Apparatus and methods for associating a geographical position with an event occurring on a wireless device

• US 7,400,884 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tisdale, Robert James, Windlass, Prachi, Lushin, Mikhail A., Yip, Eric Chi Chung, Fok, Kenny
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, SHANNON
• Application Number:
  US11/139,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/414.2, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for estimating a geographical position corresponding to an event associated with operation of a wireless device communicating in a wireless communications network. The time and distance between the occurrence of the event and the related time and speed of the wireless device of at least one of a first and second geographical position, respectively measured before and after the event, are analyzed. These analyses includes comparing those metrics to predetermined time and distance thresholds to associate and/or estimate a geographic position of the wireless device with the event.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a geographical position corresponding to a wireless device event, comprising:

receiving at least one of a first geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a first position of the wireless device before a time of the event and a second geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a second position of the wireless device after a time of the event;

determining an estimated geographical position of the wireless device at an occurrence of the event based on a predetermined relationship between the event and at least one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data; and

wherein determining the estimated geographical position further comprises selecting one of said first position and said second position as the estimated geographic position according to one of;

determining that a respective time difference between the time of the event and a respective time of one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data is within both a predetermined maximum time threshold and a predetermined low time threshold, wherein if both of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data have a respective time difference within the predetermined low time threshold, then choosing one of said first position and said second position corresponding to the respective time difference having a smallest value;

or

determining that a respective time difference between the time of the event and a respective time of one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data is within a predetermined maximum time threshold, and determining that a respective distance traveled between the time of the event and a respective time of one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data is within a predetermined distance threshold wherein if both of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data have a respective time difference within the predetermined maximum time threshold and a respective distance traveled within the predetermined distance threshold, then choosing one of said first position and said second position corresponding to the respective distance traveled having a smallest value.

2. An apparatus for estimating a geographical position corresponding to a wireless device event, comprising:

an event position determination module operable to receive at least one of a first geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a first position of the wireless device before a time of the event and a second geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a second position of the wireless device after a time of the event; and

said event position determination module is further operable to determine an estimated geographical position of the wireless device at an occurrence of the event based on a predetermined relationship between the event and at least one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data; and

wherein said event position determination module is further operable to select one of said first position and said second position as the estimated geographic position according to one of;

determining that a respective time difference between the time of the event and a respective time of one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data is within both a predetermined maximum time threshold and a predetermined low time threshold, wherein if both of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data have a respective time difference within the predetermined low time threshold, then choosing one of said first position and said second position corresponding to the respective time difference having a smallest value;

or

determining that a respective time difference between the time of the event and a respective time of one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data is within a predetermined maximum time threshold, and determining that a respective distance traveled between the time of the event and a respective time of one of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data is within a predetermined distance threshold, wherein if both of said first geographical position data and said second geographical position data have a respective time difference within the predetermined maximum time threshold and a respective distance traveled within the predetermined distance threshold then choosing one of said first position and said second position corresponding to the respective distance traveled having a smallest value.