Local positioning system

• US 6,995,708 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NorthStar Systems LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gallitzin Allegheny LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Dominik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US10/196,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20040056798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.14, 342/357.1, 342/450, 342/457, 342/463, 342/464
• US Class Current: 342/357.71
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system

Abstract

A method to determine position of a user includes sniffing for one or more earth-based media; and if the one or more earth-based media exists, using an earth-based positioning system (PS) receiver associated with one of the media and otherwise using a satellite-based PS receiver.

Claims

1. A method to determine position of a user, comprising:

sniffing for one or more earth-based media with a mobile device; and

if the one or more earth-based media is present, using an earth-based positioning system (PS) receiver of the mobile device selected from one of a short-range wireless receiver of the mobile device and a cellular receiver of the mobile device to determine the position, otherwise using a satellite-based PS receiver of the mobile device to determine the position only if the one or more earth-based media are not present, using code of the mobile device to fix the mobile device to favor use of the earth-based PS receiver over the satellite-based PS receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using the earth-based PS receiver further comprises using one of a BLUETOOTH™

receiver, an 802.11 receiver, and a cellular receiver on a single integrated circuit of the mobile device, the integrated circuit including a processor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the BLUETOOTH™

receiver or the 802.11 receiver over the cellular receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the earth-based PS receiver over the satellite-based PS receiver to reduce power consumption.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising powering down the cellular receiver if the short-range wireless receiver is operating.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the cellular receiver and establishing a cellular link only if a strength of received short-range wireless signals is inadequate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is not user alterable.

8. A method to determine position of a user, comprising:

enabling a first positioning receiver on an integrated circuit (IC) having a processor core including a digital signal processor (DSP) and a central processor, to determine the position if a first wireless personal area network (PAN) is accessible;

otherwise enabling a second positioning receiver on the IC to determine the position if a second wireless local area network (LAN) is accessible;

otherwise enabling a cellular positioning receiver on the IC to determine the position if a cellular signal is accessible; and

enabling a satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) receiver on the IC to determine the position only if the first wireless PAN, the second wireless LAN and the cellular signal are not accessible, wherein code executed on the IC fixes the IC to favor an earth-based positioning receiver over the satellite-based GPS receiver.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second wireless LAN conforms to an 802.11 specification.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first wireless PAN conforms to a BLUETOOTH™

specification.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling one of the first positioning receiver, the second positioning receiver, and the cellular positioning receiver over the satellite-based GPS receiver to reduce power consumption.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising powering down the cellular positioning receiver if the first positioning receiver or the second positioning receiver is operating.

13. A system comprising:

a reconfigurable processor core including a digital signal processor (DSP) and a central processor on an integrated circuit (IC);

first and second communication channels on the IC coupled to the reconfigurable processor core, the first communication channel comprising a short-range wireless channel and the second communication channel comprising a cellular channel;

a sniffer on the IC to sniff for one or more earth-based media; and

a storage on the IC coupled to the reconfigurable processor core, the storage containing instructions that fix operation of the system to determine position using an earth-based media, if present, otherwise to determine position using a satellite-based media.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the storage further comprises instructions to fix operation of the system to enable a first positioning receiver on the integrated circuit (IC) to determine the position if a first wireless personal area network (PAN) is accessible, otherwise to enable a second positioning receiver on the IC to determine the position if a second wireless local area network (LAN) is accessible, otherwise to enable a cellular positioning receiver on the IC to determine the position if a cellular signal is accessible, and otherwise to enable a satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) receiver on the IC to determine the position.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the system comprises a universal positioning system to receive signals from a plurality of base stations, a plurality of cellular units, and a plurality of satellites.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the universal positioning system comprises a plurality of receivers having different protocols on a single integrated circuit.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the reconfigurable processor core comprises a plurality of processors, and at least one digital signal processor (DSP).

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one unused processor is to be powered off.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a router coupled to the first and second communication channels to transmit packets in parallel through the first and second communication channels, wherein the first and second communication channels to transmit the packets via different communication protocols.