BASE STATION ALMANAC ASSISTED POSITIONING

• US 20100097996A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheynblat, Leonid
• Granted Patent: US 8,736,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A database provides base station almanac information pertaining to more than one network mode of communication. A wireless device accesses this database through a centralized server or network, or via the base station, base station controller or the like, with which it is currently communicating.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying a database comprising:

base station almanac information pertaining to a first communication mode; and

base station almanac information pertaining to a second communication mode.

2. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying instructions for:

accessing a database comprising wireless base station almanac information pertaining to at least two network modes of operation; and

retrieving base station almanac information relevant to a selected communication mode.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 2, further embodying instructions for determining supported modes for a multimode wireless communication device from a device capability database.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the at least two network modes comprise a CDMA mode and a WiFi mode.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the at least two network modes comprise at least two modes from a group consisting of a GSM mode, a CDMA mode, a TDMA mode, a WCDMA mode, an OFDM mode, a GPRS mode, an EV-DO mode, a WiFi mode, a Bluetooth mode, an 802.xx mode, an UWB mode, and a satellite mode.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein accessing the database containing base station almanac information comprises accessing a local almanac having a base station footprint and adjacent base station footprints.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein accessing the database containing base station almanac information comprises accessing a centrally located base station database.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein accessing the database containing base station almanac information comprises accessing a database organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to CDMA switches.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to GSM switches.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to SID/NID.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the database containing base station almanac information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the database containing base station almanac information comprises information for at least one base station type selected from the group comprising Bluetooth, UWB, ZigBee, and RFID.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 2, further embodying instructions for processing a request for base station almanac information pertaining to a network outside of a present communication network of a multimode wireless device.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein retrieving base station almanac information comprises retrieving base station almanac information pertaining to a network outside of a present communication network of a multimode wireless device.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein retrieving base station almanac information comprises retrieving base station almanac information according to an estimated location of a multimode wireless device.

17. A system comprising:

a base station database containing base station almanac information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device;

an almanac processor in communication with the base station database; and

a computer readable medium tangibly embodying instructions, when executed by the almanac processor, for;

accessing the base station database; and

retrieving base station almanac information relevant to a selected communication mode.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the base station database comprises:

a regional database configured to store almanac information for a group of base stations; and

a centrally located database configured to store base station almanac information from a plurality of regional databases.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the regional database includes base station almanac information that is geographically organized.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the regional database is organized according to a particular service provider.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the base station database is organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.