Distributed satellite position system processing and application network

• US 6,185,427 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coleman, David, Krasner, Norman F., Moeglein, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/067,406
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.1, 342/357.05, 342/357.09, 455/456, 455/457, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/254 relating to Doppler shift of satellite signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• 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 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/047 Automatic frequency control using an auxiliary signal, e.g. low frequency scanning of the locking range or superimposing a special signal on the input signal

Abstract

A system and method for processing in a distributed manner satellite position system (SPS) information. In one example of the invention, a first mobile SPS receiver receives SPS signals from a plurality of SPS satellites and transmits a position information to a wireless cell based station which is coupled to a first communication network. The wireless cell based station is coupled to a first digital processing system which receives the position information from the wireless cell based station and calculates a location of the first mobile SPS receiver based upon the position information. The first digital processing transmits this location, usually without any presentation of this location on the first digital processing system, to a remotely located application digital processing system which presents the location to a user of the application digital processing system.

Claims

1. A system for processing satellite positioning system (SPS) information, said system comprising:

a first mobile SPS receiver having a communication system transceiver coupled to said first mobile SPS receiver, said first mobile SPS receiver receiving SPS signals from a plurality of SPS satellites and said communication system transceiver transmitting a position information;

a first wireless cell based station which receives said position information and which is coupled to a first communication network;

a second wireless cell based station which is coupled to said first communication network;

a first digital processing system which is coupled to said first wireless cell based station and which receives said position information and calculates a location of said first mobile SPS receiver based upon said position information;

a second digital processing system which is configured to be coupled to said second wireless cell based station;

a second communication network comprising at least a communication channel;

a first application processing system which is remote from and coupled to said first digital processing system by said communication channel and is configured to be coupled to said second digital processing system and is configured to receive said location through said communication channel and to present said location to a user of said first application processing system.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said communication channel is capable of supporting communication between processing entities which are not within the same building and which are separated by at least one mile.

3. A system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a first mobile switching center coupled to said first wireless cell based station, wherein said position information is transmitted from said first wireless cell based station to said first mobile switching center and then to at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system and wherein said second digital processing system is configured to be capable of calculating said location based upon said position information.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein said first communication network comprises:

a short message service center (SMSC) which is coupled to said first mobile switching center, said short message service center receiving said position information from said first mobile switching center and transmitting said position information to said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system.

5. A system as in claim 3 wherein said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system are coupled by said communication channel which comprises a packet data network.

6. A system as in claim 3 wherein a process to determine said location is initiated by a user of said first mobile SPS receiver and wherein a first signal is transmitted from said communication system transceiver of said first mobile SPS receiver to said first wireless cell based station and then to said first mobile switching center and then to said first communication network and then to said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system and wherein said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system responds to said first signal with a first data message containing a satellite information which is transmitted through said first communication network and said first mobile switching center and said first wireless cell based station to said first mobile SPS receiver which uses said satellite information to determine said position information.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein said satellite information comprises at least one of Doppler information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite ephemeris information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite almanac, and wherein said position information comprises at least one of a plurality of pseudoranges to said plurality of SPS satellites or information representative of a latitude and longitude of said first mobile SPS receiver.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein no presentation of said location occurs at said first digital processing system and at said second digital processing system.

9. A system as in claim 8 further comprising:

a second mobile switching center coupled to said first communication network and coupled to at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system.

10. A system as in claim 9 further comprising:

a second mobile SPS receiver which communicates with said second wireless cell based station.

11. A system as in claim 7 wherein said first application processing system comprises a public safety answering point.

12. A system as in claim 11 further comprising:

a database system coupled to said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system, said database system receiving said location and performing a database operation with said location to provide a database result, and wherein said database result is provided to at least one of said first application processing system and said second application processing system.

13. A system as in claim 1 wherein said communication channel transmits packetized data between said first application processing system and said first digital processing system.

14. A system as in claim 13 wherein said packetized data comprises a type of location service, and wherein said type of location service determines a priority for processing of said location by said first digital processing system.

15. A system as in claim 14 wherein said type of location service determines a priority for routing of particular packetized data through said communication channel.

16. A system as in claim 13 wherein said first application processing system and said first digital processing system each have a unique network address on said communication channel.

17. A system as in claim 3 wherein said first communication network and said communication channel are coupled together.

18. A system as in claim 3 wherein said first communication network and said communication channel share a plurality of components or are the same network.

19. A system as in claim 3 wherein said first communication network comprises at least one of (a) a circuit switched data network;

(b) a digital packet switched data network and (c) a network using SS7 signaling.

20. A system as in claim 3 wherein said first communication network transmits data comprising a type of location service and wherein said type of location service determines a priority for processing of said location by said first digital processing system.

21. A system as in claim 1 wherein said position information comprises a plurality of pseudoranges to said plurality of SPS satellites.

22. A system as in claim 12 wherein said database system is one of co-located with said first application processing system or is part of said first application processing system.

23. A system for processing satellite positioning system (SPS) information, said system comprising:

a first mobile SPS receiver having a communication system transceiver coupled to said first mobile SPS receiver, said first mobile SPS receiver receiving SPS signals from a plurality of SPS satellites and said communication system transceiver transmitting a position information;

a first wireless cell based station which receives said position information and which is coupled to a first communication network;

a first digital processing system which is coupled to said first wireless cell based station and which receives said position information and calculates a location of said first mobile SPS receiver based upon said position information;

a second communication network comprising at least a communication channel;

a first application processing system which is remote from and coupled to said first digital processing system by said communication channel and is configured to receive said location through said communication channel and to present said location to a user of said first application processing system;

a second application processing system which is coupled to said first digital processing system and is configured to receive said location and to present said location to a user of said second application processing system.

24. A system as in claim 23 wherein said communication channel is capable of supporting communication between processing entities which are not within the same building and which are separated by at least one mile.

25. A system as in claim 23 further comprising:

a second digital processing system which is coupled to said first wireless cell based station and which is configured to receive said position information and to calculate said location and to transmit said location to at least one of said first application processing system and said second application processing system.

26. A system as in claim 25 further comprising:

a first mobile switching center coupled to said first wireless cell based station, wherein said position information is transmitted from said first wireless cell based station to said first mobile switching center and then to at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system.

27. A system as in claim 26 wherein said first communication network comprises:

a short message service center (SMSC) which is coupled to said first mobile switching center, said short message service center receiving said position information from said first mobile switching center and transmitting said position information to said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system.

28. A system as in claim 26 wherein said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system are coupled by said communication channel which comprises a packet data network.

29. A system as in claim 26 wherein a process to determine said location is initiated by a user of said first mobile SPS receiver and wherein a first signal is transmitted from said communication system transceiver of said first mobile SPS receiver to said first wireless cell based station and then to said first mobile switching center and then to said first communication network and then to said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system and wherein said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system responds to said first signal with a first data message containing a satellite information which is transmitted through said first communication network and said first mobile switching center and said first wireless cell based station to said first mobile SPS receiver which uses said satellite information to determine said position information.

30. A system as in claim 29 wherein said satellite information comprises at least one of Doppler information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite ephemeris information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite almanac, and wherein said position information comprises at least one of a plurality of pseudoranges to said plurality of SPS satellites or information representative of a latitude and longitude of said first mobile SPS receiver.

31. A system as in claim 30 wherein no presentation of said location occurs at said first digital processing system and at said second digital processing system.

32. A system as in claim 31 further comprising:

a second wireless cell based station which is coupled to said first communication network;

a second mobile switching center coupled to said first communication network and coupled to at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system.

33. A system as in claim 32 further comprising:

a second mobile SPS receiver which communicates with said second wireless cell based station.

34. A system as in claim 30 wherein said first application processing system comprises a public safety answering point.

35. A system as in claim 34 further comprising:

a database system coupled to said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system, said database system receiving said location and performing a database operation with said location to provide a database result, and wherein said database result is provided to at least one of said first application processing system and said second application processing system.

36. A system as in claim 23 wherein said communication channel transmits packetized data between said first application processing system and said first digital processing system.

37. A system as in claim 36 wherein said packetized data comprises a type of location service, and wherein said type of location service determines a priority for processing of said location by said first digital processing system.

38. A system as in claim 37 wherein said type of location service determines a priority for routing of particular packetized data through said communication channel.

39. A system as in claim 36 wherein said first application processing system and said first digital processing system each have a unique network address on said data communication network.

40. A system as in claim 23 wherein said position information comprises a plurality of pseudoranges to said plurality of SPS satellites.

41. A system for processing satellite positioning system (SPS) information, said system comprising:

a first mobile SPS receiver having a communication system transceiver coupled to said first mobile SPS receiver, said first mobile SPS receiver receiving SPS signals from a plurality of SPS satellites and said communication system transceiver transmitting a position information;

a first wireless cell based station which receives said position information and which is coupled to a first communication network;

a first digital processing system which is coupled to said first wireless cell based station and which transmits satellite information to said first mobile SPS receiver for assisting said first mobile SPS receiver in determining said position information;

a second communication network comprising at least a communication channel;

a first application processing system which is remote from and coupled to said first wireless cell based station by said communication channel and is configured to receive said position information through said communication channel and to present said position information to a user of said first application processing system;

a second application processing system which is coupled to said first wireless cell based station and is configured to receive said position information and to present said position information to a user of said second application processing system.

42. A system as in claim 41 wherein said position information comprises a latitude and a longitude.

43. A system as in claim 42 wherein said satellite information comprises at least one of a plurality of Doppler information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite ephemeris information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite almanac and wherein said communication channel is capable of supporting communication between processing entities which are not within the same building and which are separated by at least one mile.

44. A system as in claim 43 further comprising:

a second digital processing system which is coupled to said first wireless cell based station and which is configured to transmit said satellite information to said first mobile SPS receiver.

45. A system as in claim 42 further comprising:

a first mobile switching center coupled to said first wireless cell based station, wherein said position information is transmitted from said first wireless cell based station to said first mobile switching center.

46. A system as in claim 45 wherein said first communication network comprises:

a short message service center (SMSC) which is coupled to said first mobile switching center, said short message service center receiving said position information from said first mobile switching center and transmitting said position information to said at least one of said first application processing system and said second application processing system.

47. A system as in claim 45 wherein said first application processing system and said second application processing system are coupled by said second communication network which comprises a packet data network.

48. A system as in claim 45 wherein a process to determine said location is initiated by a user of said first mobile SPS receiver and wherein a first signal is transmitted from said communication system transceiver of said first mobile SPS receiver to said first wireless cell based station and then to said first mobile switching center and then to said first communication network and then to said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system and wherein said at least one of said first digital processing system and said second digital processing system responds to said first signal with a first data message containing said satellite information which is transmitted through said first communication network and said first mobile switching center and said first wireless cell based station to said first mobile SPS receiver which uses said satellite information to determine said position information.

49. A system as in claim 48 wherein no presentation of a location of said first mobile SPS receiver occurs at said first digital processing system.

50. A system as in claim 49 wherein said first application processing system comprises a public safety answering point.

51. A system as in claim 41 wherein said communication channel transmits packetized data between said first application processing system and said first digital processing system.

52. A system as in claim 51 wherein said packetized data comprises a type of location service, and wherein said type of location service determines a priority for processing of said location by said first digital processing system.

53. A system as in claim 52 wherein said type of location service determines a priority for routing of particular packetized data through said communication channel.

54. A system as in claim 51 wherein said first application processing system and said first digital processing system each have a unique network address on said communication channel.

55. A system for processing satellite positioning system (SPS) information, said system comprising:

a first mobile SPS receiver having a communication system transceiver coupled to said first mobile SPS receiver, said first mobile SPS receiver receiving SPS signals from a plurality of SPS satellites and said communication system transceiver transmitting a position information;

a first wireless cell based station which receives said position information and which is coupled to a first communication network;

a first digital processing system which is coupled to said first wireless cell based station and which transmits satellite information to said first mobile SPS receiver to assist in determining said position information;

a second digital processing system which is configured to be coupled to a second wireless cell based station which is coupled to said first communication network;

a second communication network comprising at least a communication channel;

a first application processing system which is remote from and coupled to said first wireless cell based station by said communication channel and is configured to receive said position information through said communication channel and to present said position information to a user of said first application processing system.

56. A system as in claim 55 wherein said position information comprises a latitude and a longitude.

57. A system as in claim 55 wherein said communication channel transmits packetized data between said first application processing system and said first digital processing system and wherein said second digital processing system is configured to transmit said satellite information to said first mobile SPS receiver.

58. A system as in claim 57 wherein said packetized data comprises a type of location service, and wherein said type of location service determines a priority for processing of said location by said first digital processing system.

59. A system as in claim 58 wherein said type of location service determines a priority for routing of particular packetized data through said communication channel.

60. A system as in claim 57 wherein said first application processing system and said first digital processing system each have a unique network address on said communication channel.

61. A system as in claim 55 wherein said satellite information comprises at least one of Doppler information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite ephemeris information for said plurality of SPS satellites or satellite almanac.