Geolocation of mobile devices

• US 6,542,819 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony International Europe Gmbh (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony International Europe Gmbh (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Schramm, Oliver, Kovacs, Ernö
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/762,506
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/213, 701/216, 701/217, 701/219, 701/220, 701/214, 701/24, 342/357
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/01 Determining conditions which influence positioning, e.g. radio environment, state of motion or energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A technique for the determination of the current position of a mobile device based on a plurality of geolocation positioning services is proposed. Different position information sources are accessed wirelessly to acquire position information. The position information thereby comprises respectively at least information about the position of the corresponding position information source. At least one of the plurality of accessed position information sources is selected depending on the values of operation parameters, such as for example availability, cost, speed, power consumption and quality of the position information, wherein the operation parameters are associated with the different position information sources. The position of the mobile device is then determined based on the position information of the at least one selected position information source.

Claims

1. Method for the determination of the current position of a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

accessing wirelessly a plurality of different position information sources for acquiring position information, the position information comprising respectively at least information about the position of the corresponding position information source,

selecting at least one of the plurality of accessed position information sources depending on the values of operation parameters associated with the different position information sources, a set of operation parameters used for this selection defining a selection policy, wherein one different selection policy can be set, and

determining the position of the mobile device based on the position information of the at least one selected position information source.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that

the operation parameters comprise at least one of availability, cost, speed, power consumption, and quality of the position information.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that

new position information sources to be accessed are added dynamically during operation.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that

the acquired position information of the at least one position information sources and the corresponding operation parameters are stored.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that

in case more than one position information sources are selected, the corresponding position information is combined.

6. Method for the determination of the current position of a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

accessing wirelessly a plurality of different position information sources for acquiring position information, the position information comprising respectively at least information about the position of the corresponding position information source,

manually selecting at least one of the plurality of accessed position information sources depending on the values of operation parameters associated with the different position information sources, and

determining the position of the mobile device based on the position information of the at least one selected position information source.

7. A software program for operating a mobile device, for determining the current position of the mobile device, the software program including instructions for:

accessing wirelessly a plurality of different position information sources for acquiring position information, the position information comprising respectively at least information about the position of the corresponding position information source,

selecting at least one of the plurality of accessed position information sources depending on the values of operation parameters associated with the different position information sources, a set of operation parameters used for this selection defining a selection policy, wherein one different selection policy can be set, and

determining the position of the mobile device based on the position information of the at least one selected position information source.

8. Mobile device comprising means for the determination of its current position, comprising:

means for wirelessly accessing a plurality of different position information sources for acquiring position information, the position information comprising respectively at least information about the position of the corresponding position information source, a set of operation parameters used for this selection defining a selection policy, wherein one different selection policy can be set,

means for selecting at least one of the plurality of accessed position information sources depending on the values of operation parameters associated with the different position information sources, and

means for determining the position of the mobile device based on the position information of the at least one selected position information source.

9. Mobile device according to claim 8, characterized in that

the operation parameters comprise at least one of availability, cost, speed, power consumption, and quality of the position information.

10. Mobile device according to claim 8, characterized by

means for dynamically adding new position information sources to be accessed during operation.

11. Mobile device according to claim 8, characterized by

a storage unit for storing the acquired position information of the at least one position information sources and the corresponding operation parameters.

12. Mobile device according to claim 8, characterized by

processing means combining, in case more than one position information sources are selected by the selection means, the corresponding position information.

13. Mobile device comprising means for the determination of its current position, comprising:

means for wirelessly accessing a plurality of different position information sources for acquiring position information, the position information comprising respectively at least information about the position of the corresponding position information source,

means for manually selecting at least one of the plurality of accessed position information sources depending on the values of operation parameters associated with the different position information sources, and

means for determining the position of the mobile device based on the position information of the at least one selected position information source.