Controlling geographic location information of devices operating in wireless communication systems

• US 7,751,825 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gogic, Aleksandar M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US10/185,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,931 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 455/404.2, 455/214, 455/213, 455/301, 455/4, 701/214, 701200-213, 701/301, 701/4, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/450
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are presented herein for controlling the degree of precision with which geographic information is reported to a requesting entity. A precise geographic location is used to determine an adjusted geographic location, which is then transmitted to the requesting entity rather than the precise geographic location.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory element; and

a processor element operatively enabled to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory element, wherein the set of instructions if executed by the processor element operatively enable the processor element to;

access location information identifying a measured geographic location of a target, the location information including at least one arc value associated with either a measured longitude or a measured latitude;

convert the arc value into a corresponding linear value, the linear value being associated with a linear distance;

determine an adjusted linear value based at least in part on a desired linear precision value and the linear value;

convert the adjusted linear value into a corresponding adjusted arc value associated with either an adjusted longitude or an adjusted latitude;

establish adjusted location information of the target based at least in part on the adjusted arc value, wherein the adjusted location information identifies a diluted geographic location of the target; and

initiate transmission of at least a portion of the adjusted location information to a requesting entity unless the measured geographic location lies within a problematic territory, then refraining from initiating transmission of the adjusted location information to the requesting entity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the set of instructions if executed by the processor element operatively enable the processor element to determine the adjusted linear value by rounding the linear value based at least in part on the desired linear precision value.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions if executed by the processor element operatively enable the processor element to determine the adjusted linear value by using a lookup table.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjusted location information is identified by a descriptive tag, wherein the descriptive tag is for transmission to the target or the requesting entity.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions if executed by the processor element operatively enable the processor element to transmit at least the portion of the adjusted location information to the requesting entity based at least in part on a time interval.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions if executed by the processor element operatively enable the processor element to transmit at least the portion of the adjusted location information to the requesting entity based at least in part on a distance interval from a previous location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions if executed by the processor element operatively enable the processor element to transmit at least the portion of the adjusted location information to the requesting entity based at least in part on a predetermined distance from a waypoint.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions if executed by the processor element operatively enable the processor element to transmit at least the portion of the adjusted location information to the requesting entity based at least in part on a violation of a speed threshold.

9. An apparatus for controlling geographic location information of a target, comprising:

a memory element; and

a processor element configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory element, the set of instructions for;

determining a precise location of the target in a first value;

converting the first value into a second value, wherein the first and second values are selected from a group consisting of arc and linear values, wherein the first value being an arc value and the second value being a linear value, and wherein converting the first value into a second value comprises converting a measured latitude arc value of the precise location into a linear distance;

approximating the second value into an approximate second value, wherein approximating the second value into an approximate second value comprises rounding the linear distance with a predetermined linear precision to an adjusted linear distance value;

converting the approximate second value into an approximate first value as an approximate location of the target, wherein converting the approximate second value into an approximate first value comprises converting the adjusted linear distance value into an adjusted latitude arc value;

determining a measured longitude linear distance corresponding to the adjusted latitude arc value;

rounding the measured longitude linear distance within a second predetermined linear precision to an adjusted measured longitude linear distance;

converting the adjusted measured longitude linear distance to an adjusted longitude arc value;

determining whether the precise location lies within a problematic territory; and

if the precise location lies within a problematic territory, then refraining from transmitting the approximate location of the target to the requesting entity,

otherwise transmitting the approximate location of the target to a requesting entity, wherein transmitting the approximate location comprises transmitting the adjusted latitude arc value and the adjusted longitude arc value to the requesting entity.

10. A method for controlling geographic location information of a target, comprising;

using a processor element configured to execute a set of instructions stored in a memory element;

accessing a precise location of the target;

using the precise location to adjust an approximate location of the target, wherein using the precise location to adjust the approximate location comprises;

converting a measured latitude arc value of the precise location into a linear distance;

rounding the linear distance with a predetermined linear precision to an adjusted linear distance value;

converting the adjusted linear distance value into an adjusted latitude arc value;

determining a measured longitude linear distance corresponding to the adjusted latitude arc value;

rounding the measured longitude linear distance within a second predetermined linear precision to an adjusted measured longitude linear distance; and

converting the adjusted measured longitude linear distance to an adjusted longitude arc value;

determining whether the precise location lies within a problematic territory; and

if the precise location lies within a problematic territory, then refraining from transmitting the approximate location of the target to the requesting entity otherwise transmitting the approximate location of the target to a requesting entity, wherein transmitting the approximate location comprises transmitting the adjusted latitude arc value and the adjusted longitude arc value to the requesting entity.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying the approximate location of the target by a descriptive tag, wherein the descriptive tag is for transmission to the target or the requesting entity.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising timing the transmission of the approximate location to the requesting entity according to a time interval.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising timing the transmission of the approximate location to the requesting entity according to a distance interval from a previous location.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising timing the transmission of the approximate location to the requesting entity to occur at a predetermined distance from a waypoint.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising timing the transmission of the approximate location to occur at a violation of a speed threshold.

16. A method for diluting location information of a target device, comprising:

using a processor element configured to execute a set of instructions stored in a memory element;

converting a measured latitude arc value of a target device into a linear distance;

rounding the linear distance based at least in part on a desired linear precision value to establish an adjusted linear distance value;

converting the adjusted linear distance value into an adjusted latitude arc value of the target device, wherein the adjusted latitude arc value establishes at least a portion of a diluted geographic location of the target;

converting a measured longitude arc value of the target device into a second linear distance;

rounding the second linear distance based at least in part on the desired linear precision value to establish an adjusted second linear distance;

converting the adjusted second linear distance to an adjusted longitude arc value of the target device, wherein the adjusted longitude arc value establishes at least another portion of the diluted geographic location of the target; and

transmitting the adjusted latitude arc value and the adjusted longitude arc value of the target device to a requesting entity unless both the measured latitude arc value and the measured longitude arc value lie within a problematic territory, then refraining from initiating transmission of the adjusted latitude arc value and the adjusted longitude arc value to the requesting entity.

17. An apparatus for controlling location information of a target comprising:

means for ascertaining a location of the target to establish at least a first arc value associated with either a measured longitude or a measured latitude;

means for converting the first arc value into a corresponding linear value, the linear value being associated with a linear distance;

means for determining an adjusted linear value based at least in part on the linear value and a desired precision value;

means for converting the adjusted linear value into a corresponding adjusted arc value associated with either an adjusted longitude or an adjusted latitude;

means for establishing adjusted location information of the target based at least in part on the adjusted arc value, wherein the adjusted location information identifies a diluted geographic location of the target; and

means for transmitting at least a portion of the adjusted location information to a requesting entity unless the location of the target lies within a problematic territory, then refraining from initiating transmission of the adjusted location information to the requesting entity.