Positioning apparatus and method of a mobile terminal using a positioning server independently constructed on a network

• US 7,616,963 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Wuk, Sung, Sang-Kyung, Park, Joon-Goo, Kim, Joo-Young, Lee, Hyeon-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh; Sonny
• Application Number:
  US11/109,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/422.1, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/446, 455/432.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements

Abstract

A positioning apparatus and method of a mobile terminal using a positioning server independently constructed on a network. The positioning apparatus includes a positioning server, independently constructed on a network, for collecting and storing/managing assistant data that includes orbit information and correction information of a satellite, and providing the assistant data or position information using the assistant data in response to an external request. The positioning server provides the position information of the terminal subject to positioning in response to the request for the position information of the terminal subject to positioning created from at least one network among a plurality of networks that share the positioning server. Accordingly, an accurate positioning result can be obtained with a cost for implementation of the positioning system reduced.

Claims

1. A positioning apparatus of a mobile terminal, comprising:

a positioning server, independently constructed on a plurality of communication networks that share the positioning server; and

a positioning service permission module, constructed based on the networks, for managing registration information of a respective mobile terminal that considers a corresponding network as a home network and authenticating validity of a request for positioning of the respective mobile terminal based on the registration information;

wherein the positioning server provides assistant data for positioning the respective mobile terminal to the positioning service permission module and provides current position information of the respective mobile terminal calculated using the assistant data when the request for positioning of the respective mobile terminal is received.

2. The positioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least more positioning server,

wherein a positioning server that is located in a place nearest to the terminal subject to positioning responds to the request for the position information of the terminal.

3. The positioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning server is provided in a specified network and is shared by the plurality of networks.

4. A positioning method of a mobile terminal using a positioning server independently constructed on a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for position information of the mobile terminal;

informing the mobile terminal that the position information of the mobile terminal is requested based on registration information of the mobile terminal registered in a home network of the mobile terminal in response to the request for the position information;

calculating physical position information corresponding to logical position information about a visited network of the mobile terminal in response to the position information request;

transferring the physical position information to the positioning server, wherein the positioning server is independently constructed on a plurality of communication networks that share the positioning server;

receiving assistant data of the mobile terminal from the positioning server;

calculating the position of the mobile terminal using the assistant data; and

transferring a result of calculation for the position of the mobile terminal.

5. The positioning method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of determining if the service should be provided in response the request for the position information based on the registration information of the mobile terminal stored in the home network.

6. The positioning method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the assistant data receiving step strengthens a security characteristic of a message exchanged with the positioning server in order to prevent a privacy infringement.

7. The positioning method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of calculating the position of the mobile terminal using the assistant data comprises:

calculating the position of the mobile terminal after the mobile terminal that has received access information from a home network to the positioning server directly accesses the positioning server.

8. The positioning method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the request for the position information is performed by an external client outside the network.

9. The positioning method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the request for the position information is performed by the mobile terminal.

10. A positioning method of a mobile terminal that is roaming to a visited network provided with a position calculation service module constructed independently of a positioning service permission module, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to provide position information of the mobile terminal in a home network;

determining if the service should be provided in response to the request for the position information, based on the registration information of the mobile terminal stored in the home network;

providing access information for a position calculation service module of the visited network to the mobile terminal;

accessing the position calculation service module of the visited network using the access information by the mobile terminal; and

calculating and determining the position of the mobile terminal by the position calculation service module.

11. The positioning method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the access information of the position calculation service module is an internet protocol (IP) address.

12. The positioning method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the IP address of the position calculation service module is a separate address different from that of the positioning service permission module.

13. The positioning method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the position calculation service module of the visited network transmits the determined position information of the mobile terminal to the home network.

14. A positioning method of a mobile terminal in a network in which a position calculation service module is constructed separately from a positioning service permission module, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for position information of the mobile terminal by the positioning service permission module of a home network;

determining if service should be provided in response to the request for the position information, based on registration information of the mobile terminal stored in the home network;

providing access information to the mobile terminal for one of a plurality of position calculation service modules located nearest to the mobile terminal;

accessing the position calculation service module using the access information by the mobile terminal; and

calculating the position of the mobile terminal using assistance data by the position calculation service module.

15. The positioning method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the position calculation service module is located in the home network.

16. The positioning method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the position calculation service module is located in a home network in which the mobile terminal is located.

17. The positioning method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the access information of the position calculation service module is an internet protocol (IP) address.

18. The positioning method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the IP address of the position calculation service module is an address that is different from that of the positioning service permission module.

19. A positioning method of a mobile terminal in a network in which a position calculation service module is constructed separately from a positioning service permission module, the method comprising the steps of:

if position information of the mobile terminal is requested, determining if service should be provided in response to the request for the position information, based on registration information of the mobile terminal stored in a home network and receiving access information for one of a plurality of position calculation service modules that is located nearest to the mobile terminal from the home network by the mobile terminal;

accessing the position calculation service module using the access information; and

exchanging signal required for calculation of the position and data with the position calculation service module by the mobile terminal.

20. The positioning method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the position calculation service module is located in the home network.

21. The positioning method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the position calculation service module is located in a home network in which the mobile terminal is located.

22. The positioning method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the access information of the position calculation service module is an internet protocol (IP) address.

23. The positioning method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the IP address of the position calculation service module is an address that is different from that of the positioning service permission module.

24. A positioning method of a mobile terminal that is roaming to a visited network provided with a position calculation service module constructed independently of a positioning service permission module, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving notification informing that position information of the mobile terminal is requested from a positioning service permission module of a home network;

receiving access information for a position calculation service module of a visited network;

accessing the position calculation service module of the visited network using the access information; and

receiving position information of the mobile terminal calculated by the position calculation service module.

25. The positioning method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the access information of the position calculation service module is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

26. The positioning method as claimed in claim 24, wherein receiving access information for a position calculation service module of a visited network comprises:

receiving access information for one of a plurality of position calculation service modules located nearest to the mobile terminal.