LOCATION DETERMINATION

• US 20090219209A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bush, Jeffrey Alan, Huang, Ronald Keryuan, Low, Daryl Mun-Kid
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• 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 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Among other disclosed subject matter, a method includes detecting that a location is to be determined. The method includes selecting at least one among multiple location determination techniques based on a selection criterion. The method includes causing the location to be determined using the selected location determination technique.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting that a location is to be determined;

selecting at least one among multiple location determination techniques based on a selection criterion; and

causing the location to be determined using the selected location determination technique.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection is performed in a process on a mobile device that acts as a server for multiple applications on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the process determines the location using the selected location determination technique, further comprising:

providing the determined location from the process to at least one of the multiple applications identified in the detection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the process is included in an aggregator in the mobile device that aggregates the multiple location determination techniques.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying the selected location determining technique to at least one of the multiple applications identified in the detection;

wherein the at least one application determines the location using the selected location determination technique.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple location determination techniques is configured to determine the location using power information indicating a detected power of respective signals received in a mobile device from multiple transmitters, and a formula that depends on locations of the multiple transmitters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple location determination techniques is configured to determine the location using transmitter identifying information received in a mobile device from multiple transmitters, and locations of the multiple transmitters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple location determination techniques is configured to determine the location using GPS.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises that a mobile device for which the location is to be determined is in a predetermined state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises an amount of power available in a mobile device for which the location is to be determined.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein an application in a mobile device for which the location is to be determined is identified in the detection and wherein the selection criterion comprises a need of the application.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises an availability of at least one of the multiple location determination techniques.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises a prioritization defined among the multiple location determination techniques.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises an accuracy of at least one of the multiple location determination techniques.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises a cost of using at least one of the multiple location determination techniques.

16. A computer program product, encoded on a tangible program carrier, operable to cause a portable device to perform operations comprising:

detecting that a location is to be determined;

selecting at least one among multiple location determination techniques based on a selection criterion; and

causing the location to be determined using the selected location determination technique.

17. A mobile device comprising:

an application layer for multiple applications configured to use information indicating a location where the mobile device is determined to be located; and

a services layer including a service to select at least one among multiple location determination techniques for use in determining the location.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the service includes a daemon that aggregates location determination techniques.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, further comprising:

a framework layer between the applications layer and the services layer, the framework layer including a client library to which at least one of the multiple applications in the applications layer can bind.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the client library provides a location API and handles communication with the service.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising:

a display to present a map; and

an input device for a user to request the location to be determined;

wherein, in response to a user input, there is placed on the map a first indicator corresponding to the determined location and a second indicator of a determined uncertainty of the determined location.

22. A method comprising:

detecting that a determination of a location is to be performed;

performing a portion of the determination on a device;

causing a remainder of the determination to be performed on another device; and

receiving, in the device and from the other device, a result of performing the remainder of the determination.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving transmitter identifying information in the device from multiple transmitters, and

obtaining locations of the multiple transmitters stored on the device using the transmitter identifying information;

wherein the location is determined in part using the obtained locations of the multiple transmitters.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the portion of the determination is performed in a services layer of the device that includes a service to select at least one among multiple location determination techniques for use in determining the location.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

forwarding the determined location to an application layer in the device for multiple applications configured to use information indicating determined locations of the device.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein causing a remainder of the determination to be performed on another device comprises a load balancing of computations between the device and the other device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

selecting an amount of the load balancing based on a present characteristic.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the present characteristic includes at least one of:

a processor capacity of the device, an available memory, a current processing load, a deadline for determining the location, a need for accuracy in the determined location, and combinations thereof.

29. A computer program product, encoded on a tangible program carrier, operable to cause a portable device to perform operations comprising:

detecting that a determination of a location of a device is to be performed;

performing a portion of the determination on the device;

causing a remainder of the determination to be performed on another device; and

receiving, in the device and from the other device, a result of performing the remainder of the determination.