SYSTEM AND/OR METHOD FOR REDUCING INITIAL POSITION UNCERTAINTY IN SPS OPERATION

• US 20090264136A1
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Daita, Lalitaprasad V., Rowland, Thomas K., Ische, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for reducing an initial position uncertainty of a mobile station. In one example, although claimed subject matter is not so limited, a process to improve an initial position estimate comprises identifying the locations of a serving cell and at least one other landmark proximate to a receiver and determining an initial estimate of the location of the receiver based, at least in part, on the identified locations of the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying locations of a serving cell and at least one other landmark proximate to a receiver;

determining an initial estimate of a location of said receiver based, at least in part, on said identified locations; and

processing one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals received from one or more satellite vehicles (SVs) based, at least in part, on said initial estimate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining an initial estimate of a location of said receiver comprises:

weighting location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark; and

combining the weighted location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other landmark comprises at least one cell from among a plurality of cells neighboring the serving cell.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said weighting location information comprises determining uncertainty of location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining uncertainty of the initial estimate of the location of said receiver.

6. A method, comprising:

estimating a location of a mobile station based, at least in part, on one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals received at said mobile station contemporaneously with communicating with a serving cell; and

updating a location of at least one landmark other than said serving cell in a database maintained at said mobile station based, at least in part, on said estimated location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing location information associated with the serving cell in the database maintained at said mobile station.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting presence of the at least one landmark in proximity to the mobile station;

estimating the location of the at least one landmark based, at least, in part, on said received SPS signals; and

storing the estimated location of the at least one landmark in the database maintained at said mobile station.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

combining the location information associated with the serving cell and the estimated location of the at least one landmark; and

determining an initial estimate of the location of the mobile station based on the combined location information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

processing the one or more SPS signals based, at least in part, on the initial estimate of the location of the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one landmark from a remote database.

12. An article comprising a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, are adapted to:

identify locations of a serving cell and at least one other landmark proximate to a receiver;

determine an initial estimate of a location of said receiver based, at least in part, on said identified locations; and

process one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals received from one or more satellite vehicles (SVs) based, at least in part, on said initial estimate.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

weight location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark; and

combine the weighted location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein the at least one other landmark comprises at least one cell from among a plurality of cells neighboring the serving cell.

15. The article of claim 12, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

determine uncertainty of the initial estimate of the location of said receiver.

16. An article comprising a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, are adapted to:

estimate a location of a mobile station based, at least in part, on one or more satellite processing system (SPS) signals received at said mobile station and contemporaneously communicate with a serving cell; and

update a location of at least one landmark other than said serving cell in a database maintained at said mobile station based, at least in part, on said estimated location.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

store location information associated with the serving cell in the database maintained at said mobile station.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

detect presence of the at least one landmark in proximity to the mobile station;

estimate the location of the at least one landmark based, at least in part, on said received SPS signals; and

store the estimated location of the at least one landmark in the database maintained at said mobile station.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

combine the location information associated with the serving cell and the estimated location of the at least one landmark; and

determine an initial estimate of the location of the mobile station based on the combined location information.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

process the one or more SPS based, at least in part, on the initial estimate of the location of the mobile station.

21. A mobile station, comprising:

a receiver to receive one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals, said mobile station being adapted to;

identify locations of a serving cell and at least one other landmark proximate to the receiver;

determine an initial estimate of a location of said mobile station based, at least in part, on said identified locations; and

processing the one or more SPS signals based, at least in part, on said initial estimate.

22. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to

weight location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark;

and

combining the weighted location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

23. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein the at least one other landmark comprises at least one cell from among a plurality of cells neighboring the serving cell.

25. A mobile station, comprising:

a receiver to receive one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals, said mobile station being adapted to

estimate a location of the device based, at least in part, on the one or more signals received at said mobile station from the one or more GNSS transmitters contemporaneously with communicating with a serving cell; and

update a location of at least one landmark other than said serving cell in a database maintained at said mobile station based, at least in part, on said estimated location.

24. The mobile station of claim 29, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to determine uncertainty of location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

26. The mobile station of claim 25, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to

store location information associated with the serving cell in the database maintained at said mobile station.

27. The mobile station of claim 26, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to

detect presence of the at least one landmark in proximity to the mobile station;

estimate the location of the at least one landmark based, at least in part, on said received SPS signals; and

store the estimated location of the at least one landmark in the database maintained at said mobile station.

28. The mobile station of claim 27, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to

combine the location information associated with the serving cell and the estimated location of the at least one landmark;

and

determine an initial estimate of the location of the mobile station based on the combined location information.

29. The mobile station of claim 28, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to

process the one or more SPS signals based, at least in part, on the initial estimate of the location of the mobile station.