WIRELESS NETWORK HYBRID POSITIONING

• US 20120115508A1
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Moeglein, Mark, Rowitch, Douglas, DeLoach, James Douglass Jr., Sheynblat, Leonid, Riley, Wyatt
• Granted Patent: US 9,335,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0258 by combining or switching between measurements derived from different systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for position determination and other operations. In one embodiment of the present invention, a mobile station uses wireless signals from a plurality of wireless networks (e.g., with different air interfaces and/or operated by different service providers) for position determination (e.g., for data communication, for obtaining time and/or frequency information, for range measurement, for sector or altitude estimation). In one embodiment of the present invention, mobile stations are used to harvest statistical data about wireless access points (e.g., the locations of mobile stations that have received signals from the wireless access points, such as from cellular base stations, wireless local area network access points, repeaters for positioning signals or other wireless communication transmitters) and to derive location information (e.g., position and coverage area of the wireless access points) for the wireless networks from the collected statistical data.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position of a mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving wireless signals from a first wireless network;

receiving wireless signals from a second wireless network;

determining timing measurements based on the wireless signals from the first wireless network and the wireless signals from the second wireless network; and

determining the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, at a receiver, SPS signals from SPS satellites;

wherein the act of determining the timing measurements is further based on the SPS signals from the SPS satellites.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network use a common air interface standard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network are operated by different service providers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network operate with a common communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network operate with a common communication protocols and at different frequencies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network operate different communication protocols and are operated by a common service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of determining the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements occurs at a location server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station is not subscribed to the first wireless network, and wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining assistance data from the first wireless network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the assistance data comprises SPS assistance data.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining assistance data from the first wireless network; and

transmitting pseudorange measurements to a location server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the timing measurements comprise pseudorange measurement from the first wireless network; and

the act of determining the position of the mobile station comprises determining the position of the mobile station based on the pseudorange measurement.

14. An apparatus for determining a position of the mobile station, the mobile device comprising:

means for receiving wireless signals from a first wireless network;

means for receiving wireless signals from a second wireless network;

means for determining timing measurements based on the wireless signals from the first wireless network and the wireless signals from the second wireless network; and

means for determining the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mobile station is not subscribed to the first wireless network, and wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network.

16. A mobile device comprising a processor and a memory wherein the memory includes software instructions to:

receive wireless signals from a first wireless network;

receive wireless signals from a second wireless network;

determine timing measurements based on the wireless signals from the first wireless network and the wireless signals from the second wireless network; and

determine the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the mobile station is not subscribed to the first wireless network, and wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for determining a position of a mobile station having memory and a processor, said method comprising operations of:

receiving wireless signals from a first wireless network;

receiving wireless signals from a second wireless network;

determining timing measurements based on the wireless signals from the first wireless network and the wireless signals from the second wireless network; and

determining the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the mobile station is not subscribed to the first wireless network, and wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network.

20. A method of determining a position of a mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving wireless signals from a first base station in a first wireless network, wherein the mobile station is unauthorized for access to the first wireless network;

receiving wireless signals from a second base station in a second wireless network, wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network;

determining a first identity of the first base station in the first wireless network;

determining a second identity of the second base station in the second wireless network;

transmitting the first and second base station identities to a location server having access to a base station almanac;

retrieving corresponding positions of the first and second base stations based on the first and second base station identities; and

determining the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.

21. A mobile device for determining a position of the mobile station, the mobile device comprising:

means for receiving wireless signals from a first base station in a first wireless network, wherein the mobile station is unauthorized for access to the first wireless network;

means for receiving wireless signals from a second base station in a second wireless network, wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network;

means for determining a first identity of the first base station in the first wireless network;

means for determining a second identity of the second base station in the second wireless network;

means for transmitting the first and second base station identities to a location server having access to a base station almanac;

means for retrieving corresponding positions of the first and second base stations based on the first and second base station identities; and

means for determining the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.

22. A mobile device comprising a processor and a memory wherein the memory includes software instructions to:

receive wireless signals from a first base station in a first wireless network, wherein the mobile station is unauthorized for access to the first wireless network;

receive wireless signals from a second base station in a second wireless network, wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network;

determine a first identity of the first base station in the first wireless network;

determine a second identity of the second base station in the second wireless network;

transmit the first and second base station identities to a location server having access to a base station almanac;

receive corresponding positions of the first and second base stations based on the first and second base station identities; and

determine the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for determining a position of a mobile station having memory and a processor, said method comprising operations of:

receiving wireless signals from a first base station in a first wireless network, wherein the mobile station is unauthorized for access to the first wireless network;

receiving wireless signals from a second base station in a second wireless network, wherein the mobile station is subscribed to the second wireless network;

determining a first identity of the first base station in the first wireless network;

determining a second identity of the second base station in the second wireless network;

transmitting the first and second base station identities to a location server having access to a base station almanac;

retrieving corresponding positions of the first and second base stations based on the first and second base station identities; and

determining the position of the mobile station based on the timing measurements.