Self Monitoring Gps on Mobile Device

• US 20090009387A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Anderson Malaney
• Original Assignee: Nariste Networks Pty Ltd
• Inventors: Malaney, Robert Anderson
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.740
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A method, a mobile device arid a computer program product for acquiring GPS on a mobile device possessing GPS capability are disclosed. The method comprises the step of setting a current value of the period of the power-up phase of the GPS dependent upon adaptive predictions of when the GPS should be powered on to meet specifications on positioning accuracy and GPS acquisition time.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring GPS on a mobile device for a wireless network, said mobile device possessing GPS capability and wireless communications capability for said wireless network, said method comprising the step of:

setting a current value of the period of the power-up phase of said GPS dependent on information on the radio position of the mobile device in the wireless network determined from the wireless network and adaptive predictions of when said GPS should be powered on to meet specifications on positioning accuracy and GPS acquisition time, said specifications being statistical bounds.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting said current value is also dependent upon Cramer-Rao Bound information on the radio position.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the period of the power-up phase is set while retaining the accuracy of a position fix and acquisition times of the position fix within acceptable statistical bounds.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device determines dynamically an optimal period of the power-up phase.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said current value of said period of the power-up phase is set using adaptive-filter and machine-learning techniques.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said adaptive-filter and machine learning techniques are implemented using said mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said setting step comprises:

if at least one of predicted accuracy error and predicted acquisition times of GPS fail to meet acceptable bounds, reducing said value of said period of the power-up phase; and

if at least one of predicted accuracy error and predicted acquisition times of GPS meet said acceptable bounds, increasing said value of said period of the power-up phase.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device comprises a power limited device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device comprises an embedded GPS device.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of making adaptive predictions using a neural network.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said setting step comprises:

predicting a next position a next scheduled power-up time using a number of last positions reported;

comparing said predicted position at said next power-up time with an actual position of said mobile device and determining a position error; and

storing current values of period of the power-up phase, acquisition time, position error and position in a storage unit of said mobile device.

12. A mobile device for a wireless network, said mobile device possessing wireless communications capability for said wireless network, comprising:

a processor and memory coupled to said processor;

a GPS module coupled to said processor providing a GPS capability for said mobile device; and

means for setting a current value of the period of the power-up phase of said GPS dependent on information on the radio position of the mobile device in the wireless network determined from the wireless network and adaptive predictions of when said GPS should be powered on to meet specifications on positioning accuracy and GPS acquisition time, said specifications being statistical bounds.

13. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein setting said current value is also dependent upon Cramer-Rao Bound information on the radio position.

14. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein the period of the power-up phase is set while retaining the accuracy of a position fix and acquisition times of the position fix within acceptable statistical bounds.

15. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein said mobile device determines dynamically an optimal period of the power-up phase.

16. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein said current value of said period of the power-up phase is set using adaptive-filter and machine-learning techniques.

17. The mobile device according to claim 16, wherein said adaptive-filter and machine-learning techniques are implemented using said mobile device.

18. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein said setting means comprises:

means for, if at least one of predicted accuracy error and predicted acquisition times of GPS fail to meet acceptable bounds, reducing said value of said period of the power-up phase; and

means for, if at least one of predicted accuracy error and predicted acquisition times of GPS meet said acceptable bounds, increasing said value of said period of the power-up phase.

19. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein said mobile device comprises a power limited device.

20. The mobile device according to claim 19, further comprising a battery for powering said mobile device.

21. The mobile device according to claim 12, comprising a neural network module for making adaptive predictions.

22. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein said setting means comprises:

means for predicting a next position a next scheduled power-up time using a number of last positions reported;

means for comparing said predicted position at said next power-up time with an actual position of said mobile device and determining a position error; and

means for storing current values of a period of the power-up phase, acquisition time, position error and position in a storage unit of said mobile device.

23. A computer program product for a mobile device for a wireless network, said mobile device possessing GPS capability and wireless communications capability for said wireless network, said computer program product having a computer readable medium storing a computer program for acquiring GPS on said mobile device, comprising:

computer program code means for interfacing with the GPS capability of said mobile device; and

computer program code means for setting a current value of the period of the power-up phase of said GPS dependent on information on the radio position of the mobile device in the wireless network determined from the wireless network and adaptive predictions of when said GPS should be powered on to meet specifications on positioning accuracy and GPS acquisition time, said specifications being statistical bounds.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein setting said current value is also dependent upon Cramer-Rao Bound information on the radio position.

25. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the period of the power-up phase is set while retaining the accuracy of a position fix and acquisition times of the position fix within acceptable statistical bounds.

26. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said computer program product determines dynamically an optimal period of the power-up phase.

27. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said current value of said period of the power-up phase is set using adaptive-filter and machine-learning techniques.

28. The computer program product according to claim 27, wherein said adaptive-filter and machine learning techniques are implemented using said mobile device.

29. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said computer program code means for setting comprises:

computer program code means for, if at least one of predicted accuracy error and predicted acquisition times of GPS fail to meet acceptable bounds, reducing said value of said period of the power-up phase; and

computer program code means for, if at least one of predicted accuracy error and predicted acquisition times of GPS meet said acceptable bounds, increasing said value of said period of the power-up phase.

30. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said mobile device comprises a power limited device.

31. The computer program product according to claim 30, wherein said mobile device comprises a battery for powering said mobile device.

32. The computer program product according to claim 23, comprising computer program code means for providing a neural network module to make adaptive predictions.

33. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said computer program code means for setting comprises:

computer program code means for predicting a next position a next scheduled power-up time using a number of last positions reported;

computer program code means for comparing said predicted position at said next power-up time with an actual position of said mobile device and determining a position error; and

computer program code means for storing current values of a period of the power-up phase, acquisition time, position error and position in a storage unit of said mobile device.

34. A method of acquiring GPS on a mobile device for a wireless network, said mobile device possessing GPS capability and wireless communications capability for said wireless network, said method comprising the steps of:

using a position error of said mobile device in the wireless network determined from the wireless network;

if the position error is too large, adjusting a current value of the period of the power-up phase of said GPS downward;

if the position error is too small, adjusting the current value of said period of the power-up phase of said GPS upward;

estimating using a neural network a new value of said period of the power-up phase of said GPS dependent upon said position error; and

setting a new value of said period of the power-up phase of said GPS to a weighted value dependent upon an acceptable error bound.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the position error is the Cramer-Rao Bound on the radio position of the mobile device.

35. A method of acquiring GPS on a mobile device for a wireless network, said mobile device possessing GPS capability and wireless communications capability for said wireless network, said method comprising the steps of

using an acquisition time at a last position fix of the mobile device in the wireless network determined from the wireless network;

if the acquisition time is too large, adjusting a current value of the period of the power-up phase of said GPS downward;

if the acquisition time is too small, adjusting the current value of said period of the power-up phase of said GPS upward;

estimating using a neural network a new value of said period of the power-up phase of said GPS dependent upon said acquisition time; and

setting a new value of said period of the power-up phase of said GPS to a weighted value dependent upon an acceptable bound.

37-40. -40. (canceled)