Methods and apparatus for efficient transport and management of a positioning & timing almanac

• US 20130267218A1
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Do, Ju-Yong, Zhang, Gengsheng, Wong, Kin F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reporting almanac versions and almanac identification by a mobile station to a server is provided. The server compares the almanac version and almanac identification held by the mobile station with almanac versions and almanac identifications held by the server. The server then sends instructions to the mobile station to match the server versions of the almanac versions and almanac identifications for the almanac versions and almanac identifications that the mobile station should hold.

Claims

1. A method for almanac version control, comprising:

reporting almanac versions and almanac identification by a mobile station to a server; and

receiving instructions from a server to match the server versions of the almanac versions and almanac identifications held by the server for the almanac versions and almanac identifications that the mobile station should hold.

2. A method for almanac version control, comprising:

receiving almanac versions and almanac identifications from at least one mobile station;

comparing the almanac versions and almanac identifications sent by the at least one mobile station with almanac versions and almanac identifications held by the server; and

sending instructions to the mobile stations to match the server versions of the almanac versions and almanac identifications for the almanac version and identification that the at least one mobile station should hold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the server version of the almanac sent to the mobile station is based on a global privilege setting.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the server version of the almanac sent to the mobile station is based on a global privilege setting, wherein the global privilege setting distinguishes between premium users and basic users.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the global privilege setting uses a unique device identifier.

6. A method for selective downloading of almanac versions, comprising:

generating a partition by a server based on a privilege setting;

receiving a request from at least one mobile station for, almanac versions based on at least one of a latest version, a relevant version, and the privilege setting;

comparing the almanac versions by the server with the almanac versions requested by the mobile station; and

sending the requested almanac version to the mobile station.

7. A method for selective downloading of almanac versions, comprising:

requesting almanac versions based on at least one of a latest version, a relevant version, and a privilege setting;

receiving the almanac version requested; and

updating the requested almanac version.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the privilege setting is used to provide assistance data of enhanced relevance depending on the mobile device'"'"'s context.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the privilege setting may be adjusted upon request of a carrier or entity owner.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the privilege information is handled by the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the privilege information is handled by the server.

12. An apparatus for almanac version control, comprising:

a server containing a database, wherein the server acts in conjunction with a processor for data aggregation and a processor for comparison;

a release database;

a partition database acting in conjunction with a partition manager processor;

a processor for checking for reorganization flags and comparing almanacs for version changes; and

a processor for determining existing partition organization and comparing existing partitions with the predetermined threshold size.

13. An apparatus for almanac version control, comprising:

means for reporting almanac versions and almanac identification by a mobile station to a server; and

means for receiving instructions from a server to match the server versions of the almanac versions and almanac identifications held by the server for the almanac versions and almanac identifications that the mobile station should hold.

14. An apparatus for almanac version control, comprising:

means for receiving almanac versions and almanac identifications from at least one mobile station;

means for comparing the almanac versions and almanac identifications sent by the at least one mobile station with almanac versions and almanac identifications held by the server; and

means for sending instructions to the mobile stations to match the server versions of the almanac versions and almanac identifications for the almanac versions and identification that the at least one mobile station should hold.

15. An apparatus for selective downloading of almanac versions, comprising:

means for generating a partition by a server based on a privilege setting;

means for requesting, by a mobile station, almanac versions based on at least one of a latest version, a relevant version, and the privilege setting;

means for comparing the almanac versions by the server with the almanac versions requested by the mobile station;

means for sending the requested almanac version to the mobile station.

16. An apparatus for selective downloading of almanac versions, comprising:

means for requesting almanac versions based on at least one of a latest version, a relevant version, and a privilege setting;

means for receiving the almanac version requested; and

means for updating the requested version.

17. A machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

reporting almanac versions and almanac identification by a mobile station to a server; and

receiving instructions from a server to match the server versions of the almanac versions and almanac identifications held by the server for the almanac versions and almanac identifications that the mobile station should hold.

18. A machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving almanac versions and almanac identifications from at least one mobile station;

comparing the almanac versions and almanac identifications sent by the at least one mobile station with almanac versions and almanac identifications held by the server; and

sending instructions to the mobile stations to match the server versions of the almanac versions and almanac identifications for the almanac version and identification that the at least one mobile station should hold.

19. The machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions wherein the server version of the almanac sent to the mobile station is based on a global privilege setting.

20. The machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions wherein the server version of the almanac sent to the mobile station is based on a global privilege setting, wherein the global privilege setting distinguishes between premium users and basic users.

21. The machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions wherein the global privilege setting uses a unique device identifier.

22. A machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a partition by a server based on a privilege setting;

requesting, by a mobile station, almanac versions based on at least one of a latest version, a relevant version, and the privilege setting;

comparing the almanac versions by the server with the almanac versions requested by the mobile station; and

sending the requested almanac version to the mobile station.

23. The machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions for using the privilege setting to provide assistance data of enhanced relevance depending on the mobile device'"'"'s context.

24. The machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions for adjusting the privilege setting upon request of a carrier or entity owner.

25. The machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions for handling the privilege information by the mobile device.

26. The machine readable non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions for handling the privilege information by the server.