Method, apparatus, and machine-readable medium for providing indication of location service availability and the quality of available location services

• US 7,151,939 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheynblat, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika A.
• Application Number:
  US10/651,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20040160909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/457, 455/414.2, 455/414.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for providing an indication of location service availability and the quality of available location services for a mobile station. A required location quality of service (LQoS) parameter is acquired. The required LQoS parameter may be a minimum position accuracy value, a maximum response time value, or a maximum age of position information value. An actual LQoS value is then determined. If the actual LQoS value does not satisfy the required LQoS parameter, then an indicator is provided that location services are not available for the mobile station. For example, a visual indicator may be displayed indicating that location services are not available. On the other hand, if location services are determined to be available, a relative strength measure of position accuracy is calculated and a visual indicator of the strength of the position accuracy is provided.

Claims

1. A method for providing an indication of whether the quality of location services for a mobile station is sufficient to provide location services, comprising:

acquiring a required location quality of service (LQoS) parameter;

determining an actual LQoS value;

determining whether the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter; and

providing a location services availability indicator based on said determination, said location services availability indicator providing an indication that location services are available prior to requesting location services when the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the actual LQoS value does not satisfy the required LQoS parameter, further comprising providing an indicator that location services are not available for the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing an indicator that location services are not available, further comprises displaying a visual indicator that location services are not available.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the required LQoS parameter comprises one of a plurality of required LQoS parameters including a minimum position accuracy value, a maximum response time value, and a maximum age of position information value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter, further comprising estimating an actual position accuracy value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating a relative strength measure of position accuracy based on the actual position accuracy value estimate.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing an indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing an indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy, further comprises displaying a visual indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy includes a graphical representation of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is defined by the user of the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is acquired from the mobile station.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is application-specific.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is defined by a remote entity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote entity is a server.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote entity is a part of a position network.

16. A mobile station to provide an indication of whether the quality of location services is sufficient to provide location services, comprising:

a receiver unit to receive and process a plurality of signals from a plurality of transmitters; and

a processor coupled to the receiver unit to;

acquire a required location quality of service (LQoS) parameter;

determine an actual LQoS value;

determine whether the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter; and

provide a location services availability indicator based on said determination, said location services availability indicator providing an indication that location services are available prior to requesting location services when the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter.

17. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein if the actual LQoS value does not satisfy the required LQoS parameter, the processor to further provide an indicator that location services are not available for the mobile station.

18. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of signals received by the receiver unit includes the required LQoS parameter.

19. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of signals received by the receiver unit includes the actual LQoS value.

20. The mobile station of claim 16, further comprising a display device, wherein, if the actual LQoS value does not satisfy the required LQoS parameter, the processor instructs the display device to display a visual indicator that location services are not available.

21. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the required LQoS parameter comprises one of a plurality of required LQoS parameters including a minimum position accuracy value, a maximum response time value, and a maximum age of position information value.

22. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein if the processor determines that the actual LQoS value satisfies the required position LQoS parameter, the processor estimates an actual position accuracy value.

23. The mobile station of claim 22, wherein the processor further calculates a relative strength measure of position accuracy based on the actual position accuracy value estimate.

24. The mobile station of claim 23, wherein the processor provides an indicator of the of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

25. The mobile station of claim 24, further comprising a display device, wherein the processor instructs the display device to display a visual indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

26. The mobile station of claim 25, wherein the visual indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy includes a graphical representation of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

27. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is defined by the user of the mobile station.

28. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is acquired from a memory unit of the mobile station.

29. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is application-specific.

30. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the acquired required LQoS parameter is defined by a remote entity and communicated to the receiver unit by a transmitter.

31. The mobile station of claim 30, wherein the remote entity is a server.

32. The mobile station of claim 30, wherein the remote entity is a part of a position network.

33. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the following operations comprising:

acquiring a required location quality of service (LQoS) parameter necessary to provide location services for a mobile station;

determining an actual LQoS value;

determining whether the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter; and

providing a location services availability indicator based on said determination, said location services availability indicator providing an indication that location services are available prior to requesting location services when the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein if the actual LQoS value does not satisfy the required LQoS parameter, further comprising instruction to cause the operation of providing an indicator that location services are not available for the mobile station.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising instructions to cause the operation of displaying a visual indicator that location services are not available.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the required LQoS parameter comprises at least one of a plurality of required LQoS parameters including a minimum position accuracy value, a maximum response time value, and a maximum age of position information value.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein if the actual LQoS value satisfies the required LQoS parameter, further comprising instructions to cause the operation of estimating an actual position accuracy value.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising instructions to cause the operation of calculating a relative strength measure of position accuracy based on the actual position accuracy value estimate.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising instructions to cause the operation of providing an indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions to cause the operation of displaying a visual indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the visual indicator of the relative strength measure of position accuracy includes a graphical representation of the relative strength measure of position accuracy.