Dual-mode location position system

• US 7,599,796 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Accton Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Accton Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Tsai, Ting-Yi, Lu, Kuen-Ruey, Liu, I-Ru, Liu, Te-Yao
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/382,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/215
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/32 Multimode operation in a single same satellite system, e.g. GPS L1/L2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The dual mode positioning system comprises multiple wireless network devices, one of the multiple wireless network devices including a GPS receiver. DSS is coupled to the multiple wireless network devices and an operation mode switch is also coupled to the multiple wireless network devices including a GPS receiver. A satellite GPS receiver coupled to the operation mode switch. The satellite GPS receiver is operated in an indoor area confined by walls with wide FOV (field of view) glass window, the operation mode switch switching to GPS mode for the satellite GPS receiver receives signals from greater than 3 satellites. Moreover, the satellite GPS receiver is operated in an indoor area confined by concrete walls or walls with narrow FOV glass window, the operation mode switch switching to Joint GPS/WPS mode for the satellite GPS receiver cannot receive signals from greater than 3 satellites.

Claims

1. A dual mode positioning system, comprising:

multiple network communication devices for performing WPS (wireless local-area network positioning system) positioning, one of said multiple network communication devices including a GPS (global positioning system) receiver;

DSS (distribution service system) coupled to said multiple network communication devices;

an operation mode switch coupled to said one of said multiple network communication devices including a GPS receiver; and

a satellite GPS receiver coupled to said operation mode switch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said satellite GPS receiver is operated in an indoor area confined by walls with wide FOV (field of view) glass window, said operation mode switch switching to GPS mode when said satellite GPS receiver receives signals from greater than 3 satellites.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said satellite GPS receiver is operated in an indoor area confined by concrete walls or walls with narrow FOY glass window, said operation mode switch switching to Joint GPS/WPS mode when said satellite gPS receiver cannot receive signals from greater than 3 satellites.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein in said Joint GPS/WPS mode, said satellite GPS receiver may discard null or degraded GPS position data and replace it by Joint GPS/WPS position data or coordinate degraded GPS position data with Joint GPS/WPS position data in order to improve the accuracy of location positioning.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said Joint GPS/WPS position data are obtained by correcting a WPS position data of said satellite GPS receiver relative to said one of said multiple network communication devices including GPS receiver with a known GPS position.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said satellite GPS receiver includes a unit to perform the functions of GPS positioning and Joint GPS/WPS positioning for sending request to said multiple network communication devices, to compare and merge GPS and Joint GPS/ WPS positions or location-based service for navigation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said one of said network communication devices including a GPS receiver has a unit to perform the functions of GPS positioning, WPS positioning, and Joint GPS/WPS position searching and responding to request a satellite.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said DSS performs the functions of WPS positioning, WPS to GPS format translating, and Joint GPS/WPS position library updating.

9. A method of operating a dual mode positioning system having multiple network communication devices for performing WPS (wireless local-area network positioning system) positioning and a satellite GPS (global positioning system) receiver coupled to a switch, wherein one of said multiple network communication devices includes a GPS receiver, said method comprising:

switching to a GPS mode by said switch for satellite GPS receiver to receive signals from a number of satellites when said satellite GPS receiver is operated in an indoor area confined by walls with wide FOV (field of view) glass window; and

switching to Joint GPS/WPS mode by said switch when said satellite GPS receiver cannot receive signals from said number of satellites when said satellite GPS receiver is operated in an indoor area confined by concrete walls or walls with narrow FOV glass window.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein in said Joint GPS/WPS mode, said satellite GPS receiver may discard null or degraded GPS position data and replace it by Joint GPS/WPS position data or coordinate degraded GPS position data with Joint GPS/WPS position data in order to improve the accuracy of location positioning.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said Joint GPS/WPS position data is obtained by correcting a WPS position data of satellite GPS receiver relative to said one of said network communication devices including a GPS receiver.

12. A method of operating a dual mode positioning system having multiple network communication devices for performing WPS (wireless local-area network positioning system) positioning and a satellite GPS (global positioning system) receiver coupled to a switch, wherein one of said multiple network communication devices includes a GPS receiver, said method comprising:

receiving GPS signals from a number of satellite GPS transmitters by said one of said network communication devices including a CPS receiver;

performing location positioning to update GPS data by analyzing received GPS signals;

sending updated GPS position to DSS (Distribution Service System) that has a library of static positions of said multiple network communication devices and dynamic positions of said satellite GPS receiver, wherein said DSS is coupled to said multiple network communication devices for performing said WPS positioning;

correcting GPS positions of said multiple network communication devices and said satellite GPS receiver;

associating with said satellite GPS receiver, said multiple network communication devices to perform location positioning to establish and update WPS data;

sending updated WPS data of said satellite GPS receiver to said DSS; and

transforming updated WPS data to (GPS format and correcting the position of said satellite GPS receiver based on said updated GPS data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising steps of searching from the library of said DSS and responding to satellite request for updated joint GPS/WPS position.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of said location positioning to establish and update WPS data is implemented by hyperbolic or elliptic positioning method.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of said location positioning to establish and update WPS data is implemented by mandatory triangulation method.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of said location positioning to establish and update WPS data is implemented by single network communication device to satellite positioning method.

17. A method of operating a dual mode positioning system having multiple network communication devices for performing WPS (wireless local-area network positioning system) and a satellite GPS (global positioning system) receiver coupled to a switch, wherein one of said multiple network communication devices includes a GPS receiver, said method comprising:

changing to a GPS mode and receiving OPS signals from a number of satellite GPS transmitters;

updating GPS data by analyzing said received GPS signals if said satellite GPS transmitter number is sufficient, otherwise checking the valid status or the standard deviations of GPS data and performing location positioning if status is valid or if standard deviations are less than a plurality of thresholds;

changing to a joint GPS/WPS mode and sending the request for updated joint GPS/WPS position to associated network communication device if said status is not valid or if said standard deviations are higher than said thresholds; and

receiving updated joint GPS/WPS data with said standard deviations from said associated network communication device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising steps of:

comparing said standard deviations of said updated joint GPS/WPS data with those of pure updated GPS data after receiving said updated joint GPS/WPS data;

merging two updated data by choosing the ones with smaller standard deviations; and

transferring said merged updated data to any location-based service system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of updating GPS data is performed by said satellite GPS receiver.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of checking the valid status or the standard deviations of GPS data is performed by said satellite GPS receiver.