System and method for providing assisted GPS location service to dual mode mobile station

• US 7,970,414 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Seeman, John, Werden, Steven, Rahman, Iftekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer; Temica M
• Application Number:
  US12/081,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 455/552.1, 455/456.2, 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 19/48 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: G01S 5/015 between indoor and outdoor environments

Abstract

A system for determining position of a mobile station is provided. The mobile station is equipped with a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from satellites. The system comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN) configured to provide an acquisition assistance data for use in acquiring the satellite signals by the GPS receiver to the mobile station that is operable in the WWAN. A position determination entity (PDE) is provided to determine position of the mobile station based on the satellite signals received sent from the mobile station and the acquisition assistance data from the WWAN. A wireless local area network (WLAN) provides RF signals to the mobile station when the mobile station enters into a WLAN area. The mobile station determines the position of the mobile station using the WWAN transceiver and the GPS receiver at the time when the mobile station enters into the WLAN area. The MS then uses this position when it is operating in the WLAN and it is requested to provide location by a LBS application or by the emergency 911 calling service.

Claims

1. A method for determining position of a mobile station equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the mobile station being operable in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising steps of:

(a) detecting the mobile station entering into an area of the WLAN;

(b) determining position of the mobile station, based on satellite signals from the GPS receiver and/or signals received from the WWAN before or at the time of entrance into the WLAN area, responsive to detecting of the mobile station entering into the WLAN area;

(c) storing the position of the mobile station determined in the step (b) in the mobile station for a position of the mobile station in the WLAN area; and

(d) responsive to a request for location of the mobile station, while the mobile station is operating through the WLAN, providing the stored position of the mobile station determined in the step (b) as the position of the mobile station in the WLAN area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (a) is performed by determining whether a radio signal from the WLAN exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station retrieves the stored position of the mobile station when a location based service application installed in the mobile station requests the position of the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station sends the stored position via a communication link of the WLAN to an external entity which requests the position of the mobile station.

5. The method of claim 2, further including steps of:

stopping the mobile station from communicating using radio signals via the WLAN, when the detected radio signals via the WLAN does not exceed the predetermined threshold; and

thereafter enabling the mobile station to communicate via radio signals of the WWAN.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes steps of:

(b1) deciding whether the mobile station has position information of satellites;

(b2) calculating position of the mobile station based on the position information of satellites when the mobile station has position information of satellites; and

(b3) storing position of the mobile station in the mobile station.

7. A method for determining position of a mobile station equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the mobile station being operable in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising steps of:

(a) detecting whether the mobile station enters into the WLAN area;

(b) determining position of the mobile station based on satellite signals from the GPS receiver and RF signals from the WWAN before or at the time of entrance into the WLAN area upon detecting when the mobile station enters into the WLAN area; and

(c) storing the position of the mobile station determined in the step (b) in the mobile station for a position of the mobile station in the WLAN area,

wherein the step (b) includes steps of;

(b1) deciding whether or not the mobile station has position information of satellites;

(b2) calculating position of the mobile station based on the position information of satellites when the mobile station has position information of satellites;

(b3) storing position of the mobile station in the mobile station;

(b4) the mobile station measuring PN signal phase offset of radio signals from a base station of the WWAN when the mobile station does not have position information of satellites;

(b5) the mobile station sending information about the PN signal phase offset and Base Transceiver Systems (BTSs) corresponding to the PN signal phase offset and requesting the position information of satellites corresponding to satellites that are available to the mobile station based on the information about the PN signal phase offset and the BTSs to a Position Determination Entity (PDE);

(b6) the PDE sending satellite acquisition assistance data identifying satellites serviceable to the mobile station based on the information about PN signal phase offset and the BTS;

(b7) the mobile station receiving satellite signals from the serviceable satellites identified by the PDE; and

(b8) determining position of the mobile station from satellite signals received from at least three of the serviceable satellites.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step (b7) further includes steps of:

(b71) the mobile station determining pseudo ranges of at least three of the serviceable satellites; and

(b72) the mobile station measuring PN signal offsets of BTSs.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step (b) further includes steps of:

(b9) calculating position of the mobile station when the mobile station receives satellite signals from at least three of the serviceable satellites in the step (b8); and

(b10) storing position of the mobile station in the mobile station.

10. A method of claim 7, wherein the step (b) further includes steps of:

(b11) the mobile station sending the obtained information about satellites and BTSs to the PDE when the mobile station does not receive satellite signals from at least three of the serviceable satellites in the step (b8);

(b12) the PDE calculating and sending location information of the mobile station to the mobile station; and

(b13) the mobile station storing the location information.

11. A dual mode mobile station operable in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:

one or more transceivers, for wireless communications via the WWAN, for wireless communications via the WLAN, and for receiving signals from one or more GPS satellites;

a processor coupled to the one or more transceivers for controlling operations of the dual mode mobile station;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

programming stored in the memory, wherein execution of the programming causes the processor to control operations of the dual mode mobile station so as to implement functions for determining position of the mobile station, comprising;

determining a position of the mobile station from position data received from the WWAN and/or from measurements of GPS satellite signals received by the GPS receiver;

upon the mobile station entering into an area of the WLAN, storing the determined position of the mobile station in the memory as the position of the mobile station while operating via the WLAN area; and

responsive to a request for location of the mobile station, while the mobile station is operating through the WLAN, providing the stored position of the mobile station as the position of the mobile station in the WLAN area.

12. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the position of the mobile station is received from a position determination entity (PDE) that is located in the WWAN or the WLAN based on mobile station measurements of the satellite signals from the GPS receiver and location acquisition assistance data from the WWAN as the mobile station enters into the WLAN.

13. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the entrance of the mobile station into the WLAN area is known by the time when the RF signal from the WLAN exceeds the threshold level.

14. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein programming stored in the memory includes

a location based service (LBS) application for requesting the position of the mobile station, wherein the stored position of the mobile station is provided to the LBS application in response to the request of the LBS application.

15. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the function of providing the stored position includes

sending the determined position to a node which requests the position of the mobile station when the mobile station requests an application service which requires the position of the mobile station.