ACCOUNTING FOR ATMOSPHERIC AND TERRESTRIAL OBSTACLES IN GEOGRAPHIC POSITIONING
First Claim
1. A method implemented in a computing system on one or more processors for identifying potentially erroneous position fixes of a receiver, the method comprising:
- receiving a position fix for the receiver, wherein the position fix was generated using a plurality of signals received at the receiver from respective high-altitude signal sources, and wherein the position fix identifies a geographic location;
receiving imagery of a geographic area associated with the geographic location;
automatically processing the imagery to determine whether one or more of the high-altitude signal sources were occluded from the geographic location when the position fix was generated; and
in response to determining that one or more of the high-altitude signal sources were occluded from the geographic location when the position fix was generated, identifying the position fix as potentially erroneous.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A position fix identifying a geographic location of a receiver is received. The position fix was generated using signals received at the receiver from respective high-altitude signal sources (such as satellites). Imagery of a geographic area that includes the geographic location is also received. The imagery is automatically processed to determine whether one or more of the high-altitude signal sources were occluded from the geographic location when the position fix was generated. In response to determining that one or more of the high-altitude signal sources were occluded from the geographic location when the position fix was generated, the position fix is identified as being potentially erroneous.
34 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method implemented in a computing system on one or more processors for identifying potentially erroneous position fixes of a receiver, the method comprising:
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receiving a position fix for the receiver, wherein the position fix was generated using a plurality of signals received at the receiver from respective high-altitude signal sources, and wherein the position fix identifies a geographic location; receiving imagery of a geographic area associated with the geographic location; automatically processing the imagery to determine whether one or more of the high-altitude signal sources were occluded from the geographic location when the position fix was generated; and in response to determining that one or more of the high-altitude signal sources were occluded from the geographic location when the position fix was generated, identifying the position fix as potentially erroneous. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computing system comprising:
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one or more processors; and a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the computing system to; receive a position fix specifying a geographic location of a receiver, wherein the position fix was generated using a plurality of signals received at the receiver from respective signal sources disposed above a geographic area including the geographic location, receive an obstacle map that indicates (i) first portions of the geographic area in which there is an unobstructed line of sight between an object disposed at a surface level and a signal source disposed at a level significantly higher than the surface level and (ii) second portions of the geographic area in which the line of sight between the object and the signal source is obstructed, and using the specified geographic location and the received obstacle map, determine whether the plurality of signals reached the receiver without encountering one or more obstacles. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method implemented in a computing system on one or more processors for identifying line-of-sight conditions in geographic positioning, the method comprising:
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receiving an image of a geographic area; using the one or more processors, processing the image to identify obstacles that obstruct a line of sight between (i) a receiver disposed within the geographic area substantially at a surface level and (ii) a signal source disposed above the geographic area at a level significantly higher than the surface level; and using the one or more processors, generating an obstacle map based on the identified obstacles, wherein the obstacle map indicates (i) first portions of the geographic area in which there is an unobstructed line of sight between the receiver and the signal source, and (ii) second portions of the geographic area in which the line of sight between the receiver and the signal source is obstructed. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-based method for improved geopositioning of a receiver that receives positioning signals from a set of N signal sources, the method comprising:
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(i) selecting a subset of M signal sources from among the N signal sources, wherein M<
N;(ii) generating a candidate position fix using the positioning signals that correspond to the selected subset, wherein the candidate position fix identifies a geographic location; (iii) using imagery of a geographic area associated with the geographic location, determining whether each of the M signal sources had an unobstructed line-of-sight to the geographic location when the position fix was generated; (iv) if at least one of the M signal sources had an obstructed line-of-sight to the geographic location, repeating acts (i)-(iii) for a new subset of M signal sources; and (v) generating a position fix using one or more candidate position fixes for which each of the M signal sources had an unobstructed line-of-sight to the respective geographic location. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification