METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOCATING TERMINAL DEVICE

• US 20140002304A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wei, Konggang, Zhao, Yu, Zhong, Guanghua
• Application Number:
  US13/722,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.66
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

The present invention is applicable to the field of GPS locating technologies and provides a method and an apparatus for locating a terminal device. The method includes: receiving information about starting a global positioning system; and obtaining a signal of a corresponding satellite currently in the sky according to pre-stored ephemeris data to implement locating. In embodiments of the present invention, ephemeris data is pre-stored before a terminal device starts GPS, so that after the terminal device starts GPS, corresponding satellites may be quickly determined according to the stored ephemeris data to implement quick locating, thereby effectively improving locating efficiency.

Claims

1. A method for locating a terminal device, wherein the method comprises:

receiving information about starting a global positioning system; and

obtaining a signal of a corresponding satellite currently in the sky according to pre-stored ephemeris data to implement locating.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein before the step of receiving information about starting a global positioning system, the method further comprises:

obtaining ephemeris data at a preset time interval and storing the obtained ephemeris data.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the obtaining ephemeris data at a preset time interval comprises:

when the terminal device is not in a sleep or standby state, determining whether the preset time interval expires; and

if the preset time interval expires, obtaining ephemeris data.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

when the terminal device is in the sleep or standby state, stopping obtaining ephemeris data, and recording time when ephemeris data is obtained last time;

when the terminal device is started from the sleep or standby state, obtaining a first time interval and determining whether the first time interval is greater than or equal to the preset time interval;

if yes, obtaining ephemeris data; and

if no, modifying time for obtaining ephemeris data next time according to the first time interval, wherein the modified time for obtaining ephemeris data next time is a difference between the preset time interval and the first time interval;

wherein the first time interval is a difference between current startup time of the terminal device and time when ephemeris data is obtained last time.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the obtaining ephemeris data if the preset time interval expires comprises:

when the preset time interval expires, determining whether current time for obtaining ephemeris data is within a specific time range; and

if no, obtaining ephemeris data.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

when the current time for obtaining ephemeris data is within the specific time range, determining whether it is set not to obtain ephemeris data within the specific time range; and

if no, obtaining ephemeris data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

when it is set not to obtain ephemeris data within the specific time range, obtaining a second time interval and determining whether the second time interval is greater than or equal to the preset time interval; and

if yes, starting obtaining ephemeris data at a moment when the specific time range ends, wherein the second time interval is a difference between time when the specific time range ends and time when ephemeris data is obtained last time.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

when the second time interval is smaller than the preset time interval, modifying the time for obtaining ephemeris data next time according to the second time interval, wherein the modified time for obtaining ephemeris data next time is a difference between the preset time interval and the second time interval.

9. An apparatus for locating a terminal device, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a receiver configured to receive information about starting a global positioning system; and

a processor configured to;

after the receiver receives the information about starting the global positioning system, obtain a signal of a corresponding satellite currently in the sky according to pre-stored ephemeris data to implement locating.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain ephemeris data at a preset time interval and send the obtained ephemeris data to a memory for storing;

and the apparatus further comprises;

the memory configured to store the ephemeris data obtained by the processor at the preset time interval.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the obtaining, by the processor, the ephemeris data at the preset time interval specifically comprises:

determining whether the terminal device is in a sleep or standby state; and

when the terminal device is not in the sleep or standby state, determining whether the preset time interval expires, and obtaining ephemeris data when the preset time interval expires.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

when the terminal device is in the sleep or standby state, stop obtaining ephemeris data, and record time when ephemeris data is obtained last time;

when the terminal device is started from the sleep or standby state, obtain a first time interval and determine whether the first time interval is greater than or equal to the preset time interval;

if yes, obtain ephemeris data;

if no, modify time for obtaining ephemeris data next time according to the first time interval, wherein the modified time for obtaining ephemeris data next time is a difference between the preset time interval and the first time interval, and the first time interval is a difference between current startup time of the terminal device and time when ephemeris data is obtained last time.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the obtaining, by the processor, the ephemeris data when the preset time interval expires specifically comprises:

when the preset time interval expires, determining whether current time for obtaining ephemeris data is within a specific time range; and

if no, obtaining ephemeris data.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

when the current time for obtaining ephemeris data is within the specific time range, determine whether it is set not to obtain ephemeris data within the specific time range; and

if no, obtain ephemeris data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

when it is set not to obtain ephemeris data within the specific time range, obtain a second time interval;

when the second time interval is greater than or equal to the preset time interval, start obtaining ephemeris data at a moment when the specific time range ends, wherein the second time interval is a difference between time when the specific time range ends and time when ephemeris data is obtained last time.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

when it is set not to obtain ephemeris data within the specific time range, obtain a second time interval; and

when the second time interval is smaller than the preset time interval, modify time for obtaining ephemeris data next time according to the second time interval, wherein the modified time for obtaining ephemeris data next time is a difference between the preset time interval and the second time interval, and the second time interval is a difference between time when the specific time range ends and time when ephemeris data is obtained last time.

17. The apparatus for locating a terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is included in a terminal device.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer program codes stored thereon, executable by one or more digital processor, wherein the computer program codes comprise:

a method for locating a terminal device, wherein the method comprises;

receiving information about starting a global positioning system; and

obtaining a signal of a corresponding satellite currently in the sky according to pre-stored ephemeris data to implement locating.