SPARSE NETWORK ALMANAC

• US 20110059756A1
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Biacs, Zoltan F., Moeglein, Mark Leo
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to creation, maintenance, communication, and/or use of sparse network almanac information that may be located in a mobile station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving signals from one or more transmitters located in a region; and

executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically associate a location fix of a mobile station operating in said region with said received signals to update a sparse network almanac that includes signals stored in a storage medium representing a regional base station almanac and signals representing a service area almanac.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said regional base station almanac includes information that covers a sub-region of a larger region that is covered by said service area almanac.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said regional base station almanac comprises signals representing hierarchally defined information descriptive of service areas of said one or more transmitters in said region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises signals representing a list of one or more service area locations.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said hierarchally defined information includes a service level defining geographical entities and sub-service levels defining smaller geographical entities within said service level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said service level comprises a country code including one or more network codes associated with said country code.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said one or more network codes respectively include one or more location area codes or radio network controller codes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said signals received from said one or more transmitters located in said region include signals representing location information associated with said one or more transmitters.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said associating said location fix with said received signals comprises:

executing instructions on said specific apparatus to electronically determine one or more service levels among said service levels of transmitter information that include said region, said determining being based at least in part on said received signals and/or said location fix.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said updating said sparse network almanac comprises:

executing instructions on said specific apparatus to electronically maintain and update signals that represent information corresponding to said one or more service levels in said sparse network almanac.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said signals received from said one or more transmitters located in said region include signals representing coverage area information associated with said one or more transmitters.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving said location fix before said receiving said signals from said one or more transmitters.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein said mobile station maintains said sparse network almanac in a memory of said mobile station.

14. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting signals representing portions of said updated sparse network almanac from said mobile station to a network entity.

15. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

reducing a signal acquisition window based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

16. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically search for navigation information based at least in part on a probability of success, an expected accuracy, a search time, and/or a power usage for a subsequent location fix based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

17. The method of claim 3, wherein said signals received from said one or more transmitters located in said region includes a time stamp associated with said one or more transmitters.

18. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically request service level information from a wireless network based at least in part on determining a probability of success, an expected accuracy, a search time, and/or a power usage for a subsequent location fix based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

19. The method of claim 3, wherein said sparse network almanac further comprises non-hierarchically defined information based at least in part on said hierarchally defined information.

20. A mobile station comprising:

a receiver adapted to operate in an RF environment to receive information from one or more transmitters located in a region; and

a processor to associate a location fix of a mobile station operating in said region with said received information to update a sparse network almanac, said sparse network almanac comprising hierarchally defined information descriptive of locations of said transmitters in said region.

21. The mobile station of claim 20, wherein said hierarchally defined information includes a service level defining geographical entities and sub-service levels defining smaller geographical entities within said service level.

22. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said service level comprises a country code including one or more network codes associated with said country code.

23. The mobile station of claim 22, wherein said one or more network codes respectively include one or more location area codes respectively associated with said one or more network codes.

24. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said information received from said one or more transmitters located in said region includes location information associated with said one or more transmitters.

25. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said information received from said one or more transmitters located in said region includes coverage area information associated with said one or more transmitters.

26. The mobile station of claim 21, further comprising a location server to maintain said sparse network almanac in a location server.

27. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said receiver is further adapted to:

transmit portions of said updated sparse network almanac from said mobile station to a location server.

28. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said receiver is further adapted to:

reduce a navigation acquisition window based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

29. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said receiver is further adapted to:

decide whether to search for navigation information based at least in part on a probability of success, an expected accuracy, a search time, and/or a power usage for a subsequent location fix based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

30. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said sparse network information includes a global cell identifier.

31. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said parameter information includes a time stamp associated with said one or more transmitters.

32. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said receiver is further adapted to:

request service level information from a wireless network based at least in part on determining a probability of success, an expected accuracy, a search time, and/or a power usage for a subsequent location fix based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

33. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said sparse network almanac further comprises non-hierarchically defined information based at least in part on said hierarchally defined information.

34. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein said processor is adapted to request SNA information in discrete addressable blocks, wherein said SNA information corresponds to a particular transmitter and/or to a wireless service area.

35. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving signals from one or more transmitters located in a region; and

means for executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically associate a location fix of a mobile station operating in said region with said received signals to update a sparse network almanac that includes signals stored in a storage medium representing a regional base station almanac and signals representing a service area almanac.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said regional base station almanac includes information that covers a sub-region of a larger region that is covered by said service area almanac.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said regional base station almanac comprises signals representing hierarchally defined information descriptive of service areas of said one or more transmitters in said region.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises signals representing a list of one or more service area locations.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said hierarchally defined information includes a service level defining geographical entities and sub-service levels defining smaller geographical entities within said service level.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said means for associating said location fix with said received information comprises:

means for executing instructions on said specific apparatus to electronically determine one or more service levels among said service levels of transmitter information that include said region, said determining being based at least in part on said received signals and/or said location fix.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said means for updating said sparse network almanac comprises:

means for executing instructions on said specific apparatus to electronically maintain and update signals that represent information corresponding to said one or more service levels in said sparse network almanac.

42. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said signals received from said one or more transmitters located in said region include signals representing coverage area information associated with said one or more transmitters.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for receiving said location fix before said receiving said information from said one or more transmitters.

44. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said mobile station maintains said sparse network almanac in a location server.

45. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

means for transmitting portions of said updated sparse network almanac from said mobile station to a location server.

46. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

means for reducing a signal acquisition window based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

47. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

means for executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically search for navigation information based at least in part on a probability of success, an expected accuracy, a search time, and/or a power usage for a subsequent location fix based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

48. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said information received from said one or more transmitters located in said region includes a time stamp associated with said one or more transmitters.

49. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

means for executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically request service level information from a wireless network based at least in part on determining a probability of success, an expected accuracy, a search time, and/or a power usage for a subsequent location fix based at least in part on said updated sparse network almanac.

50. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said sparse network almanac further comprises non-hierarchically defined information based at least in part on hierarchically defined information.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein said non-hierarchically defined information comprises one or more WiFi access points and said hierarchically defined information comprises one or more wide area network elements.

52. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for updating said sparse network almanac at said mobile station.

53. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for updating said sparse network almanac at said location server.

54. A method comprising:

receiving signals representing a sparse network almanac while operating a mobile station in a region;

receiving signals representing information from one or more transmitters located in said region; and

executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically associate a location fix of said mobile station operating in said region with said received signals from said one or more transmitters to update said sparse network almanac that includes signals stored in a storage medium representing a regional base station almanac and signals representing a service area almanac.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said regional base station almanac includes information that covers a sub-region of a larger region that is covered by said service area almanac.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein said regional base station almanac comprises signals representing hierarchally defined information descriptive of service areas of said one or more transmitters in said region.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises signals representing a list of one or more service area locations.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein said hierarchally defined information includes a service level defining geographical entities and sub-service levels defining smaller geographical entities within said service level.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said service level comprises a country code including one or more network codes associated with said country code.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said one or more network codes respectively include one or more location area codes or radio network controller codes.

61. The method of claim 54, wherein said signals received from said one or more transmitters located in said region include signals representing location information associated with said one or more transmitters.

62. A method comprising:

maintaining a sparse network almanac in a memory;

receiving signals representing almanac information from a mobile station operating in a region that includes one or more transmitters, said almanac information based, at least in part, on an association between a location fix of said mobile station and information received from said one or more transmitters; and

executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically update said sparse network almanac based, at least in part, on said received signals representing almanac information.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises a regional base station almanac and a service area almanac.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises hierarchally defined information descriptive of service areas of said one or more transmitters in said region.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein said hierarchally defined information includes a service level defining geographical entities and sub-service levels defining smaller geographical entities within said service level.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein said service level comprises a country code including one or more network codes associated with said country code.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein said one or more network codes respectively include one or more location area codes or radio network controller codes.

68. The method of claim 62, wherein said information received from said one or more transmitters located in said region includes code phase/timing information, ID information, and/or signal strength information associated with said one or more transmitters.

69. An apparatus comprising:

means for maintaining a sparse network almanac in a memory;

means for receiving signals representing almanac information from a mobile station operating in a region that includes one or more transmitters, said almanac information based, at least in part, on an association between a location fix of said mobile station and information received from said one or more transmitters; and

executing instructions on a specific apparatus to electronically update said sparse network almanac based, at least in part, on said received signals representing almanac information.

70. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises a regional base station almanac and a service area almanac.

71. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises hierarchally defined information descriptive of service areas of said one or more transmitters in said region.

72. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein said hierarchally defined information includes a service level defining geographical entities and sub-service levels defining smaller geographical entities within said service level.

73. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein said service level comprises a country code including one or more network codes associated with said country code.

74. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein said one or more network codes respectively include one or more location area codes or radio network controller codes.

75. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein said information received from said one or more transmitters located in said region includes code phase/timing information, ID information, and/or signal strength information associated with said one or more transmitters.

76. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to maintain a sparse network almanac;

a receiver adapted to operate in an RF environment to receive signals representing almanac information from a mobile station operating in a region that includes one or more transmitters, said almanac information based, at least in part, on an association between a location fix of said mobile station and information received from said one or more transmitters; and

a processor to electronically update said sparse network almanac based, at least in part, on said received signals representing almanac information.

77. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises a regional base station almanac and a service area almanac.

78. The apparatus of claim 77, wherein said sparse network almanac comprises hierarchally defined information descriptive of service areas of said one or more transmitters in said region.

79. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein said hierarchally defined information includes a service level defining geographical entities and sub-service levels defining smaller geographical entities within said service level.

80. The apparatus of claim 79, wherein said service level comprises a country code including one or more network codes associated with said country code.

81. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein said one or more network codes respectively include one or more location area codes or radio network controller codes.

82. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein said information received from said one or more transmitters located in said region includes code phase/timing information, ID information, and/or signal strength information associated with said one or more transmitters.

83. A method comprising:

receiving signals from a terrestrial transmitter, the signals including a current region identifier indicative of a region including the transmitter;

accessing a stored service area almanac, the service area almanac including a plurality of region identifiers and associated coarse locations, wherein the service area almanac does not include a position of the terrestrial transmitter; and

determining a current coarse location and a current location uncertainty associated with the current region identifier using the service area almanac.

84. The method of claim 83, further comprising:

using the current coarse location in a satellite positioning operation.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein using the current coarse location in a satellite positioning operation comprises accessing stored satellite orbit information and determining one or more search parameters based on the current coarse location.

86. The method of claim 85, wherein the one or more search parameters comprises an identity of one or more satellites in view.

87. The method of claim 86, further comprising using the current location uncertainty in the satellite positioning operation, and wherein the one or more search parameters further comprises search window parameters for at least one of the one or more satellites in view, the search window parameters determined using the current coarse location and the current location uncertainty.

88. The method of claim 83, further comprising:

prior to accessing the service area almanac, determining that base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter is not available.

89. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

after determining that base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter is not available, downloading a base station almanac update, the base station almanac update including base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter.

90. The method of claim 83, wherein each of the region identifiers is an identifier common to a plurality of transmitters of a particular service provider, the plurality of transmitters providing coverage within a coverage area boundary, and wherein the coarse location associated with each region identifier is a location inside the coverage area boundary.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein a location uncertainty is associated with each of the region identifiers, and wherein the location uncertainty is indicative of a maximum of a distance between the coarse location the coverage area boundary.

92. A mobile device comprising:

means for receiving signals from a terrestrial transmitter, the signals including a current region identifier indicative of a region including the transmitter;

means for accessing a stored service area almanac, the service area almanac including a plurality of region identifiers and associated coarse locations, wherein the service area almanac does not include a position of the terrestrial transmitter; and

means for determining a current coarse location and a current location uncertainty associated with the current region identifier using the service area almanac.

93. The device of claim 92, further comprising:

means for using the current coarse location in a satellite positioning operation.

94. The device of claim 93, wherein the means for using the current coarse location in a satellite positioning operation comprises means for accessing stored satellite orbit information and determining one or more search parameters based on the current coarse location.

95. The device of claim 92, further comprising:

means for determining that base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter is not available prior to accessing the service area almanac.

96. The device of claim 95, further comprising:

means for downloading a base station almanac update after determining that base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter is not available, the base station almanac update including base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter.

97. The device of claim 93, wherein each of the region identifiers is an identifier common to a plurality of transmitters of a particular service provider, the plurality of transmitters providing coverage within a coverage area boundary, and wherein the coarse location associated with each region identifier is a location inside the coverage area boundary.

98. The device of claim 97, wherein a location uncertainty is associated with each of the region identifiers, and wherein the location uncertainty is indicative of a maximum of a distance between the coarse location the coverage area boundary.

99. A mobile device comprising:

satellite positioning circuitry to receive and process satellite signals;

a communication interface configured to receive signals from terrestrial transmitters, the signals including a region identifier associated with a region in which the mobile device is located, wherein the region identifier is common to a plurality of terrestrial transmitters;

memory comprising a service area almanac, the service area almanac including a plurality of region identifiers, each associated with a coarse location and a location uncertainty; and

a processor configured to;

access a current region identifier, the current region identifier received from a particular transmitter of the plurality of terrestrial transmitters;

access the service area almanac to determine a current coarse location and a current location uncertainty associated with the current region identifier; and

determine one or more satellite search parameters based on the current coarse location and the current location uncertainty.

100. The device of claim 99, wherein the memory further comprises stored satellite orbit information, and wherein the processor is further configured to access the satellite orbit information and to determine the one or more satellite search parameters based on the current coarse location, the current location uncertainty, and the satellite orbit information.

101. The device of claim 100, wherein the one or more search parameters comprises an identity of one or more satellites in view.

102. The device of claim 101, wherein the one or more search parameters further comprise search window parameters for at least one of the one or more satellites in view, the search window parameters determined using the current coarse location and the current location uncertainty.

103. The device of claim 99, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that base station almanac information associated with the particular transmitter is not available prior to accessing the service area almanac.

104. The device of claim 103, wherein the processor is further configured to:

initiate a download of a base station almanac update after determining that base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter is not available, the base station almanac update including base station almanac information associated with the terrestrial transmitter.

105. The device of claim 99, wherein each of the region identifiers is an identifier common to a plurality of transmitters of a particular service provider, the plurality of transmitters providing coverage within a coverage area boundary, and wherein the coarse location associated with each region identifier is a location inside the coverage area boundary.

106. The device of claim 105, wherein the location uncertainty associated with each of the region identifiers is indicative of a maximum of a distance between the coarse location the coverage area boundary.