SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IP AND VOIP DEVICE LOCATION DETERMINATION

• US 20130135147A1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iposi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iposi, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Richard M., Keegan, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for precise position determination of general Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected devices. A method enables use of remote intelligence located at strategic network points to distribute relevant assistance data to IP devices with embedded receivers. Assistance is tailored to provide physical timing, frequency and real time signal status data using general broadband communication protocols. Relevant assistance data enables several complementary forms of signal processing gain critical to acquire and measure weakened or distorted in-building Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) signals and to ultimately extract corresponding pseudo-range time components. A method to assemble sets of GNSS measurements that are observed over long periods of time while using standard satellite navigation methods, and once compiled, convert using standard methods each pseudo-range into usable path distances used to calculate a precise geographic position to a known degree of accuracy.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface module;

a signal receiving module for receiving signals from transmitters of a positioning system;

an aligning module for aligning said signal receiving module, wherein said aligning module is operable to obtain at least one of frequency and time aligning information regarding said positioning system over a connection to a network via said network interface module; and

a calibration module operable to calibrate one of a time reference and a frequency reference of said apparatus with a corresponding reference of said positioning system over a connection to said network via said network interface module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a voice over data network unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a data unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a VoIP unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a phone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network interface module is capable of interfacing with an IP network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said positioning system is a GNSS.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said GNSS at least one of is the GPS, Glonass, Galileo and QZSS.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing module for processing signals received by said signal receiving module, wherein said processing module is operable to determine a position of said apparatus relative to said positioning system based at least in part on said signals received by said signal receiving module and said calibration.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing module for processing signals received by said signal receiving module, wherein said processing module is operable to determine true time relative to said positioning system based at least in part on said signals received by said signal receiving module and said calibration.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a barometric pressure sensor.

12. A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device comprising:

a voice conversion module operable to convert voice to data and data to voice;

a network interface module;

a signal receiving module for receiving signals from transmitters of a GNSS;

an aligning module for aligning said signal receiving module, wherein said aligning module is operable to obtain at least one of frequency and time information regarding said GNSS over a connection to a network via said network interface module;

a timing module, wherein said timing module is operable to calibrate a time reference of said apparatus with a time reference of said GNSS over a connection to said network via said network interface module; and

a processing module for processing signals received by said signal receiving module, wherein said processing module is operable to determine a position of said apparatus relative to said GNSS based at least in part on said signals received by said signal receiving module and said calibration.

13. The VoIP device of claim 12, wherein said GNSS is the GPS.

14. A system for use in determining one of a position and a time reference of a device connected to a network relative to a fixed coordinate system, comprising:

a device connected to a network, wherein said device is operable to receive signals from transmitters of a positioning system;

a model server in communication with said device over said network, wherein said model server is operable to provide to said device information regarding signal characteristics of said transmitters of said positioning system; and

a peering point server to communicate with said device over said network, wherein said peering point server is operable to calibrate over said network a time reference of said device to a time reference of said positioning system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said positioning system is the GPS.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said model server is operable to determine an estimate of the location of said device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said model server comprises a database correlating a plurality of devices to a plurality of corresponding locations.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said device is a VoIP phone.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said network is an asynchronous network.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said asynchronous network is an IP network.