Client-server based remote locator device

• US 6,661,372 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Girerd, Richard J., Krasner, Norman F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/684,346
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.08, 342/357.12, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 709/200
• US Class Current: 342/357.75
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/254 relating to Doppler shift of satellite signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/29 carrier including Doppler, related G01S19/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/30 code related G01S19/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/163 the local oscillations of at least two of the frequency changers being derived from a single oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/11 Cellular receiver, e.g. GSM, combined with a GPS receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/06 using counters or frequency dividers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

A user accesses a server using a client. The client provides an identification code which serves to uniquely identify a remote sensor. The remote sensor is capable of providing information related to its position. The server interrogates the remote sensor and, in response, the remote sensor transmits positioning data to the server where it is analyzed to derive the location of the remote sensor. The location so determined is transmitted from the server to the client and is displayed at the client so that the user can identify the location of the remote sensor. The client and the server may be connected to a computer network and the client may use a web browser to interrogate the server. The remote sensor may be a SNAPSHOT GPS receiver or other GPS receiver or positioning device. The user display may be a simple position report, e.g., latitude and longitude, or a graphical report which provides an indication of the remote sensor'"'"'s location superimposed on a map or other reference.

Claims

1. A precise positioning apparatus, comprising:

a central processing unit configured to process position information received from a mobile remote sensor;

a communication unit coupled to said central processing unit, said communication unit configured to transmit a position acquisition assistance signal to said mobile remote sensor and to receive said position information from said mobile remote sensor, said communication unit further configured to provide said position information to said central processing unit; and

a communication node coupled to said central processing unit, said communication node configured to communicate with a client station remote from said precise positioning apparatus and to provide a position report for said remote sensor to said client station.

2. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

a digital map stored in a storage device coupled to said central processing unit, said digital map comprising a data structure configured to be accessed by said central processing unit using location information, said location information representing a precise position of said remote sensor,

wherein said position report comprises a reference to said digital map.

3. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said digital map comprises a data structure capable of being indexed using said location information.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said mobile remote sensor comprises a GPS receiver and wherein said position acquisition assistance signal comprises at least one of Doppler information for in view satellites, satellite ephemeris data, a time trigger, and satellites in view.

5. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said GPS receiver is a snapshot GPS receiver.

6. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said GPS receiver generates said positioning information in response to a request signal from said communication unit.

7. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

said client station is configured to accept a user input and to display graphical and textual information;

said remote sensor is configured to provide said positioning information in response to a request signal from said communication node after receiving said position acquisition assistance signal;

said communication unit transmits said position acquisition assistance signal to said mobile remote sensor in response to said communication node receiving said user input communicated from said client station; and

upon receipt of said position report, said client station displays information based upon a precise position of said mobile remote sensor.

8. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said communication node is configured to communicate with a web browser of said client station through a computer network.

9. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said communication unit is configured to provide a two-way link with said mobile remote sensor.

10. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said communication unit modulates a radio frequency carrier signal to communicate with said mobile remote sensor through said two-way link.

11. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said communication unit is configured to communicate with a cellular telephone of said mobile remote sensor.

12. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said communication unit is configured to communicate with a two-way pager of said mobile remote sensor.

13. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said communication unit is configured to communicate with a two-way radio of said mobile remote sensor.

14. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

a differential GPS station coupled to said central processing unit;

wherein said position acquisition assistance signal comprises differential GPS signals from said differential GPS station.

15. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said central processing unit analyzes said position information to produce said position report, said position report representing a precision position of said remote sensor.

16. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said communication node transmits said position report over the Internet to said client station.

17. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said position information comprises positioning data and an identification code.

18. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said position information further comprises an emergency code.

19. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 16 wherein position information is modulated on a radio frequency carrier signal transmitted from said remote sensor to said communication unit.

20. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said communication unit demodulates said radio frequency carrier signal to extract said position information.

21. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said central processing unit associates said positioning information with a digital map to produce said positioning report, said positioning report comprising a graphical representation of said precise position of said remote sensor.

22. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said remote sensor comprises a GPS receiver, wherein said position information comprises pseudoranges, and wherein said central processing unit resolves said pseudoranges into location coordinates and associates said location coordinates with a digital map to generate said position report.

23. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 22 wherein said central processor applies differential GPS corrections to said pseudoranges to derive said location coordinates.

24. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said remote sensor comprises a GPS receiver;

wherein said positioning information comprises a latitude and a longitude; and

, wherein said central processing unit retrieves from a database a portion of said digital map to generate said position report, said portion representing an area in proximity to said remote sensor, said database comprising said digital map.

25. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said remote sensor comprises a GPS receiver, wherein said positioning information comprises raw GPS data, and wherein said central processor:

applies differential GPS corrections to said raw GPS data to generate corrected GPS data;

determines said precise position of said remote sensor using said corrected GPS data; and

retrieves from a database a portion of said digital map, said portion representing an area in proximity to said remote sensor, said database comprising said digital map.

26. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said communication unit transmits a request for said position information to said mobile remote sensor after said communication node receives a request for a precise position location of said mobile remote sensor.

27. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said position report comprises map data and computer programming instructions which, when executed by a digital processing system, cause said digital processing system to display a map showing said precise position location on said map.

28. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said communication unit and said communication node share at least a portion of common hardware.

29. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said communication unit establishes communication over a data link with said mobile remote sensor in response to a request for a location of said mobile remote sensor.

30. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 29 wherein said communication node receives said request via the Internet.

31. A precise positioning apparatus as in claim 30 wherein said positioning information comprises one of:

a) pseudoranges; and

b) latitude and longitude.