WEIGHTED AIDING FOR POSITIONING SYSTEMS

• US 20090189810A1
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, David
• Application Number:
  US12/354,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.310
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/22 Multipath-related issues
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/23 Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements
• 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 5/011 Identifying the radio environment

Abstract

Location information provided by multiple positioning systems is combined to provide an estimated user location. In performing the combination, location information provided by the positioning system that is currently deemed more reliable is provided greater weight than the location information provided from the other positioning system(s). Alternatively, one of multiple positioning systems is selected to calculate an estimated user location. The selected system is the one that is currently deemed more reliable based on some indicia of reliability. Using either approach, an accurate estimate of a user'"'"'s location can be provided both in rural areas or other sparsely-populated areas as well as in urban areas or other areas prone to high multipath effects.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location, comprising:

obtaining an initial location;

determining if the initial location is within a predefined area; and

combining a first location calculated using a first positioning system with a second location calculated using a second positioning system to calculate a final location,

wherein combining the first location and the second location comprises weighting the second location more heavily than the first location in the combination if the initial location is within the predefined area and weighting the first location more heavily than the second location in the combination if the initial location is not within the predetermined area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined area comprises an area prone to multipath distortion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the first location and the second location comprises:

combining a first location calculated using a Global Positioning System (GPS) with a second location calculated using a non-GPS positioning system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein combining the first location with the second location comprises:

combining a first location calculated using the GPS with a second location calculated using a wireless local area network (WLAN) positioning system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein combining the first location with the second location comprises:

combining a first location calculated using the GPS with a second location calculated using a cellular positioning system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the initial location is within a predefined area comprises:

comparing the initial location to location information stored in a database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining an initial location comprises obtaining a gross location and wherein combining the first location and the second location to calculate a final location comprises combining the first location and the second location to calculate a precise location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the initial location comprises obtaining the initial location using one of the first or the second positioning system.

9. A system, comprising:

first positioning logic configured to calculate a first location using a first positioning system;

second positioning logic configured to calculate a second location using a second positioning system; and

control logic connected to the first positioning logic and the second positioning logic, the control logic configured to obtain an initial location, to determine if the initial location is within a predefined area, and to combine the first location and the second location to calculate a final location,

wherein combining the first location and the second location comprises weighting the second location more heavily than the first location in the combination if the initial location is within the predefined area and weighting the first location more heavily than the second location in the combination if the initial location is not within the predetermined area.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the predefined area comprises an area prone to multipath distortion.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first positioning logic is configured to calculate the first location using a Global Positioning System (GPS).

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second positioning logic is configured to calculate the second location using a wireless local area network (WLAN) positioning system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second positioning logic is configured to calculate the second location using a cellular positioning system.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the control logic is configured to determine if the initial location is within a predefined area by comparing the initial location to location information stored in a database.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the control logic is configured to obtain an initial location by obtaining a gross location and wherein the control logic is configured to combine the first location and the second location to calculate a precise location.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the control logic is configured to obtain the initial location from one of the first positioning logic or the second positioning logic.

17. A method for determining a location, comprising:

obtaining an indication of the reliability of a first positioning system; and

calculating a location, wherein calculating a location comprises combining a first location calculated using the first positioning system with a second location calculated using a second positioning system, wherein combining the first location and the second location comprises either weighting the second location more heavily than the first location in the combination or weighting the first location more heavily than the second in the combination based on at least the indication of the reliability of the first positioning system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein combining the first location with the second location comprises combining a first location calculated using a cellular positioning system with a second location calculated using a wireless local area network (WLAN) positioning system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein calculating a location comprises combining the first location calculated using the first positioning system with the second location calculated using the second positioning system and a third location calculated using a third positioning system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein combining the first location with the second location and the third location comprises:

combining a first location calculated using a Global Positioning System (GPS) with a second location calculated using a wireless local area network (WLAN) positioning system and a third location calculated using a cellular positioning system.

21. A system, comprising:

first positioning logic configured to calculate a first location using a first positioning system;

second positioning logic configured to calculate a second location using a second positioning system; and

control logic connected to the first positioning logic and the second positioning logic, the control logic configured to obtain an indication of the reliability of the first positioning system and to calculate a location by combining the first location with the second location, wherein combining the first location and the second location comprises either weighting the second location more heavily than the first location in the combination or weighting the first location more heavily than the second in the combination based on at least the indication of the reliability of the first positioning system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first positioning logic is configured to calculate the first position using a cellular positioning system and wherein the second positioning logic is configured to calculate the second position using a wireless local area network (WLAN) positioning system.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

third positioning logic configured to calculate a third location using a third positioning system;

wherein the control logic is configured to calculate the position by combining the first location with the second location and the third location.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the first positioning logic is configured to calculate the first location using a Global Positioning System (GPS);

the second positioning logic is configured to calculate the second location using a wireless local area network (WLAN) positioning system; and

the third positioning logic is configured to calculate the third location using a cellular positioning system.

25. A method for determining a location, comprising:

obtaining an indication of the reliability of a first positioning system; and

calculating a location, wherein calculating a location comprises selectively using either a first positioning system or a second positioning system, wherein the selection is based on at least the indication of the reliability of the first positioning system.