Method for rectangular parameterization of a geographic area using a geolocation algorithm

• US 6,393,293 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CDC Propriete Intellectuelle
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tooker, James Morris, Saewert, David Stephen, Tang, Jerry Shihkuo, Garcia, David Jesus
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/489,393
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/12.1, 455/427, 455/429, 342/357.16, 342/352, 342/353
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method (40) for parameterizing a predetermined geographic area (12) serviced by a satellite communication system (60) into a number of equally shaped sub-partitions (22) is discloseed. The satellite communication system (60) has a processor (64, 72)for generating data elements and a memory (66, 74) for storing the data elements in data structure. The method (40) includes the step (42) of determining a total latitude side length dimension and a total longitude side length dimension of the predetermined geographic area (12) from latitude and longitude values representative of the geographic area. The steps (44) also include determining the area of a sub-partition based upon the total latitude side length, the total longitude side length, and the number of equally shaped sub-partitions. Each of the sub-partitions (22) are substantially square and have the same area. The steps also include determining (50) an actual side latitude dimension (26) of the sub-partition (22) and storing the side latitude dimension (26) in the data structure, and determining (52) an actual side longitude dimension (28) of the sub-partition (22) and storing the side longitude dimension (26) in the data structure. The satellite communication system (60) generates a grid from the actual side latitude dimension (26) and the actual side longitude dimension (28) and superimposes the grid over the predetermined geographic area (12).

Claims

1. A method for parameterizing a predetermined geographic area serviced by a satellite communication system into a number of equally shaped sub-partitions, said satellite communication system having a processor for generating data elements and a memory for storing the data elements in a parameterization data structure, said method comprising:

obtaining latitude and longitude values representative of the predetermined geographic area;

determining a total latitude side length dimension and a total longitude side length dimension of the predetermined geographic area from the latitude and longitude values;

determining the area of a sub-partition based upon the total latitude side length, the total longitude side length, and the number of equally shaped sub-partitions;

determining a side length dimension of the sub-partition based upon the area of the sub-partition;

determining a number of rows of sub-partitions within the geographic area;

determining a number of columns of sub-partitions within the geographic area;

determining an actual side latitude dimension of the sub-partition and storing the side latitude dimension in the data structure; and

determining an actual side longitude dimension of the sub-partition and storing the side longitude dimension in the data structure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the satellite communication system generates a grid from the actual side latitude dimension and the actual side longitude dimension and superimposes the grid over the predetermined geographic area.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sub-partitions are substantially square.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a total number of sub-partitions is independent of a size of the predetermined geographic area.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the area of the sub-partition is determined by multiplying the total latitude side length and the total longitude side length and dividing by the total number of sub-partitions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the number of rows of sub-partitions further includes taking the total latitude side length and dividing by the side length dimension of the sub-partition.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the number of columns of sub-partitions further includes taking the total longitude side length and dividing by the side length dimension of the sub-partition.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the actual side latitude dimension further includes dividing the total latitude side length by the number of rows.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the actual side longitude dimension further includes dividing the total longitude side length by the number of columns.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the side length dimension of the sub-partition is determined by taking the positive square root of the area of the sub-partition.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein each sub-partition is uniquely represented by a sub-partition number.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first sub-partition number is given the value of one.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the value of zero for the sub-partition number is representative of the aggregation of all of the sub-partitions within the predetermined geographic area.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the sub-partition numbers increase by whole integers.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the sub-partition number increase from a southwest direction toward a northeast direction.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the sub-partition number is used to track the location of a subscriber unit within the predetermined geographic area.

17. A method for parameterizing a predetermined geographic area serviced by a satellite communication system into a number of equally shaped sub-partitions, the satellite communication system including a satellite and a gateway, one of the satellite and the gateway having a processor for generating data elements and a memory for storing the data elements in a data structure, said method comprising:

obtaining latitude and longitude values representative of the predetermined geographic area;

determining a total latitude side length dimension and a total longitude side length dimension of the predetermined geographic area from the latitude and longitude values;

determining the area of a sub-partition based upon the total latitude side length, the total longitude side length, and the number of equally shaped sub-partitions, each of the sub-partitions being substantially square and having the same area;

determining a side length dimension of the sub-partition based upon the area of the sub-partition;

determining a number of rows of sub-partitions within the geographic area;

determining a number of columns of sub-partitions within the geographic area;

determining an actual side latitude dimension of the sub-partition and storing the side latitude dimension as a first data element in the data structure; and

determining an actual side longitude dimension of the sub-partition and storing the side longitude dimension as a second data element in the data structure;

wherein the satellite communication system generates a grid from the actual side latitude dimension and the actual side longitude dimension and superimposes the grid over the predetermined geographic area.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of generating a parameterization data structure having geolocation data elements and storing the data structure in the memory.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating the parameterization data structure is performed by the processor within the gateway and the data structure is stored in the memory within the gateway.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating the parameterization data structure is performed by the processor within the satellite and the data structure is stored in the memory within the satellite.

21. A method for parameterizing a predetermined geographic area serviced by a satellite communication system into a number of equally shaped sub-partitions, said satellite communication system having a processor for generating data elements and a memory for storing the data elements in a parameterization data structure, said method comprising:

determining a total latitude side length dimension and a total longitude side length dimension of the predetermined geographic area from latitude and longitude values representative of the geographic area;

determining the area of a sub-partition based upon the total latitude side length, the total longitude side length, and the number of equally shaped sub-partitions, each of the sub-partitions being substantially square and having about the same area;

determining an actual side latitude dimension of the sub-partition and storing the side latitude dimension in the data structure; and

determining an actual side longitude dimension of the sub-partition and storing the side longitude dimension in the data structure;

wherein the satellite communication system generates a grid from the actual side latitude dimension and the actual side longitude dimension and superimposes the grid over the predetermined geographic area.