secure User Plane Location 2.0 Periodic Trigger standard.

13. A portable electronic device comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause detecting a first signal received from a local terminal;

computer readable program code components configured to cause transmitting from the portable electronic device, in response to the first signal, a second signal indicating a proximity of the portable electronic device to the local terminal;

computer readable program code components configured to cause processing positioning method priority information, which is based on a location of the local terminal and is received from the local terminal in response to the second signal;

computer readable program code components configured to cause updating a positioning method priority list based on the positioning method priority information; and

computer readable program code components configured to cause determining the position of the portable electronic device using a positioning method identified in the positioning method priority list.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the second signal is transmitted from a radio frequency identification tag.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the first and second signals are near field communications.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the positioning method priority list is updated before executing any positioning method identified in the positioning method priority list.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising computer readable program code components configured to cause changing the positioning method priority list to a default priority list after the expiration of a predetermined time period.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the positioning method priority information comprises a current position of the portable electronic device.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein processing the positioning method priority information comprises reading the positioning method priority information from a radio frequency identification tag in the portable electronic device.

20. A portable electronic device comprising:

means for detecting a first signal received from a local terminal;

means for transmitting from the portable electronic device, in response to the first signal, a second signal indicating a proximity of the portable electronic device to the local terminal;

means for processing positioning method priority information, which is based on a location of the local terminal and is received from the local terminal in response to the second signal;

means for updating a positioning method priority list based on the positioning method priority information; and

means for determining the position of the portable electronic device using a positioning method identified in the positioning method priority list.