Position location using broadcast analog television signals

• US 6,961,020 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rosum Corporation (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Robinowitz, Matthew, Spilker, Jr., James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US10/397,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 342/450, 342/458, 342/463, 342/465, 342/457, 342/464
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• 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 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0218 Multipath in signal reception
• 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 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/145 Using a supplementary range measurement, e.g. based on pseudo-range measurements
• 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 21/615 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

A computer program product, apparatus, and method for determining the position of a user terminal. It includes receiving, at the user terminal, a broadcast analog television signal having a periodic component; and correlating the broadcast analog television signal with a predetermined reference signal based on the periodic component, thereby producing a pseudorange; and wherein the location of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudorange and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining the position of a user terminal, comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive, at the user terminal, a broadcast analog television signal; and

a pseudorange unit adapted to generate a pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal; and

wherein

the location of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudorange and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor adapted to determine the location of the user terminal based on the pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pseudorange unit is further adapted to generate the pseudorange based on a periodic component in the broadcast analog television signal and a predetermined reference signal based on the periodic component.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the receiver is further adapted to receive parameters describing the predetermined reference signal; and

the processor is further adapted to generate the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the periodic component is a horizontal synchronization pulse.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the receiver is further adapted to receive parameters describing the derivative of the periodic component; and

the processor is further adapted to generate the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the periodic component is selected from the group comprising:

a horizontal synchronization pulse;

a horizontal blanking pulse; and

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the pseudorange unit is further adapted to generate a second pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal and a second predetermined reference signal, wherein the second predetermined reference signal is based on the horizontal synchronization pulse; and

the processor is further adapted to produce a refined pseudorange based on the pseudorange and the second pseudorange; and

wherein

the position of the user terminal is determined based on the refined pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the periodic component is a chrominance burst, and wherein the processor is further adapted to resolve ambiguity in the pseudorange resulting from cycle ambiguity in the chrominance burst.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position at the user terminal is determined by adjusting the pseudorange based on a difference between a transmitter clock at the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal and a known time reference, and determining the position of the user terminal based on the adjusted pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

determine a further pseudorange based on a further broadcast analog television signal; and

project the pseudorange and the further pseudorange to an instant of time, thereby eliminating any first order term in the clock of the user terminal.

12. An apparatus for determining the position of a user terminal, comprising:

means for receiving, at the user terminal, a broadcast analog television signal; and

means for generating a pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal; and

wherein

the location of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudorange and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising;

means for determining the location of the user terminal based on the pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for generating a pseudorange generates the pseudorange based on a periodic component in the broadcast analog television signal and a predetermined reference signal based on the periodic component.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the means for receiving receives parameters describing the predetermined reference signal; and

the means for determining generates the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the periodic component is a horizontal synchronization pulse.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the means for receiving receives parameters describing the derivative of the periodic component; and

the means for determining generates the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the periodic component is selected from the group comprising:

a horizontal synchronization pulse;

a horizontal blanking pulse; and

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the means for generating generates a second pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal and a second predetermined reference signal, wherein the second predetermined reference signal is based on the horizontal synchronization pulse; and

the means for determining produces a refined pseudorange based on the pseudorange and the second pseudorange; and

wherein

the position of the user terminal is determined based on the refined pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the periodic component is a chrominance burst, wherein,

the means for determining resolves ambiguity in the pseudorange resulting from cycle ambiguity in the chrominance burst.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the position of the user terminal is determined by adjusting the pseudorange based on a difference between a transmitter clock at the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal and a known time reference, and determining the position of the user terminal based on the adjusted pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for determining:

determines a further pseudorange based on a further broadcast analog television signal; and

projects the pseudorange and the further pseudorange to an instant of time, thereby eliminating any first order term in the clock of the user terminal.

23. A method for determining the position of a user terminal, comprising:

receiving, at the user terminal, a broadcast analog television signal; and

generating a pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal; and

wherein

the location of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudorange and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining the location of the user terminal based on the pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein generating the pseudorange comprises:

generating the pseudorange based on a periodic component in the broadcast analog television signal and a predetermined reference signal based on the periodic component.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving parameters describing the predetermined reference signal; and

generating the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the periodic component is a horizontal synchronization pulse.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving parameters describing the derivative of the periodic component; and

generating the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the periodic component is selected from the group comprising:

a horizontal synchronization pulse;

a horizontal blanking pulse; and

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

generating a second pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal and a second predetermined reference signal, wherein the second predetermined reference signal is based on the horizontal synchronization pulse; and

producing a refined pseudorange based on the pseudorange and the second pseudorange; and

wherein

the position of the user terminal is determined based on the refined pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the periodic component is a chrominance burst, further comprising:

resolving ambiguity in the pseudorange resulting from cycle ambiguity in the chrominance burst.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the position of the user terminal is determined by adjusting the pseudorange based on a difference between a transmitter clock at the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal and a known time reference, and determining the position of the user terminal based on the adjusted pseudorange and the location or transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining a further pseudorange based on a further broadcast analog television signal; and

projecting the pseudorange and the further pseudorange to an instant of time, thereby eliminating any first order term in the clock of the user terminal.

34. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform a method for determining the position of a user terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, at the user terminal, a broadcast analog television signal; and

generating a pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal; and

wherein

the location of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudorange and a location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

35. The media of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises:

determining the location of the user terminal based on the pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

36. The media of claim 34, wherein generating the pseudorange comprises:

generating the pseudorange based on a periodic component in the broadcast analog television signal and a predetermined reference signal based on the periodic component.

37. The media of claim 36, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving parameters describing the predetermined reference signal; and

generating the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

38. The media of claim 36, wherein the periodic component is a horizontal synchronization pulse.

39. The media of claim 36, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving parameters describing the derivative of the periodic component; and

generating the predetermined reference signal based on the parameters.

40. The media of claim 39, wherein the periodic component is selected from the group comprising:

a horizontal synchronization pulse;

a horizontal blanking pulse; and

a horizontal blanking pulse and a horizontal synchronization pulse.

41. The media of claim 40, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a second pseudorange based on the broadcast analog television signal and a second predetermined reference signal, wherein the second predetermined reference signal is based on the horizontal synchronization pulse; and

producing a refined pseudorange based on the pseudorange and the second pseudorange; and

wherein

the position of the user terminal is determined based on the refined pseudorange and the location of the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal.

42. The media of claim 34, wherein the periodic component is a chrominance burst, wherein the method further comprises:

resolving ambiguity in the pseudorange resulting front cycle ambiguity in the chrominance burst.

43. The media of claim 34, wherein the position of the user terminal is determined by adjusting the pseudoranges based on a difference between a transmitter clock at the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal and a known time reference, and determining the position of the user terminal based on the adjusted pseudorange and the location of the TV transmitter.

44. The media of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a further pseudorange based on a further broadcast analog television signal; and

projecting the pseudorange and the further pseudorange to an instant of time, thereby eliminating any first order term in the clock of the user terminal.