Supporting an assisted satellite based positioning

• US 7,701,387 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Syrjarinne, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull; Fred H
• Application Number:
  US12/002,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20080150796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.14, 342/357.15, 342/357.03
• US Class Current: 342/357.42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/074 providing integrity data, e.g. WAAS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/33 Multimode operation in different systems which transmit time stamped messages, e.g. GPS/GLONASS

Abstract

For supporting a satellite based positioning of a mobile arrangement (30,40) with assistance data, a communication network converts parameters of a dedicated orbit model describing a movement of a satellite (50,60), which dedicated orbit model is defined for a particular satellite based positioning system, into parameters of a common orbit model describing a movement of a satellite (50,60). Alternatively or in addition, the network replaces a reference value that is based on a satellite based positioning system time in available parameters of an orbit model by a reference value that is based on a communication system time. After the parameter conversion and/or the reference value replacement, the parameters are provided as a part of assistance data for the satellite based positioning. Alternatively or in addition, a set of data is transmitted in one direction between the mobile arrangement and the communication network, which is independent of the employed positioning mode.

Claims

1. A method for supporting a satellite based positioning of a mobile device using assistance data, said method comprising at said mobile device:

receiving assistance data from a communication network including parameters of an orbit model describing a movement of a respective satellite of a particular satellite based positioning system,

wherein said parameters have a format that is different from a format of parameters of an orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system or have been derived from another source than broadcast satellite data;

receiving differential corrections for said received parameters of said orbit model; and

correcting said received parameters of said orbit model based on said differential corrections.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said orbit model of which parameters are received is more accurate than said orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at said mobile device estimating a position of said satellite based on said received parameters of said orbit model.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising estimating a position of said mobile device in said mobile device using said received parameters of said orbit model.

16. A computer readable medium having software code stored thereon for supporting a satellite based positioning of a mobile device using assistance data, said software code realizing the method of claim 1 when being executed by a processing unit of said mobile device.

5. A method for supporting a satellite based positioning of a mobile device with assistance data, said method comprising:

obtaining in a communication network parameters of an orbit model describing a movement of a respective satellite of a particular satellite based positioning system, wherein said obtained parameters have a format that is different from a format of parameters of an orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system or are derived from another source than broadcast satellite data; and

providing said obtained parameters and differential corrections for said obtained parameters as a part of assistance data for said satellite based positioning to at least one mobile device, wherein said differential corrections enable a mobile device to correct said parameters.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said orbit model of which parameters are obtained is more accurate than said orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system.

7. The method according to claim 5, said method further comprising providing correction data for said orbit model of which parameters are obtained to said at least one mobile device.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising estimating in said communication network a position of a mobile device to which said obtained parameters are provided using a feedback from said mobile device.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein said assistance data is transmitted to a particular mobile device upon a request by said mobile device.

17. A computer readable medium having software code stored thereon for supporting a satellite based positioning of a mobile device with assistance data, said software code realizing the method of claim 5 when being executed by a processing unit of a network element of a communication network.

10. An apparatus supporting a satellite based positioning of said apparatus using assistance data, said apparatus comprising:

a communication component adapted to receive assistance data from a communication network including parameters of an orbit model describing a movement of a respective satellite of a particular satellite based positioning system and differential corrections for said parameters of said orbit model, wherein said parameters have a format that is different from a format of parameters of an orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system or have been derived from another source than broadcast satellite data; and

a processing unit configured to correct said received parameters of said orbit model based on said differential corrections.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said communication component is further adapted to receive correction data for said received parameters of said orbit model, said apparatus comprising a processing component adapted to correct said received parameters of said orbit model based on said correction data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, comprising a processing component adapted to estimate a position of said apparatus using received parameters of said orbit model.

13. A apparatus for supporting a satellite based positioning of a mobile device with assistance data, said apparatus comprising a processing component adapted to obtain parameters of an orbit model describing a movement of a respective satellite of a particular satellite based positioning system, wherein said obtained parameters have a format that is different from a format of parameters of an orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system or are derived from another source than broadcast satellite data;

and adapted to provide said obtained parameters and differential corrections for said obtained parameters as a part of assistance data for said satellite based positioning to at least one mobile device, wherein said differential corrections enable a mobile device to correct said parameters.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said processing component is further adapted to provide correction data for said orbit model of which parameters are obtained to said at least one mobile device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said processing component is further adapted to estimate a position of a mobile device to which said obtained parameters are provided using a feedback from said mobile device.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving assistance data from a communication network including parameters of an orbit model describing a movement of a respective satellite of a particular satellite based positioning system and for receiving differential corrections for said received parameters of said orbit model, wherein said parameters have a format that is different from a format of parameters of an orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system or have been derived from another source than broadcast satellite data; and

means for correcting said received parameters of said orbit model based on said differential corrections.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining in a communication network parameters of an orbit model describing a movement of a respective satellite of a particular satellite based positioning system, wherein said obtained parameters have a format that is different from a format of parameters of an orbit model defined for said satellite based positioning system or are derived from another source than broadcast satellite data; and

means for providing said obtained parameters and differential corrections for said obtained parameters as a part of assistance data for said satellite based positioning to at least one mobile device, wherein said differential corrections enable a mobile device to correct said parameters.