On Demand Positioning

• US 20100309044A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatami, Ahmad, Kamarsu, SriGouri, Biacs, Zoltan F., Rowitch, Douglas Neal, Farmer, Dominic Gerard, Wu, Jie, Ische, Marc A., Heshmati, Ardalan
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• 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

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to determining a location of a mobile device using more than one location-determining technology.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining position fix information from at least a satellite positioning system (SPS) signal;

updating said position fix information based at least in part on a signal metric associated with one or more non-SPS sources; and

obtaining a subsequent position fix from an SPS signal using said updated position fix information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an uncertainty of said position fix information based at least in part on said signal metric; and

comparing said determined uncertainty to an uncertainty-tolerance value, wherein said obtaining said subsequent position fix is performed in response to said comparison.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said position fix information comprises a location component and/or a time component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a motion-sensitive sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a wireless network interface including CDMA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, RFID, broadcast TV, broadcast FM, and/or Bluetooth.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said signal metric comprises received signal strength (RSS), round trip delay (RTD), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and/or Doppler frequency.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating said position fix information of a mobile unit in response to a motion and/or velocity of said mobile unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

associating said signal metric with a location of said mobile unit; and

determining whether to use an SPS signal to obtain a new position fix based at least in part on a change in said signal metric.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one or more of a plurality of localization algorithms to perform said updating said position fix information based at least in part on one or more criteria.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more criteria includes a quality of said signal metric.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more criteria includes a power consumption of a mobile unit performing said selecting.

12. A mobile station comprising:

an ODP engine adapted to operate in an RF environment to;

obtain position fix information from a satellite positioning system (SPS) signal;

update said position fix information based at least in part on a signal metric associated with one or more non-SPS sources; and

obtain a subsequent position fix from an SPS signal using said updated position fix information.

13. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein said ODP engine is further adapted to:

determine an uncertainty of said position fix information based at least in part on said signal metric; and

compare said determined uncertainty to an uncertainty-tolerance value, wherein said obtaining said subsequent position fix is performed in response to said comparison.

14. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein said position fix information comprises a location component and/or a time component.

15. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a motion-sensitive sensor.

16. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a wireless network interface including CDMA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, broadcast TV, broadcast FM, and/or Bluetooth.

17. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein said signal metric comprises received signal strength (RSS), round trip delay (RTD), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and/or Doppler frequency.

18. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein said ODP engine is further adapted to:

select one or more of a plurality of localization algorithms to perform said updating said position fix information based at least in part on one or more criteria.

19. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein said one or more criteria includes a quality of said signal metric.

20. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein said one or more criteria includes a power consumption of the mobile station.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining position fix information from a satellite positioning system (SPS) signal;

means for updating said position fix information based at least in part on a signal metric associated with one or more non-SPS sources; and

means for obtaining a subsequent position fix from an SPS signal using said updated position fix information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining an uncertainty of said position fix information based at least in part on said signal metric; and

means for comparing said determined uncertainty to an uncertainty-tolerance value, wherein said obtaining said subsequent position fix is performed in response to said comparison.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said position fix information comprises a location component and/or a time component.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a motion-sensitive sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a wireless network interface including CDMA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, broadcast TV, broadcast FM, and/or Bluetooth.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said signal metric comprises received signal strength (RSS), round trip delay (RTD), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and/or Doppler frequency.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for updating said position fix information of a mobile unit in response to a motion and/or velocity of said mobile unit.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for associating said signal metric with a location of said mobile unit; and

means for determining whether to use an SPS signal to obtain a new position fix based at least in part on a change in said signal metric.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for selecting one or more of a plurality of localization algorithms to perform said updating said position fix information based at least in part on one or more criteria.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said one or more criteria includes a quality of said signal metric.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said one or more criteria includes a power consumption of the apparatus.

32. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a processing unit, perform positioning, the instructions comprising;

code to obtain signals representing position fix information from a satellite positioning system (SPS) signal;

code to update said position fix information based at least in part on a signal metric associated with one or more non-SPS sources; and

code to obtain a subsequent position fix from an SPS signal using said updated position fix information.

33. The article of claim 32, wherein said machine-readable instructions further comprise:

code to determine an uncertainty of said position fix information based at least in part on said signal metric; and

code to compare said determined uncertainty to an uncertainty-tolerance value, wherein said obtaining said subsequent position fix is performed in response to said comparison.

34. The article of claim 32, wherein said position fix information comprises a location component and/or a time component.

35. The article of claim 32, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a motion-sensitive sensor.

36. The article of claim 32, wherein said one or more non-SPS sources comprise a wireless network interface including CDMA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, broadcast TV, broadcast FM, and/or Bluetooth.

37. The article of claim 32, wherein said signal metric comprises received signal strength (RSS), round trip delay (RTD), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and/or Doppler frequency.

38. The article of claim 32, wherein said machine-readable instructions further comprise:

code to update said position fix information of a mobile station in response to a motion and/or velocity of said mobile station.

39. The article of claim 38, wherein said machine-readable instructions further comprise:

code to associate said signal metric with a location of said mobile station; and

code to determine whether to use an SPS signal to obtain a new position fix based at least in part on a change in said signal metric.

40. The article of claim 32, wherein said machine-readable instructions further comprise:

code to select one or more of a plurality of localization algorithms to perform said updating said position fix information based at least in part on one or more criteria.

41. The article of claim 40, wherein said one or more criteria includes a quality of said signal metric.

42. The article of claim 40, wherein said one or more criteria includes a power consumption of a mobile station performing said selecting.

43. A method comprising:

obtaining background position information for a mobile station based at least in part on one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies, wherein said background position information includes one or more metrics;

storing said one or more metrics;

comparing said one or more stored metrics with one or more uncertainty thresholds; and

selecting one or more of said one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies to update said background position information, said selecting based, at least in part, on an operative condition and on said comparing.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said background position information comprises position information generated at said mobile station.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein said one or more non-SPS positioning technologies comprise a motion-sensitive sensor.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein said one or more non-SPS positioning technologies comprise a wireless network interface including CDMA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, RFID, broadcast TV, broadcast FM, and/or Bluetooth.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein said one or more metrics comprise received signal strength (RSS), round trip delay (RTD), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and/or Doppler frequency.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a position uncertainty metric that includes a Horizontal Estimated Position Error (HEPE).

49. The method of claim 43, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a time uncertainty metric.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a quality of signal metric.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein said operative condition comprises an algorithm to adjust a process of said selected one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein a process of said algorithm is based at least in part on power consumption of said one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies, time elapsed since a previous update of background position information, which metrics exceed their associated uncertainty threshold, and/or a degree to which metrics exceed their associated uncertainty threshold.

53. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining background position information for a mobile station based at least in part on one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies, wherein said background position information includes one or more metrics;

means for storing said one or more metrics;

means for comparing said one or more stored metrics with one or more uncertainty thresholds; and

means for selecting one or more of said one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies to update said background position information, said selecting based, at least in part, on an operative condition and on said comparing.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said background position information comprises position information generated at said mobile station.

55. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said one or more non-SPS positioning technologies comprise a motion-sensitive sensor.

56. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said one or more non-SPS positioning technologies comprise a wireless network interface including CDMA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, RFID, broadcast TV, broadcast FM, and/or Bluetooth.

57. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said one or more metrics comprise received signal strength (RSS), round trip delay (RTD), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and/or Doppler frequency.

58. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a position uncertainty metric that includes a Horizontal Estimated Position Error (HEPE).

59. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a time uncertainty metric.

60. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a quality of signal metric.

61. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said operative condition comprises an algorithm to adjust a process of said selected one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein a process of said algorithm is based at least in part on power consumption of said one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies, time elapsed since a previous update of background position information, which metrics exceed their associated uncertainty threshold, and/or a degree to which metrics exceed their associated uncertainty threshold.

63. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a processing unit, perform positioning, the instructions comprising;

code to obtain background position information for a mobile station based at least in part on one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies, wherein said background position information includes one or more metrics;

code to store said one or more metrics;

code to compare said one or more stored metrics with one or more uncertainty thresholds; and

code to select one or more of said one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies to update said background position information, said selecting based, at least in part, on an operative condition and on said comparing.

64. The article of claim 63, wherein said background position information comprises position information generated at said mobile station.

65. The article of claim 63, wherein said one or more non-SPS positioning technologies comprise a motion-sensitive sensor.

66. The article of claim 63, wherein said one or more non-SPS positioning technologies comprise a wireless network interface including CDMA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, RFID, broadcast TV, broadcast FM, and/or Bluetooth.

67. The article of claim 63, wherein said one or more metrics comprise received signal strength (RSS), round trip delay (RTD), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and/or Doppler frequency.

68. The article of claim 63, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a position uncertainty metric that includes a Horizontal Estimated Position Error (HEPE).

69. The article of claim 63, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a time uncertainty metric.

70. The article of claim 63, wherein said one or more metrics comprise a quality of signal metric.

71. The article of claim 63, wherein said operative condition comprises an algorithm to adjust a process of said selected one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies.

72. The article of claim 71, wherein a process of said algorithm is based at least in part on power consumption of said one or more SPS and/or non-SPS positioning technologies, time elapsed since a previous update of background position information, which metrics exceed their associated uncertainty threshold, and/or a degree to which metrics exceed their associated uncertainty threshold.