APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MEASURING ALTITUDE OF TERMINAL

• US 20140174175A1
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: CHUN, Jae-Woong, CHUNG, Do-Hyoung, PARK, Jeong-Min
• Granted Patent: US 9,618,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/384
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 11/002 by thermal means, e.g. hypsometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/00 Measuring the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or a fluent solid material by mechanical or fluid pressure-sensitive elements G01L11/004 takes precedence; transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements by electric , e.g., photoelectric or magnetic means G01L9/00; measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for measuring an altitude of a terminal which can correct an altitude error according to temporal and spatial changes are provided. The apparatus includes an atmospheric pressure measuring unit for measuring an atmospheric pressure from a barometer included in the terminal, a position determiner for measuring position information of the terminal, and a controller for, when a reference atmospheric pressure reception period is not generated, predicting a current reference atmospheric pressure by using previously received reference atmospheric pressures and measuring a current altitude by using the predicted reference atmospheric pressure and the measured atmospheric pressure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring an altitude of a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an atmospheric pressure measuring unit for measuring an atmospheric pressure from a barometer included in the terminal;

a position determiner for measuring position information of the terminal; and

a controller for, when a reference atmospheric pressure reception period is not generated, predicting a current reference atmospheric pressure by using previously received reference atmospheric pressures and for measuring a current altitude by using the predicted reference atmospheric pressure and the measured atmospheric pressure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller transmits the position information of the terminal and a reference atmospheric pressure request to a server when the reference atmospheric pressure reception period is generated, and measures, when a reference atmospheric pressure according to the position information of the terminal is received from the server, an altitude by using the received reference atmospheric pressure and the measured atmospheric pressure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein extrapolation is used as a method of predicting the current reference atmospheric pressure by using the previously received reference atmospheric pressures.

4. An apparatus for measuring an altitude of a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an atmospheric pressure measuring unit for measuring an atmospheric pressure from a barometer included in the terminal;

a position determiner for measuring position information of the terminal; and

a controller for, when a plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to the position information of the terminal are received from a server, assigning a weight to each of the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to a relative distance between each of weather stations where the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures are measured and the terminal, for determining a reference atmospheric pressure by adding the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to the weight, and for measuring a current altitude by using the determined reference atmospheric pressures and the measured atmospheric pressure.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller transmits the position information and a reference atmospheric pressure request to the server when a reference atmospheric pressure reception period is generated.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller assigns a higher weight when the distance between each of the weather stations where the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures are measured and the terminal is shorter.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when weather information received through meteorological information is determined as weather information in which an altitude error may be generated, the controller makes a request for reducing the reference atmospheric pressure reception period received from the server or increasing a number of weather stations providing the reference atmospheric pressures according to a position of the terminal to the server.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to the position information of the terminal are received from the server, the controller determines whether there is a weather station located within a predetermined distance from the terminal among the weather stations where the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures are measured, and when there is the weather station located within the predetermined distance from the terminal, the controller measures a current altitude by using the reference atmospheric pressure of the weather station located within the predetermined distance from the terminal and the measured atmospheric pressure.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, when weather information received through meteorological information is determined as weather information in which an altitude error may be generated, the controller reduces a range of the predetermined distance between the terminal and the weather station.

10. An apparatus for measuring an altitude of a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an atmospheric pressure measuring unit for measuring an atmospheric pressure from a barometer included in the terminal;

a position determiner for measuring position information of the terminal; and

a controller for, when a reference atmospheric pressure reception period is not generated and a position of the terminal escapes from a reference distance, transmitting the position information of the terminal and a reference atmospheric pressure request to a server, and for measuring, when a reference atmospheric pressure according to the position information of the terminal is received from the server, a current altitude by using the received reference atmospheric pressure and the measured atmospheric pressure.

11. A method of measuring an altitude of a terminal, the method comprising:

predicting a current reference atmospheric pressure by using previously received reference atmospheric pressures when a reference atmospheric pressure reception period is not generated; and

measuring a current altitude by using the predicted reference atmospheric pressure and an atmospheric pressure measured by a barometer included in the terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting position information of the terminal and a reference atmospheric pressure request to a server when the reference atmospheric pressure reception period is generated; and

measuring, when a reference atmospheric pressure according to the position information of the terminal is received from the server, an altitude by using the received reference atmospheric pressure and the measured atmospheric pressure.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein extrapolation is used as a method of predicting a current reference atmospheric pressure by using the previously received reference atmospheric pressures.

14. A method of measuring an altitude of a terminal, the method comprising:

when a plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to the position information of the terminal are received from a server, assigning a weight to each of the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to a relative distance between each of weather stations where the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures are measured and the terminal; and

determining a reference atmospheric pressure by adding the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to the weight, and measuring a current altitude by using the determined reference atmospheric pressures and an atmospheric pressure measured by a barometer included in the terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the position information of the terminal and a reference atmospheric pressure request to the server when a reference atmospheric pressure reception period is generated.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a higher weight is assigned when the distance between each of the weather stations where the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures are measured and the terminal is shorter.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when weather information received through meteorological information is determined as weather information in which an altitude error may be generated, making a request for reducing the reference atmospheric pressure reception period received from the server or increasing a number of weather stations providing the reference atmospheric pressure according to a position of the terminal to the server.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

when a plurality of reference atmospheric pressures according to the position information of the terminal are received from the server, determining whether there is a weather station located within a predetermined distance from the terminal among the weather stations where the plurality of reference atmospheric pressures are measured; and

when there is the weather station located within the predetermined distance from the terminal, measuring a current altitude by using the reference atmospheric pressure of the weather station located within the predetermined distance from the terminal and the measured atmospheric pressure.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, when weather information received through meteorological information is determined as weather information in which an altitude error may be generated, reducing a range of the predetermined distance between the terminal and the weather station.

20. A method of measuring an altitude of a terminal, the method comprising:

when a reference atmospheric pressure reception period is not generated and a position of the terminal escapes from a reference distance, transmitting position information of the terminal and a reference atmospheric pressure request to a server; and

when a reference atmospheric pressure according the position information of the terminal is received from the server, measuring a current altitude by using the received reference atmospheric pressure and an atmospheric pressure measured by a barometer included in the terminal.