Server-based Positioning System Architecture

• US 20150111600A1
• Filed: 09/19/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, BoChih, Jia, Zhike, Yu, Jing, Chen, Jian, Ren, Yuan
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for location determination in wireless communication networks. A client device with a location provider installed is configured to provide location data to a data engine server and to obtain location service from a positioning engine server or the location provider itself. The location provider based on one or more components implements the reference data delivery function and the client location determination function. The data engine server is configured to process the location data received from one or more client devices and maintain a location database. The data engine server based on one or more components implements the reference data retrieval function, station position calculation function, reference data management function, and assistance data delivery function, as it interacts with the client device. The positioning engine server is configured to process the location request data received from one or more client devices and calculate the locations of the client devices. The positioning engine server based on one or more components implements the positioning data retrieval function and device position calculation function, as it interacts with the client device. The location database stores the previously obtained location data.

Claims

1. A system for location determination, comprising:

a location provider, coupled to the client device, according to a plurality of components that performs the reference data delivery function that generates location data based on the satellite based location determination of the client device, the capability of the client device, and the communicated network of the client device, prepares a message carrying location data, and provides the message to a data engine server via a data management communication interface;

a data engine server according to a plurality of components that;

performs the reference data retrieval function that receives the message carrying location data, forms the location data in a group associated with the wireless station based on time periods, identifies the wireless station in a wireless station information table, excludes one or more outliers from the location data, extracts historical location data from the location database, and combines the location data with the historical location data;

performs the station position calculation function that determines an estimated location of a wireless station based on locations of data points in a particular set in the group of the location data, determines an estimated uncertainty associated with the estimated location of the wireless station by applying circular error probable (CEP) theory to calculate 95% radius of the estimated location of the wireless station, and determines the coverage area length of a wireless station and the transmission signal range of a wireless station based on data points in the group of the location data; and

performs the reference data management function that logically manages location data refinement and location data distribution; and

a location database that stores the location data, each location data associating position information of a location with an identifier of the wireless station for providing wireless communication at the location and the strength of a signal received at the location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the station position calculation function determines an estimated location of a wireless station that assigns a weight to each of locations of data points in a particular set and averages the weighted locations as a geographic location of the wireless station, wherein the weight of a location is determined by distance, in weighting the location using the distance, a greater distance between client device and the wireless station provides a lower weight of the location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference data management function manages location data refinement that compares the coverage area length of a wireless station with a threshold value, determines whether to refine the location data based on the comparison, and applies one or more cluster calculations to intelligently remove the junk data from a group of the location data, wherein the cluster calculation uses cluster centers to model the group of the location data via iterative refinement approach.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference data management function manages location data distribution that assigns the group of the location data into a plurality of subsets in accordance with clustering boundaries of subsets, calculates a cumulative distribution function (CDF) value of the subset based on the population distribution in the subset, and determines the clustering boundary values to re-define the subsets when a CDF value for a subset is out of the range.

5. A system for location determination, comprising:

a location database that stores the location data, each location data associating position information of a location with an identifier of the wireless station for providing wireless communication at the location and the strength of a signal received at the location;

a location provider, coupled to the client device, according to a plurality of components that performs the reference data delivery function that generates location request data based on the capability of the client device and the communicated network of the client device, prepares a message carrying location request data, and provides the message to a positioning engine server via a position determination communication interface; and

a positioning engine server according to a plurality of components that;

performs the positioning data retrieval function that receives the message carrying location request data, identifies the wireless station in a wireless station information table, extracts a group of location data associated with the wireless station from the location database, and selects a subset in a group of the location data for the wireless station that has similar signal characteristic as the client devices at its location; and

performs the device position calculation function that determines a location of a client device based on the location data in the selected subset and determines an estimated uncertainty associated with the determined location of the client based on the statistical characterization of the location data in the selected subset.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the device position calculation function determines a location of a client device that assigns a weight to each of the locations in the positioning data and averages the weighted locations as a geographic location of the client device, wherein the weight of a location is determined by the strength of a signal received at the location to the strength of the signals in the positioning data.

7. A system for location determination, comprising:

an assistance data information table that stores the assistance data, each assistance data including an identifier of a wireless station, position information of a location for the wireless station, the polynomial coefficients, and a workable range of strength of the signal;

a data engine server according to a plurality of components that performs the assistance data delivery function that determines assistance data based on location data in the location database, retrieves a set of assistance data from the assistance data information table, and provides the set of assistance data to the client device; and

a location provider, coupled to the client device, according to a plurality of components that

performs the reference data delivery function that receives the set of assistance data, stores the set of assistance data in a memory, generates location request data based on the capability of the client device and the communicated network of the client device, and provides location request data to the client location determination function; and

performs the client location determination function that receives location request data, identifies the wireless station in a memory, extracts assistance data associated with the wireless station from the memory, and determines a location of the client device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the assistance data delivery function determines assistance data that calculates the polynomial coefficients using polynomial regression method based on the strength of the signals in a group of the location data in the location database and calculates a workable range of strength of the signal according to signal-versus-distance relationship.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the assistance data delivery function retrieves a set of assistance data by defining a geographical area based on a location of the client device, wherein the location of the client device is the satellite based location or the location obtained from a positioning engine server.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the client location determination function determines a location of the client device that determines the distances associated with the wireless stations using polynomial coefficients when the strength of a signal received at the location be determined is within the workable range and uses the locations of the wireless stations to which the client device can communicate wirelessly, by triangulating its position based on the related distances.

11. A method for location determination, comprising:

performing the reference data delivery function, using a location provider coupled to the client device, that comprises;

generating location data based on the satellite based location determination of the client device, the capability of the client device, and the communicated network of the client device, preparing a message carrying location data, and providing the message to a data engine server via a data management communication interface;

using a data engine server that comprises;

performing the reference data retrieval function that comprises;

receiving the message carrying location data, forming the location data in a group associated with the wireless station based on time periods, identifying the wireless station in a wireless station information table, excluding one or more outliers from the location data, extracting historical location data from the location database, and combining the location data with the historical location data;

performing the station position calculation function that comprises;

determining an estimated location of a wireless station based on locations of data points in a particular set in the group of the location data, determining an estimated uncertainty associated with the estimated location of the wireless station by applying CEP theory to calculate 95% radius of the estimated location of the wireless station, and determining the coverage area length of a wireless station and the transmission signal range of a wireless station based on data points in the group of the location data; and

performing the reference data management function that comprises;

logically managing location data refinement and location data distribution; and

storing the location data, using a location database, each location data associating position information of a location with an identifier of the wireless station for providing wireless communication at the location and the strength of a signal received at the location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining an estimated location of a wireless station, using the station position calculation function, that comprises:

assigning a weight to each of locations of data points in a particular set and averaging the weighted locations as a geographic location of the wireless station, wherein the weight of a location is determined by distance, in weighting the location using the distance, a greater distance between client device and the wireless station provides a lower weight of the location.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein managing location data refinement, using the reference data management function, that comprises:

comparing the coverage area length of a wireless station with a threshold value, determining whether to refine the location data based on the comparison, and applying one or more cluster calculations to intelligently remove the junk data from a group of the location data, wherein the cluster calculation uses cluster centers to model the group of the location data via iterative refinement approach.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein managing location data distribution, using the reference data management function, that comprises:

assigning the group of the location data into a plurality of subsets in accordance with clustering boundaries of subsets, calculating a CDF value of the subset based on the population distribution in the subset, and determining the clustering boundary values to re-define the subsets when a CDF value for a subset is out of the range.

15. A method for location determination, comprising:

storing the location data, using a location database, each location data associating position information of a location with an identifier of the wireless station for providing wireless communication at the location and the strength of a signal received at the location;

performing the reference data delivery function, using a location provider coupled to the client device, that comprises;

generating location request data based on the capability of the client device and the communicated network of the client device, preparing a message carrying location request data, and providing the message to a positioning engine server via a position determination communication interface; and

using a positioning engine server that comprises;

performing the positioning data retrieval function that comprises;

receiving the message carrying location request data, identifying the wireless station in a wireless station information table, extracting a group of location data associated with the wireless station from the location database, and selecting a subset in a group of the location data for the wireless station that has similar signal characteristic as the client devices at its location; and

performing the device position calculation function that comprises;

determining a location of a client device based on the location data in the selected subset and determining an estimated uncertainty associated with the determined location of the client device based on the statistical characterization of the location data in the selected subset.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining a location of a client device, using the device position calculation function, that comprises:

assigning a weight to each of the locations in the positioning data and averaging the weighted locations as a geographic location of the client device, wherein the weight of a location is determined by the strength of a signal received at the location to the strength of the signals in the positioning data.

17. A method for location determination, comprising:

storing the assistance data, using an assistance data information table, each assistance data including an identifier of a wireless station, position information of a location for the wireless station, the polynomial coefficients, and a workable range of strength of the signal;

performing the assistance data delivery function, using a data engine server, that comprises;

determining assistance data based on location data in the location database, retrieving a set of assistance data from the assistance data information table, and providing the set of assistance data to the client device; and

using a location provider coupled to the client device that comprises;

performing the reference data delivery function that comprises;

receiving the set of assistance data, storing the set of assistance data in a memory, generating location request data based on the capability of the client device and the communicated network of the client device, and providing location request data to the client location determination function; and

performing the client location determination function that comprises;

receiving location request data, identifying the wireless station in a memory, extracting assistance data associated with the wireless station from the memory, and determining a location of the client device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining assistance data, using the assistance data delivery function, that comprises:

calculating the polynomial coefficients using polynomial regression method based on the strength of the signals in a group of the location data in the location database and calculating a workable range of strength of the signal according to signal-versus-distance relationship.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein retrieving a set of assistance data, using the assistance data delivery function, that comprises:

defining a geographical area based on a location of the client device, wherein the location of the client device is the satellite based location or the location obtained from a positioning engine server.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a location of the client device, using the client location determination function, that comprises:

determining the distances associated with the wireless stations using polynomial coefficients when the strength of a signal received at the location be determined is within the workable range and using the locations of the wireless stations to which the client device can communicate wirelessly, by triangulating its position based on the related distances.