Method, and Apparatus for Determining the Position Using Radio Signals

• US 20120326929A1
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Belloni, Fabio, Teikari, Ilari Aleksi, Ranki, Ville, Kainulainen, Antti
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/386
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/24 the synchronised signals being pulses or equivalent modulations on carrier waves and the transit times being compared by measuring the difference in arrival time of a significant part of the modulations , e.g. LORAN systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method, comprising: detecting, at an apparatus, one or more radio signals from a first location; using the one or more detected radio signals to estimate a bearing from the first location; and using the bearing estimate to determine whether further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus; and positioning of the apparatus using a bearing and constraint information.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method, comprising:

detecting, at an apparatus, one or more radio signals from a first location;

using the one or more detected radio signals to estimate a bearing from the first location; and

using the bearing estimate to determine whether further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus;

positioning of the apparatus using a bearing and constraint information that includes information that defines the transfer function of the first locations antenna array.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising obtaining the constraint information by receiving further radio signals.

31. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the constraint information comprises at least one of a bearing and a range.

32. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the bearing estimate is used to determine whether ranging the first location by further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus, wherein the range is at least part of the constraint information.

33. A method as claimed in claim 32, wherein ranging the first location comprises two-way radio communication originated by the apparatus and terminated by the further detection of one or more radio signals.

34. A method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising determining whether the bearing estimate is of sufficient quality, and ranging the first location when the bearing estimate is of sufficient quality.

35. A method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the bearing estimate is used to determine whether estimating a second bearing to a second location by further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus.

36. A method as claimed in claim 32, determining whether the bearing estimate is of sufficient quality, and estimating the second bearing to the second location when the bearing estimate is of insufficient quality.

37. A method as claimed in claim 32, comprising:

detecting, at the apparatus, one or more radio signals from a second location;

using the one or more detected radio signals to estimate a second bearing from the second location;

using the bearing estimate and the second bearing estimate to determine whether ranging the first location and/or second location by further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus.

38. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein one-way communication is a broadcast communication transmitted to multiple apparatuses that including information that defines the transfer function of the antenna array.

39. A method as claimed in claim 29, using the bearing estimate to determine whether the origination of two-way radio signalling is required before positioning the apparatus.

40. A method as claimed in claim 29, detecting, at the apparatus, the one or more radio signals from the first location at spatially diverse antennas.

41. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the process of:

detecting, at an apparatus, one or more radio signals from a first location;

using the one or more detected radio signals to estimate a bearing from the first location; and

using the bearing estimate to determine whether further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus;

positioning of the apparatus using a bearing and constraint information including information that defines the transfer function of the first locations antenna array are performed solely at a hand portable apparatus.

42. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to detect one or more radio signals from a first location;

processing circuitry configured to use the one or more detected radio signals to estimate a bearing of the apparatus from the first location; and

configured to use the bearing estimate to determine whether further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus; and

configured to position the apparatus using a bearing and constraint information that includes information that defines the transfer function of the first locations antenna array.

43. An apparatus as claimed in claim 42, wherein the receiver is configured to obtain the constraint information by receiving further radio signals.

44. An apparatus as claimed in claim 42, wherein the constraint information comprises at least one of a bearing and a range.

45. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting, at an apparatus, one or more radio signals from a first location;

means for using the one or more detected radio signals to estimate a bearing from the first location;

means for using the bearing estimate to determine whether further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus; and

means for positioning of the apparatus using a bearing and constraint information that includes information that defines the transfer function of the first antenna array.

46. A computer program, comprising computer readable instructions which when loaded into a processor enable:

use of one or more detected radio signals to estimate a bearing;

use of the bearing estimate to determine whether further detection of one or more radio signals is required before determining a position; and

using a bearing and constraint information including information that defines the transfer function of the antenna array to determine a position.