Local area network assisted positioning

• US 20130095850A1
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: SHEYNBLAT, Leonid
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 5/02529 not involving signal parameters, i.e. only involving identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/145 Using a supplementary range measurement, e.g. based on pseudo-range measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method of locating a position of a wireless device in range of one or more base stations. Three signals are received that each contain a unique identifier for a base station. An estimate of the distance between the wireless device and each base station is performed. Previously determined locations for each base station are referenced. At least one of the three base stations is capable of communication to remote locations and unavailable to the wireless device for communication to remote locations.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in locating a position of a mobile wireless device, comprising:

determining an approximate location of the mobile wireless device using signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device;

generating an almanac of base stations based at least in part on proximity of locations of the base stations to the approximate location of the mobile wireless device, the almanac of base stations comprising at least one cooperative terrestrial base station that can communicate with the mobile wireless device in at least one mode that allows unique identification of the mobile wireless device and at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station capable of bi-directional communications but configured to not support bi-directional communications with the mobile wireless device, the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station being configured to provide information useful in determining a distance; and

providing the almanac of base stations to the mobile wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location information collected by the mobile wireless device from at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station not already included in the almanac of base stations; and

updating the almanac of base stations using the location information received from the mobile wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first wireless service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second wireless service provider that is different than the first wireless service provider.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the almanac of base stations includes selecting only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to acknowledge a message received from the mobile wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the almanac of base stations includes selecting only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to indicate a signal strength of a signal received from the mobile wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprise at least one WiFi wireless access point.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second cellular service provider, the second cellular service provider being a different cellular service provider than the first cellular service provider.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point, the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station being associated with a different network service provider than the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the approximate location of the mobile wireless device using the signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device comprises receiving the approximate location of the mobile wireless device from the mobile wireless device.

11. A system for assisting in locating a position of a mobile wireless device, comprising:

means for determining an approximate location of the mobile wireless device using signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device;

means for generating an almanac of base stations based at least in part on proximity of locations of the base stations to the approximate location of the mobile wireless device, the almanac of base stations comprising at least one cooperative terrestrial base station that can communicate with the mobile wireless device in at least one mode that allows unique identification of the mobile wireless device and at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station capable of bi-directional communications but configured to not support bi-directional communications with the mobile wireless device, the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station being configured to provide information useful in determining a distance; and

means for providing the almanac of base stations to the mobile wireless device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving location information collected by the mobile wireless device from at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station not already included in the almanac of base stations; and

means for updating the almanac of base stations using the location information received from the mobile wireless device.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first wireless service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second wireless service provider that is different than the first wireless service provider.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for generating the almanac of base stations includes means for selecting only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to acknowledge a message received from the mobile wireless device.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for generating the almanac of base stations includes means for selecting only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to indicate a signal strength of a signal received from the mobile wireless device.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second cellular service provider, the second cellular service provider being a different cellular service provider than the first cellular service provider.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point, the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station being associated with a different network service provider than the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for determining the approximate location of the mobile wireless device using the signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device comprise means for receiving the approximate location of the mobile wireless device from the mobile wireless device.

21. A computer system comprising:

a network interface; and

a processor configured to;

determine an approximate location of a mobile wireless device using signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device;

generate an almanac of base stations based at least in part on proximity of locations of the base stations to the approximate location of the mobile wireless device, the almanac of base stations comprising at least one cooperative terrestrial base station that can communicate with the mobile wireless device in at least one mode that allows unique identification of the mobile wireless device and at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station capable of bi-directional communications but configured to not support bi-directional communications with the mobile wireless device, the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station being configured to provide information useful in determining a distance; and

provide the almanac of base stations to the mobile wireless device.

22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive location information collected by the mobile wireless device from at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station not already included in the almanac of base stations; and

update the almanac of base stations using the location information received from the mobile wireless device.

23. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first wireless service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second wireless service provider that is different than the first wireless service provider.

24. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the processor being configured to generate the almanac of base stations is further configured to select only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to acknowledge a message received from the mobile wireless device.

25. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the processor being configured to generate the almanac of base stations is further configured to select only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to indicate a signal strength of a signal received from the mobile wireless device.

26. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point.

27. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second cellular service provider, the second cellular service provider being a different cellular service provider than the first cellular service provider.

28. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider.

29. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point, the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station being associated with a different network service provider than the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station.

30. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the processor being configured to determine the approximate location of the mobile wireless device using the signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device is further configured to receive the approximate location of the mobile wireless device from the mobile wireless device.

31. A tangible computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer-readable instructions for assisting in locating a position of a mobile wireless device, comprising instructions configured to cause a computer to:

determine an approximate location of the mobile wireless device using signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device;

generate an almanac of base stations based at least in part on proximity of locations of the base stations to the approximate location of the mobile wireless device, the almanac of base stations comprising at least one cooperative terrestrial base station that can communicate with the mobile wireless device in at least one mode that allows unique identification of the mobile wireless device and at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station capable of bi-directional communications but configured to not support bi-directional communications with the mobile wireless device, the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station being configured to provide information useful in determining a distance; and

provide the almanac of base stations to the mobile wireless device.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computer to:

receive location information collected by the mobile wireless device from at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station not already included in the almanac of base stations; and

update the almanac of base stations using the location information received from the mobile wireless device.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first wireless service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second wireless service provider that is different than the first wireless service provider.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer to generate the almanac of base stations further comprise instructions configured to cause the computer to select only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to acknowledge a message received from the mobile wireless device.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer to generate the almanac of base stations further comprise instructions configured to cause the computer to select only uncooperative terrestrial base stations that are configured to indicate a signal strength of a signal received from the mobile wireless device.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a first cellular service provider and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a second cellular service provider, the second cellular service provider being a different cellular service provider than the first cellular service provider.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station is associated with a cellular service provider.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station comprises at least one WiFi wireless access point and the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station comprise at least one WiFi wireless access point, the at least one cooperative terrestrial base station being associated with a different network service provider than the at least one uncooperative terrestrial base station.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer to determine the approximate location of the mobile wireless device using the signals from cooperative base stations within communicable distance of the mobile wireless device further comprise instructions configured to cause the computer to receive the approximate location of the mobile wireless device from the mobile wireless device.