Supporting the use of a virtual reference station

• US 20090262016A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wirola, Lauri, Syrjarinne, Jari
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.270
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/04 providing carrier phase data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

For supporting the use of virtual reference stations, an apparatus may receive a request to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station, the request including an indication of a desired location of the virtual reference station. The apparatus may further determine an entity that is associated to an area including the desired location. The apparatus may further cause the request to be forwarded to the determined entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station, the request including an indication of a desired location of the virtual reference station;

determining an entity that is associated to an area including the desired location; and

causing the request to be forwarded to the determined entity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is carried out at an apparatus that is associated to an area including the location and wherein the area to which the determined entity is associated is a sub-area of the area to which the apparatus is associated.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

causing a transmission of access information for an entity, which is configured to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station in an area comprising the desired location, in direction of a device from which the request originates.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requested virtual measurements on beacon signals comprise carrier-phase measurements on beacon signals.

5. An apparatus comprising a processor,

the processor configured to receive a request to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station, the request including an indication of a desired location of the virtual reference station;

the processor configured to determine an entity that is associated to an area including the desired location; and

the processor configured to cause the request to be forwarded to the determined entity.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus is associated to an area including the location and wherein the processor is configured to determine an entity that is associated to a sub-area of the area to which the apparatus is associated.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to cause a transmission of access information for an entity, which is configured to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station in an area comprising the desired location, in direction of a device from which the request originates.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the requested virtual measurements on beacon signals comprise carrier-phase measurements on beacon signals.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an interface configured to enable at least one of a reception of the request and a forwarding of the request.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a memory configured to store access information for entities that are associated to a respective area, wherein the processor is configured to access the memory for determining an entity that is associated to an area including the desired location.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the memory is configured to store in addition for an entity for which access information is stored an identification of an area to which the entity is associated.

12. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus is one of a processing component, a chip, a circuit, a server and a network element.

13. An arrangement comprising:

an apparatus according to claim 5; and

a plurality of entities associated to a respective area.

14. The arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of entities comprise a plurality of positioning servers, each positioning server being configured to generate a virtual reference station for a desired location in a predetermined area and to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for the virtual reference station.

15. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of entities comprise a plurality of intermediate entities, each intermediate entity including a processor,

the processor configured to receive a request to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station, the request including an indication of a desired location of the virtual reference station;

the processor configured to determine another entity that is associated to an area including the desired location; and

the processor configured to cause the request to be forwarded to the determined other entity.

16. A computer readable storage medium in which computer program code is stored, the computer program code realizing the following when executed by a processor:

receiving a request to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station, the request including an indication of a desired location of the virtual reference station;

determining an entity that is associated to an area including the desired location; and

causing the request to be forwarded to the determined entity.

17. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer program code is associated to an area including the location and wherein the area to which the determined entity is associated is a sub-area of the area to which the computer program code is associated.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, the computer program code further realizing the following when executed by a processor:

causing a transmission of access information for an entity, which is configured to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station in an area comprising the desired location, in direction of a device from which the request originates.

19. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the requested virtual measurements on beacon signals comprise carrier-phase measurements on beacon signals.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station, the request including an indication of a desired location of the virtual reference station;

means for determining an entity that is associated to an area including the desired location; and

means for causing the request to be forwarded to the determined entity.

21. A method comprising:

providing access to a plurality of service providers, which offer virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for virtual reference stations, via a single access point.