Method and System for Providing Enhanced Location Based Information for Wireless Handsets

• US 20150230055A1
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rivada Networks, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rivada Research, Llc (Rivada Networks, LLC)
• Inventors: Smith, Clint, Surampudi, Purnima
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/02 Magnetic compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems for generating enhanced location information on or about a mobile device may include hybrid lateration and trilateration solutions in which the mobile device performs location determination calculations with the aid of network components or global positioning systems (GPS). Mobile devices may automatically form groups based on proximity and/or may be grouped together via a network server. Mobile devices in a group may share computed location information and/or information collected from internal sensors with other grouped mobile devices. Information shared between grouped mobile devices may be used to enhance the location information computed on each mobile device. For example, each mobile device may supplement and/or augment previously computed location information based on the received location information and/or relative positions of other mobile devices in the same group. Each mobile device may also utilize local sensors to further enhance their location information.

Claims

1. A method of providing an enhanced location based service via a mobile device, including:

determining, by a processor of the mobile device, an initial position;

generating, by the processor, at least one set of local position information based on locally determined location information;

receiving, by an antenna of the mobile device, location information from one or more external location tracking systems;

generating, by the processor, at least one set of external position information based on the location information received from the one or more external location tracking systems;

receiving, by the antenna, distance information from multiple mobile devices in a communication group;

generating, by the processor, at least one set of proximity position information based on the distance information received from the multiple mobile devices in the communication group;

generating, by the processor a final location estimation set comprising a position, a velocity, and an acceleration, based on the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, the at least one set of proximity position information and the initial position; and

using, by the processor, the final location estimation set to provide a location based service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position, the velocity and the acceleration each have a latitude component, a longitude component, and an altitude component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating any of the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, or the at least one set of proximity position information further comprises:

separating, by the processor, location information into a set of latitude components, a set of longitude components, and a set of altitude components; and

executing, by the processor, a kalman filter on each of the set of latitude components, the set of longitude components, and the set of altitude components to produce position information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining an error associated with generation of the position information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating, by the processor, the at least one set of local position information after a first time interval to produce updated local position information;

updating, by the processor, the at least one set of external position information after a second time interval to produce updated external position information; and

updating, by the processor, the at least one set of proximity position information after a third time interval to produce updated proximity position information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

updating, by the processor, the final location estimation set based on the updated set of local position information, the updated set of external position information, the updated set of proximity position information and the final location estimation set to produce an updated final location estimation set.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein updating any of the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, or the at least one set of proximity position information comprises:

determining, by the processor, if updated location information or distance information is available;

combining, by the processor, current location information or distance information with an error value, in response to determining that updated location information or updated distance information is not available.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first time interval, the second time interval, or the third time interval is a time interval between successive determinations of the locally determined location information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance information comprises a distance from the mobile device to a respective wireless communications device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the locally determined location information is obtained using dead reckoning.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the locally determined location information is obtained using combination of local sensor outputs.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more external tracking systems comprise a global positioning (GPS).

13. A multi-technology communication device comprising:

an antenna;

one or more processors or processor cores configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining an initial position;

generating at least one set of local position information based on locally determined location information;

receiving location information from one or more external location tracking systems;

generating at least one set of external position information based on the location information received from the one or more external location tracking systems;

receiving distance information from multiple mobile devices in a communication group;

generating at least one set of proximity position information based on the distance information received from the multiple mobile devices in the communication group;

generating a final location estimation set comprising a position, a velocity, and an acceleration, based on the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, the at least one set of proximity position information and the initial position; and

utilizing the final location estimation set to provide a location based service.

14. The multi-technology communication device of claim 13, wherein the position, the velocity and the acceleration each have a latitude component, a longitude component, and an altitude component.

15. The multi-technology communication device of claim 14, wherein generating any of the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, or the at least one set of proximity position information further comprises:

separating location information into a set of latitude components, a set of longitude components, and a set of altitude components; and

executing a kalman filter on each of the set of latitude components, the set of longitude components, and the set of altitude components to produce position information.

16. The multi-technology communication device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors or processor cores is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining an error associated with generation of the position information.

17. The multi-technology communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors or processor cores is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

further comprising;

updating the at least one set of local position information after a first time interval to produce updated local position information;

updating the at least one set of external position information after a second time interval to produce updated external position information; and

updating the at least one set of proximity position information after a third time interval to produce updated proximity position information.

18. The multi-technology communication device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors or processor cores is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

updating, the final location estimation set based on the updated set of local position information, the updated set of external position information, the updated set of proximity position information and the final location estimation set to produce an updated final location estimation set.

19. The multi-technology communication device of claim 17, wherein updating any of the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, or the at least one set of proximity position information comprises:

determining if updated location information or distance information is available;

combining current location information or distance information with an error value, in response to determining that updated location information or updated distance information is not available.

20. The multi-technology communication device of claim 17, wherein the first time interval, the second time interval, or the third interval is a time interval between successive determinations of the locally determined location information.

21. The multi-technology communication device of claim 13, wherein the distance information comprises a distance from the mobile device to a respective wireless communications device.

22. The multi-technology communication device of claim 13, wherein the locally determined location information is obtained using dead reckoning.

23. The multi-technology communication device of claim 13, wherein the locally determined location information is obtained using combination of local sensor outputs.

24. The multi-technology communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more external tracking systems comprise a global positioning (GPS).

25. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions to cause a processor of a multi-technology communication device to perform operations comprising:

determining an initial position;

generating at least one set of local position information based on locally determined location information;

receiving location information from one or more external location tracking systems;

generating at least one set of external position information based on the location information received from the one or more external location tracking systems;

receiving distance information from multiple mobile devices in a communication group;

generating at least one set of proximity position information based on the distance information received from the multiple mobile devices in the communication group;

generating a final location estimation set comprising a position, a velocity, and an acceleration, based on the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, the at least one set of proximity position information and the initial position; and

utilizing the final location estimation set to provide a location based service.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the position, the velocity, and the acceleration each have a latitude component, a longitude component, and an altitude component.

27. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 26, wherein generating any of the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, or the at least one set of proximity position information further comprises:

separating location information into a set of latitude components, a set of longitude components, and a set of altitude components; and

executing a kalman filter on each of the set of latitude components, the set of longitude components, and the set of altitude components to produce position information.

28. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 27, further having processor-executable software instructions a processor of a multi-technology communication device to perform operations comprising:

determining an error associated with generation of the position information.

29. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, further having processor-executable software instructions a processor of a multi-technology communication device to perform operations comprising:

updating the at least one set of local position information after a first time interval to produce updated local position information;

updating the at least one set of external position information after a second time interval to produce updated external position information; and

updating the at least one set of proximity position information after a third time interval to produce updated proximity position information.

30. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 29, further having processor-executable software instructions a processor of a multi-technology communication device to perform operations comprising:

updating, the final location estimation set based on the updated set of local position information, the updated set of external position information, the updated set of proximity position information and the final location estimation set to produce an updated final location estimation set.

31. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 30, wherein updating any of the at least one set of local position information, the at least one set of external position information, or the at least one set of proximity position information comprises:

determining if updated location information or distance information is available;

combining current location information or distance information with an error value, in response to determining that updated location information or updated distance information is not available.

32. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 30, further having processor-executable software instructions a processor of a multi-technology communication device to perform operations comprising:

wherein the first time interval, the second time interval, or the third time interval is a time interval between successive determinations of the locally determined location information.

33. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the distance information comprises a distance from the mobile device to a respective wireless communications device.

34. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the locally determined location information is obtained using dead reckoning.

35. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the locally determined location information is obtained using combination of local sensor outputs.

36. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more external tracking systems comprise a global positioning (GPS).