METHOD AND DEVICE FOR POSITION DETERMINATION

• US 20090299685A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vilppula, Matti, Niemi, Markku T., Mattila, Arto
• Application Number:
  US12/476,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and device for position determination, in which one or more application requests a positioning method selection device for positioning data. The positioning method selection device provides an application with positioning data using one or more positioning method in accordance with settings defined by the application and/or the user. The positioning method selection device receives a positioning request from an application, forms a parameter or parameters indicating the quality of positioning requested by the application, compares the quality of positioning data provided by the positioning methods with the positioning quality required by the application, and sends the positioning data to the application in response to the positioning request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, in a positioning method selection device, at least one request for positioning data;

receiving, in the device, at least one quality parameter corresponding to the at least one request, wherein the at least one quality parameter defines an expected accuracy, type or format of the request positioning data;

comparing the at least one quality parameter to an expected quality value for each of one or more available positioning methods;

selecting a positioning method, from the one or more available positioning methods having an expected quality value closest to the at least one quality parameter, to provide the requested positioning data; and

receiving the requested positioning data together with at least one value indicating an actual quality of the received positioning data, wherein the quality is an accuracy, type or format of the received positioning data;

using the value to update the expected quality value of positioning data provided by the selected positioning method in an expected quality register in the device; and

transferring the received positioning data to a requested application.

2. A method comprising

receiving a first request for position of a mobile terminal from a first application resident on the mobile terminal;

receiving a second request for the position of the mobile terminal from a second application resident on the mobile terminal; and

selecting a positioning scheme among a plurality of positioning schemes for determining the position according to a criterion specified by the first application or the second application.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the criterion is specified by the first application to be applied in processing the second request from the second application.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the criterion specifies either an order of preference relating to the selection of the positioning scheme, quality of positioning data for the positioning scheme, positioning accuracy, reliability of positioning, an interval with which positioning data is to be updated, a time that is permitted to elapse before positioning data is provided after activation of the positioning scheme, cost of the positioning scheme, or a combination thereof.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

receiving positioning data from the selected positioning scheme; and

determining whether the positioning data satisfies the criterion.

6. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

selecting another one of the positioning schemes for determining the position;

receiving positioning data from the positioning schemes; and

determining whether the positioning data satisfies the criterion.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

generating a notification if the positioning data does not satisfy the criterion.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

combining the positioning data from the positioning schemes for use by the first application or the second application.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

presenting the combined positioning data in a format specified by a particular one of the applications.

10. A method according to claim 2, wherein the criterion is specified by the first application and another criterion is specified by the second application, the method further comprising:

determining whether positioning data satisfies either of the criterion or the other criterion; and

initiating forwarding of the positioning data to the first application if the criterion is satisfied and to the second application if the other criterion is satisfied.

11. An apparatus comprising

at least one processor;

and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive a first request for position of a mobile terminal from a first application resident on the mobile terminal;

receive a second request for the position of the mobile terminal from a second application resident on the mobile terminal; and

select a positioning scheme among a plurality of positioning schemes for determining the position according to a criterion specified by the first application or the second application.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the criterion is specified by the first application to be applied in processing the second request from the second application.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the criterion specifies either an order of preference relating to the selection of the positioning scheme, quality of positioning data for the positioning scheme, positioning accuracy, reliability of positioning, an interval with which positioning data is to be updated, a time that is permitted to elapse before positioning data is provided after activation of the positioning scheme, cost of the positioning scheme, or a combination thereof.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive positioning data from the selected positioning scheme; and

determine whether the positioning data satisfies the criterion.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

select another one of the positioning schemes for determining the position;

receive positioning data from the positioning schemes; and

determine whether the positioning data satisfies the criterion.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

generating a notification if the positioning data does not satisfy the criterion.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

combine the positioning data from the positioning schemes for use by the first application or the second application.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

present the combined positioning data in a format specified by a particular one of the applications.

19. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the criterion is specified by the first application and another criterion is specified by the second application, and the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether positioning data satisfies either of the criterion or the other criterion; and

initiate forwarding of the positioning data to the first application if the criterion is satisfied and to the second application if the other criterion is satisfied.

20. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform at least the following:

receive a first request for position of a mobile terminal from a first application resident on the mobile terminal;

receive a second request for the position of the mobile terminal from a second application resident on the mobile terminal; and

select a positioning scheme among a plurality of positioning schemes for determining the position according to a criterion specified by the first application or the second application.