METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A POSITION OF A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20100039315A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lane, Christopher, Usach, Alexander Michael, Kosolobov, Andrei, Lundgren, David Albert, Malkos, Steven, del Castillo, Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.430
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• 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 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

A GNSS enabled mobile device transmits to a location server a combination of GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location data used to determining reference positions at the location server. The GNSS mobile device receives the determined reference positions from the location server to calculate an associated GNSS position fix. The transmitted GNSS-based location data comprises GNSS position fixes associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device. The transmitted non-GNSS-based location data comprises a serving Cell-ID, neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing advance parameters, and/or a mobile country code. Reference positions associated with the serving Cell-ID are determined and/or refined based on location information acquired from each of associated mobile devices. To respond to a reference position request from the GNSS enabled mobile device without an associated serving Cell-ID, the location server determines corresponding reference positions by combing subscriber population density with an associated MCC.

Claims

1. A method of processing signals, the method comprising:

transmitting a combination of GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location data from a GNSS enabled mobile device to a location server, wherein said location server determines reference positions based on said transmitted combination of GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location data;

receiving from said location server, said determined reference positions by said GNSS enabled mobile device; and

calculating a GNSS position fix of said GNSS enabled mobile device based on said determined reference position received by said GNSS enabled mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitted GNSS-based location data comprises GNSS position fixes associated with said GNSS enabled mobile device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitted non-GNSS based location data comprises a serving Cell-ID, one or more neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing advance parameters, and/or a mobile country code.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said neighbor cell fingerprinting is associated with said one or more neighbor Cell-IDs.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said location server acquires location information associated with said serving Cell-ID from said GNSS enabled mobile device and other mobile devices associated with said location server.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said location server adaptively computes an uncertainty level with a fixed confidence level of said refined reference positions based on said acquired location information associated with said serving Cell-ID.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said location server refines said determined reference positions based on said acquired location information associated with said serving Cell-ID.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said location server determines one or more reference subpositions associated with said serving Cell-ID based on said neighbor cell fingerprinting.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said location server communicates said determined one or more reference subpositions associated with said serving Cell-ID to said GNSS enabled mobile device.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein said location server identifies subscriber population density associated with said mobile country code.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said location server determines said reference positions based on said mobile country code and identified subscriber population density associated with said mobile country code.

12. A system for processing signals, the system comprising:

one or more processors for use in a GNSS enabled mobile device, said one or more processors operable to transmit a combination of GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location data from said GNSS enabled mobile device to a location server, wherein said location server determines reference positions based on said transmitted combination of GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location data;

said one or more processors are operable to receive from said location server, said determined reference positions by said GNSS enabled mobile device; and

said one or more processors are operable to calculate a GNSS position fix of said GNSS enabled mobile device based on said determined reference position received by said GNSS enabled mobile device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said transmitted GNSS-based location data comprises GNSS position fixes associated with said GNSS enabled mobile device.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said transmitted non-GNSS based location data comprises a serving Cell-ID, one or more neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing advance parameters, and/or a mobile country code.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said neighbor cell fingerprinting is associated with said one or more neighbor Cell-IDs.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said location server acquires location information associated with said serving Cell-ID from said GNSS enabled mobile device and other mobile devices associated with said location server.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said location server adaptively computes an uncertainty level with a fixed confidence level of said refined reference positions based on said acquired location information associated with said serving Cell-ID.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said location server refines said determined reference positions based on said acquired location information associated with said serving Cell-ID.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said location server determines one or more reference subpositions associated with said serving Cell-ID based on said neighbor cell fingerprinting.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said location server communicates said determined one or more reference subpositions associated with said serving Cell-ID to said GNSS enabled mobile device.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein said location server identifies subscriber population density associated with said mobile country code.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said location server determines said reference positions based on said mobile country code and identified subscriber population density associated with said mobile country code.