Position determination using portable pseudo-television broadcast transmitters

• US 6,839,024 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rosum Corporation (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Rabinowitz, Matthew, Spilker, James J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US10/356,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20030174090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 342/386, 342/450, 342/453, 342/463, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/457, 701/207, 701/213, 348/608, 348/614
• US Class Current: 342/386
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/06 Emergency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0215 Interference
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0221 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/145 Using a supplementary range measurement, e.g. based on pseudo-range measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/615 : Signal processing at physical level signal processing in analog two-way television systems H04N7/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer-readable media comprise a receiver adapted to receive a plurality of broadcast signals; a signal processor adapted to determine a position based on the received plurality of broadcast signals; a signal generator adapted to generate a ranging signal comprising a known component of a television signal; and a transmitter adapted to broadcast a signal comprising the ranging signal and a position signal comprising a description of the position.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive a plurality of broadcast signals;

a signal processor adapted to determine a position of the apparatus based on the received plurality of broadcast signals;

a signal generator adapted to generate a ranging signal comprising a known component of a television signal; and

a transmitter adapted to broadcast a signal comprising the ranging signal and a position signal comprising a description of the position of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the known component of the television signal represents at least one of the group comprising:

a synchronization code, found in an American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) digital television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a Field Synchronization Segment within an ATSC data frame, and

a Synchronization Segment within a Data Segment within an ATSC data frame;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a Japanese Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) signal;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Video Broadcasting—

Terrestrial (DVB-T) signal; and

a signal, found in an analog television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a chirp-type signal, and

a vertical interval test signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of broadcast signals comprises at least one of:

a broadcast television signal; and

a satellite positioning system signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the signal processor derives a time synchronization signal from the plurality of broadcast signals, further comprising:

a clock adapted to provide a clock signal in accordance with the synchronization signal; and

wherein the signal generator generates the known component of the television signal in accordance with the clock signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the signal processor derives the time synchronization signal from a global positioning system (GPS) signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position signal comprises digital data, and wherein the ranging signal comprises a plurality of digital television (DTV) frames, each frame comprising a plurality of data segments, and wherein:

the signal processor is further adapted to encode the digital data as codewords; and

the transmitter is further adapted to replace data segments within the DTV frames with the codewords.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further adapted to transmit the ranging signal over a plurality of television channels.

8. An apparatus comprising:

receiver means for receiving a plurality of broadcast signals;

signal processor means for determining a position of the apparatus based on the received plurality of broadcast signals;

signal generator means for generating a ranging signal comprising a known component of a television signal; and

transmitter means for broadcasting a signal comprising the ranging signal and a position signal comprising a description of the position of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the known component of the television signal represents at least one of the group comprising:

a synchronization code, found in an American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) digital television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a Field Synchronization Segment within an ATSC data frame, and

a Synchronization Segment within a Data Segment within an ATSC data frame;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a Japanese Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) signal;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Video Broadcasting—

Terrestrial (DVB-T) signal; and

a signal, found in an analog television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a chirp-type signal, and

a vertical interval test signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of broadcast signals comprises at least one of:

a broadcast television signal; and

a satellite positioning system signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signal processor means derives a time synchronization signal from the plurality of broadcast signals, further comprising:

clock means for providing a clock signal in accordance with the synchronization signal; and

wherein the signal generator means generates the known component of the television signal in accordance with the clock signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal processor means derives the time synchronization signal from a global positioning system (GPS) signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the position signal comprises digital data, and wherein the ranging signal comprises a plurality of digital television (DTV) frames, each frame comprising a plurality of data segments, and wherein:

the signal processor means encodes the digital data as codewords; and

the transmitter means replaces data segments within the DTV frames with the codewords.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitter means transmits the ranging signal over a plurality of television channels.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of broadcast signals at an apparatus;

determining a position of the apparatus based on the received plurality of broadcast signals;

generating a ranging signal comprising a known component of a television signal; and

broadcasting a signal comprising the ranging signal and a position signal comprising a description of the position of the apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the known component of the television signal represents at least one of the group comprising:

a synchronization code, found in an American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) digital television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a Field Synchronization Segment within an ATSC data frame, and

a Synchronization Segment within a Data Segment within an ATSC data frame;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a Japanese Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) signal;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Video Broadcasting—

Terrestrial (DVB-T) signal; and

a signal, found in an analog television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a chirp-type signal, and

a vertical interval test signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of broadcast signals comprises at least one of:

a broadcast television signal; and

a satellite positioning system signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

deriving a time synchronization signal from the plurality of broadcast signals;

providing a clock signal in accordance with the synchronization signal; and

generating the known component of the television signal in accordance with the clock signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein deriving a time synchronization signal comprises:

deriving the time synchronization signal from a global positioning system (GPS) signal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the position signal comprises digital data, and wherein the ranging signal comprises a plurality of digital television (DTV) frames, each frame comprising a plurality of data segments, further comprising:

encoding the digital data as codewords; and

replacing data segments within the DTV frames with the codewords.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting the ranging signal over a plurality of television channels.

22. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform a method comprising:

determining a position of an apparatus based on a plurality of broadcast signals received at the apparatus; and

causing the apparatus to broadcast a signal comprising

a ranging signal comprising a known component of a television signal, and

a position signal comprising a description of the position of the apparatus.

23. The media of claim 22, wherein the known component of the television signal represents at least one of the group comprising:

a synchronization code, found in an American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) digital television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a Field Synchronization Segment within an ATSC data frame, and

a Synchronization Segment within a Data Segment within an ATSC data frame;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a Japanese Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) signal;

a scattered pilot carrier found in a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Video Broadcasting—

Terrestrial (DVB-T) signal; and

a signal, found in an analog television signal, comprising at least one of the group comprising

a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse,

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse,

a chirp-type signal, and

a vertical interval test signal.

24. The media of claim 22, wherein the plurality of broadcast signals comprises at least one of:

a broadcast television signal; and

a satellite positioning system signal.

25. The media of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

deriving a time synchronization signal from the plurality of broadcast signals;

providing a clock signal in accordance with the synchronization signal; and

generating the known component of the television signal in accordance with the clock signal.

26. The media of claim 25, wherein deriving a time synchronization signal comprises:

deriving the time synchronization signal from a global positioning system (GPS) signal.

27. The media of claim 22, wherein the position signal comprises digital data, and wherein the ranging signal comprises a plurality of digital television (DTV) frames, each frame comprising a plurality of data segments, wherein the method further comprises:

encoding the digital data as codewords; and

replacing data segments within the DTV frames with the codewords.

28. The media of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the ranging signal over a plurality of television channels.