Mobile communication terminal

• US 7,263,442 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eckel, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr.; Donald E
• Application Number:
  US10/519,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,884 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/4, 702/5, 342/120, 342/121
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile communication terminal, advantangeously a mobile phone. According to the invention, the communication terminal includes a barometric altimeter. The altimeter can be recalibrated using means for determining the horizontal position of the mobile communication terminal, and means for determining the ground level at the horizontal position. The invention relates further to a method of calibrating a barometric altimeter of a mobile communication terminal, in which the horizontal position of the mobile communication terminal is determined, the ground level is determined using the determined horizontal position, the atmospheric pressure is measured at the location of the mobile communication terminal and the determined ground level is used to calibrate the barometric altimeter. Further, the invention relates to a method of determining the altitude of a mobile communication terminal, by establishing the horizontal position of the mobile communication terminal and determining the ground level at the horizontal position.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a wireless signal transceiver for receiving and transmitting wireless signals,

a pressure sensor for measuring atmospheric pressure,

a processor connected to the transceiver and pressure sensor configured to determine from the measured atmospheric pressure the altitude of the communication terminal, the processor is further configured to determine the horizontal position at the location of the mobile communication terminal and the ground level at said location using said determined horizontal position.

2. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to be calibrated using the pressure measured at said location and the determined ground level at said location.

3. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that said processor is configured to determine the ground level using stored data correlating the horizontal position to a ground level.

4. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that said data is stored in the mobile communication terminal.

5. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that said data is stored at a service provider with which said mobile communication terminal can communicate.

6. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein the wireless signal transceiver is configured to receive a wireless signal incorporating ground level data.

7. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that the processor is connected to a user interface configured for enabling a user to enter said horizontal position as a longitude and latitude.

8. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured for enabling a user to enter said horizontal position by indicating an area, a town, a street address, a postal code, or a landmark.

9. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises a display for displaying a map corresponding to an area around a rough horizontal position indication entered by the user, and the user interface is further configured to enable the user to indicate a more exact horizontal position on said map.

10. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein the wireless signal transceiver of said mobile communication terminal is configured for receiving a wireless signal incorporating geographical data for displaying said map.

11. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein the wireless signal transceiver is further configured for transmitting a wireless signal containing horizontal position data.

12. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that said mobile communication terminal is a cellular phone, wherein the processor is further configured for determining the horizontal position through signals from base stations of the cellular network by using

cell of origin and/or

time of arrival and/or

time difference of arrival and/or

enhanced observed time difference.

13. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that said processor is configured to use signals received from orbital satellites for determining said horizontal position of the location of the mobile communication terminal.

14. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that said mobile communication terminal comprises a memory configured to store a number of altitude levels determined by the processor, and a display for displaying a graphical histogram of the altitude development over time or relative to the traveled route.

15. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless signal transceiver of said mobile communication terminal is configured to receive an altitude profile.

16. Method of calibrating a barometric altimeter of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

determining the horizontal position at the location of the mobile communication terminal,

determining the ground level at said location using the determined horizontal position,

measuring the atmospheric pressure at the location of the mobile communication terminal; and

using the determined ground level to calibrate said barometric altimeter.

17. Method according to claim 16, further comprising retrieving said ground level from stored data correlating ground levels to a horizontal position.

18. Method according to claim 16, further comprising sending a wireless signal incorporating a request for receiving a ground level at a horizontal position.

19. Method according to claim 16, further comprising sending a wireless signal incorporating a ground level to said mobile communication terminal.

20. Method according to claim 16, further comprising:

enabling the user to enter a horizontal position manually as an area, street address, postal code or landmark,

comparing the manually entered horizontal position with said stored data,

requesting the user to enter further detail regarding the horizontal position when the horizontal position is not sufficiently accurate for retrieving an altitude from said stored data,

and providing the determined ground level when said manually entered horizontal position is sufficiently accurate for retrieving a ground level from said stored data.

21. Method according to claim 20, further comprising displaying on a display of said mobile communication terminal a map of the area in which the mobile is located, and allowing the user to enter a horizontal position by indicating a location on said map.

22. Method according to claim 20, further comprising transmitting a wireless signal incorporating the manually entered horizontal position to a service provider.

23. Method according to claim 20, further comprising transmitting a wireless signal incorporating a ground level altitude or incorporating an indication that the provided horizontal position is not sufficiently accurate to determine a ground level.

24. Method of determining the altitude of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

establishing the horizontal position of the mobile communication terminal,

determining the ground level at said horizontal position,

establishing the altitude of the mobile communication terminal according to the horizontal position and the ground level, and

displaying the established altitude on a display of the mobile communication terminal.

25. Method according to claim 24, further comprising retrieving said ground level from stored data correlating ground levels to a horizontal positions.

26. Method according to claim 24, further comprising sending a wireless signal incorporating a request for receiving a ground level at a horizontal position.

27. Method according to claim 24, further comprising sending a wireless signal incorporating a ground level to said mobile communication terminal.

28. Method according to claim 24, further comprising:

enabling the user to enter a horizontal position manually as an area, street address, postal code or landmark,

comparing the manually entered horizontal position with said stored data,

requesting the user to enter further detail regarding the horizontal position when the horizontal position is not sufficiently accurate for retrieving an altitude from said stored data,

and providing the determined ground level when said manually entered horizontal position is sufficiently accurate for retrieving a ground level from said stored data.

29. Method according to claim 28, further comprising displaying on a display of said mobile communication terminal a map of the area in which the mobile is located, and allowing the user to enter a horizontal position by indicating a location on said map.

30. Method according to claim 28, further comprising transmitting a wireless signal incorporating the manually entered horizontal position to a service provider.

31. Method according to claim 28, further comprising transmitting a wireless signal incorporating a ground level altitude or incorporating an indication that the provided horizontal position is not sufficiently accurate to determine a ground level.