Method of downloading ephemeris data based on user activity

• US 7,633,438 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Tysowski, Piotr Konrad
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/668,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.12, 342/357.15, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.64
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

Ephemeris data is downloaded intelligently to a GPS-enabled wireless communications device based on user activity rather than at fixed predetermined intervals. Ephemeris data can be downloaded to enable both Aided GPS and Assisted GPS. The device can download ephemeris data based on the frequency of requests into an API communicating with a GPS driver, based on the detection of a new network, or a change in time zone of the network time. Intelligent, adaptive downloading of ephemeris optimizes the usage of bandwidth and the data charge to the user while ensuring that ephemeris data is cached to provide assistance for location-based services such as turn-based navigation.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining ephemeris data for a GPS-enabled wireless communications device, the method comprising:

monitoring user activity related to a location-based service (LBS) application executing on the wireless communications device to determine whether ephemeris data should be obtained; and

obtaining the ephemeris data based on the user activity.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein monitoring user activity comprises monitoring user activity on a navigation application executing on the wireless communications device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein monitoring user activity comprises detecting whether a user has specified a route on a navigation application to intelligently trigger the obtaining of the ephemeris data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein monitoring user activity comprises determining a frequency of requests made into an API communicating with a GPS driver that drives a GPS chipset on the wireless communications device to intelligently trigger the obtaining of the ephemeris data.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining ephemeris data comprises downloading extended, long-term ephemeris data to provide Aided GPS.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining ephemeris data comprises downloading short-term ephemeris data for Assisted GPS.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein monitoring user activity is performed by a server connected to a wireless network with which the wireless communications device is in communication.

8. A computer program product comprising code adapted to perform the method of claim 1 when the computer program product is loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device.

9. The computer program product comprising code adapted to perform the method of claim 2 when the computer program product is loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device.

10. The computer program product comprising code adapted to perform the method of claim 3 when the computer program product is loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device.

11. The computer program product comprising code adapted to perform the method of claim 4 when the computer program product is loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device.

12. The computer program product comprising code adapted to perform the method of claim 5 when the computer program product is loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device.

13. The computer program product comprising code adapted to perform the method of claim 6 when the computer program product is loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device.

14. The computer program product comprising code adapted to perform the method of claim 7 when the computer program product is loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device.

15. A GPS-enabled wireless communications device for enabling location-based services, the wireless communications device comprising:

a processor and memory for executing a location-based service application;

an input device for interacting with the location-based service application;

a GPS receiver for receiving GPS radio signals for generating a position fix for the location-based service application;

wherein the processor determines whether ephemeris data is to be obtained based on user activity related to the location-based service application executing on the device.

16. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the location-based service application is a navigation application.

17. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the ephemeris data is extended, long-term ephemeris data to provide Aided GPS.

18. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the ephemeris data is short-term ephemeris data for Assisted GPS.

19. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the processor is adapted to detect whether a user has specified a route on a navigation application and to trigger the requesting and downloading of the ephemeris data.

20. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the processor is adapted to determine a frequency of requests made into an API communicating with a GPS driver that drives a GPS chipset on the wireless communications device and to trigger the requesting and downloading of the ephemeris data based on the frequency of requests into the API.

21. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the processor executes a user activity monitoring application that monitors usage of location-based services on the device.

22. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 21 wherein the user activity monitoring application collects usage data on usage patterns related to location-based services and wherein the radio transceiver periodically transmits the usage data to a server to enable the server to assess when to provide ephemeris data.