METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A LOCATION OF A MOBILE DEVICE BASED ON A PLURALITY OF LOCATION SAMPLES

• US 20110212732A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles, Garrett, David, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Buer, Mark, Lundgren, David, Murray, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type

Abstract

A mobile device may be operable to receive three or more location samples for the mobile device from each of three or more resources. Two or more valid location samples may be selected based on an accuracy indicator associated with each of the received location samples. A location of the mobile device may be determined utilizing the selected two or more valid location samples. A region around each of the received location samples may be determined based on the accuracy indicator and a condition of a geographic environment that is associated with each of the received location samples. Two or more valid location samples among the received location samples may be selected in instances when at least a portion of the region of each of the selected valid location samples overlaps with at least a portion of the regions of each of other selected valid location samples.

Claims

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:

in a mobile device;

receiving three or more location samples for said mobile device from each of three or more resources, wherein each of said received three or more location samples comprises an associated accuracy indicator;

selecting two or more valid location samples from among said received three or more location samples based on said associated accuracy indicator; and

determining a location of said mobile device utilizing said selected two or more valid location samples.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining a region around each of said received location samples based on said accuracy indicator and a condition of a geographic environment that is associated with each of said received location samples.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising selecting said two or more valid location samples from among said received location samples when at least a portion of said region of each of said selected valid location samples overlaps with at least a portion of said region of each of other selected valid location samples and a region of each unselected location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said regions of other received location samples.

4. The method according to claim 2, comprising, when said region of each of said received location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said regions of other received location samples, expanding said region of each of said received location samples proportionally until a portion of said expanded regions for two or more of said received location samples overlap before reaching a particular boundary that is associated with each of said received location samples or until said particular boundary is reached.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising:

selecting said two or more valid location samples from among said received location samples when at least a portion of said expanded region of each of said selected valid location samples overlaps with at least a portion of said expanded regions of each of other selected valid location samples and an expanded region for each unselected location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said expanded regions of other received location samples; and

determining said location of said mobile device with an uncertainty utilizing said selected two or more valid location samples.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising eliminating each of said received location samples when said expanded region of each of said received location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said expanded regions of other received location samples.

7. The method according to claim 2, comprising, when multiple portions of said regions of said received location samples overlap, expanding said region for each of said received location samples proportionally until a portion of said expanded regions for a majority of said received location samples overlap before reaching a particular boundary that is associated with each of said received location samples or until said particular boundary is reached.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising:

selecting said two or more valid location samples from among said received location samples by choosing said majority of said received location samples; and

determining said location of said mobile device with an uncertainty utilizing said selected two or more valid location samples.

9. The method according to claim 7, comprising eliminating each of said received location samples when said overlap does not occur.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

communicating said received three or more location samples to a location server, wherein said location server selects said two or more valid location samples from among said received three or more location samples based on said associated accuracy indicator; and

receiving said selected two or more valid location samples from said location server for determining said location of said mobile device.

11. A system for communication, the system comprising:

one or more processors and/or circuits for use in a mobile device, said one or more processors and/or circuits being operable to;

receive three or more location samples for said mobile device from each of three or more resources, wherein each of said received three or more location samples comprises an associated accuracy indicator;

select two or more valid location samples from among said received three or more location samples based on said associated accuracy indicator; and

determine a location of said mobile device utilizing said selected two or more valid location samples.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to determine a region around each of said received location samples based on said accuracy indicator and a condition of a geographic environment that is associated with each of said received location samples.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to select said two or more valid location samples from among said received location samples when at least a portion of said region of each of said selected valid location samples overlaps with at least a portion of said region of each of other selected valid location samples and a region of each unselected location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said regions of other received location samples.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein, when said region of each of said received location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said regions of other received location samples, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to expand said region of each of said received location samples proportionally until a portion of said expanded regions for two or more of said received location samples overlap before reaching a particular boundary that is associated with each of said received location samples or until said particular boundary is reached.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to:

select said two or more valid location samples from among said received location samples when at least a portion of said expanded region of each of said selected valid location samples overlaps with at least a portion of said expanded regions of each of other selected valid location samples and an expanded region for each unselected location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said expanded regions of other received location samples; and

determine said location of said mobile device with an uncertainty utilizing said selected two or more valid location samples.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to eliminate each of said received location samples when said expanded region of each of said received location samples does not have a portion that overlaps with a portion of said expanded regions of other received location samples.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein, when multiple portions of said regions of said received location samples overlap, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to expand said region for each of said received location samples proportionally until a portion of said expanded regions for a majority of said received location samples overlap before reaching a particular boundary that is associated with each of said received location samples or until said particular boundary is reached.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to:

select said two or more valid location samples from among said received location samples by choosing said majority of said received location samples; and

determine said location of said mobile device with an uncertainty utilizing said selected two or more valid location samples.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to eliminate each of said received location samples when said overlap does not occur.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to:

communicate said received three or more location samples to a location server, and said location server selects said two or more valid location samples from among said received three or more location samples based on said associated accuracy indicator; and

receive said selected two or more valid location samples from said location server for determining said location of said mobile device.