SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING POSITION USING A WLAN-PS ESTIMATED POSITION AS AN INITIAL POSITION IN A HYBRID POSITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20090303120A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Alizadeh-Shabdiz, Farshid
• Granted Patent: US 8,054,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.480
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• 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

Abstract

This disclosure describes a method and system for determining position using a WLAN-PS estimated position as an initial position. In some embodiments, the method can include calculating a WLAN position estimate of the WLAN and satellite enabled device and using the WLAN position estimate as an initial position in satellite position system to determine the location of the WLAN and satellite enabled device.

Claims

1. A method of determining the position of a WLAN and satellite enabled device by using a WLAN position estimate as an initial location for a satellite positioning system, the method comprising:

calculating a WLAN position estimate of the WLAN and satellite enabled device; and

using the WLAN position estimate as an initial position in satellite position system to determine the location of the WLAN and satellite enabled device.

2. A system for increasing the time-to-fix of a satellite based position estimate using an initial position provided by WLAN positioning system, the system comprising:

a positioning module comprising;

a WLAN module for receiving information from one or more WLAN access points and calculating a position estimate of the WLAN and satellite enabled device; and

a satellite positioning module for obtaining satellite information from at least four different satellites, wherein the satellite positioning module uses the WLAN position estimate as an initial position for a final position estimate.