Systems, devices and methods for location determination

• US 7,970,419 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helio LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Virgin Mobile USA LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyewon, Oh, Seung June, Koh, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): THIER, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/893,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20090047979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 4554561-457, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for location determination of a multi-mode device using a plurality of GPS fixation processes, each fixation process using a different mode (e.g. Cell-ID, MS-Assist, and MS-based) of the device is provided. The invention relates to methods for quickly obtaining and displaying geographic location of a mobile device on its display. These methods can be performed by applying successive fixation steps as outline herein.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining the location of a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first set of location data of the mobile device from a first source, the first set of location data indicating the location of the mobile device at a first level of granularity;

obtaining, subsequent to obtaining the first set of location data, a second set of location data of the mobile device from a second source, the second set of location data indicating the location of the mobile device at a second level of granularity finer than the first set of location data;

determining whether the mobile device can communicate directly with one or more satellites by executing a test sequence;

obtaining, subsequent to obtaining the first set of location data, a series of location data based on signals received from the one or more satellites and satellite almanac and Ephemeris information about the one or more satellites received from a remote computer server, the series of location data continuously tracking a movement of the mobile device at a level of granularity finer than the first set of location data;

displaying at least a part of the series of location data; and

responsive to a determination that the mobile device cannot communicate directly with the one or more satellites, displaying the second set of location data instead of the at least a part of the series of location data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the location of the mobile device as indicated by the first set of location data before the second set of location data becomes available.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of location data comprise cell tower location based information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of location data comprise global positioning satellite based information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the second set of location data comprises:

searching one or more cell towers and the one or more satellites using Global Positioning System (GPS) related information received from a second remote server;

sending searched locations of the one or more cell towers and the one or more satellites to the second remote server; and

receiving the second set of location data of the mobile device from the second remote server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the first set of location data before the at least a part of the series of location data becomes available.

7. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program code for;

obtaining a first set of location data of the mobile device from a first source, the first set of location data indicating the location of the mobile device at a first level of granularity;

obtaining, subsequent to obtaining the first set of location data, a second set of location data of the mobile device from a second source, the second set of location data indicating the location of the mobile device at a second level of granularity finer than the first set of location data;

determining whether the mobile device can communicate directly with one or more satellites by executing a test sequence;

obtaining, subsequent to obtaining the first set of location data, a series of location data based on signals received from the one or more satellites and satellite almanac and Ephemeris information about the one or more satellites received from a remote computer server, the series of location data continuously tracking a movement of the mobile device at a level of granularity finer than the first set of location data;

displaying at least a part of the series of location data and

responsive to a determination that the mobile device cannot communicate directly with the one or more satellites, displaying the second set of location data instead of the at least a part of the series of location data.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program code for:

displaying the location of the mobile device as indicated by the first set of location data before the second set of location data becomes available.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 7 wherein the first set of location data comprise cell tower location based information.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 7 wherein the second set of location data comprise global positioning satellite based information.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 7 wherein obtaining the second set of location data comprises:

searching one or more cell towers and the one or more satellites using Global Positioning System (GPS) related information received from a second remote server;

sending searched locations of the one or more cell towers and the one or more satellites to the second remote server; and

receiving the second set of location data of the mobile device from the second remote server.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program code for:

displaying the first set of location data before the at least a part of the series of location data becomes available.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with executable computer program code for determining the location of a mobile device, the computer program code comprising program code for:

obtaining a first set of location data of the mobile device from a first source, the first set of location data indicating the location of the mobile device at a first level of granularity;

obtaining, subsequent to obtaining the first set of location data, a second set of location data of the mobile device from a second source, the second set of location data indicating the location of the mobile device at a second level of granularity finer than the first set of location data;

determining whether the mobile device can communicate directly with one or more satellites by executing a test sequence;

obtaining, subsequent to obtaining the first set of location data, a series of location data based on signals received from the one or more satellites and satellite almanac and Ephemeris information about the one or more satellites received from a remote computer server, the series of location data continuously tracking a movement of the mobile device at a level of granularity finer than the first set of location data;

displaying at least a part of the series of location data; and

responsive to a determination that the mobile device cannot communicate directly with the one or more satellites, displaying the second set of location data instead of the at least a part of a series of location data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program code for:

displaying the location of the mobile device as indicated by the first set of location data before the second set of location data becomes available.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the first set of location data comprise cell tower location based information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the second set of location data comprise global positioning satellite based information.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein obtaining the second set of location data comprises:

searching one or more cell towers and the one or more satellites using Global Positioning System (GPS) related information received from a second remote server;

sending searched locations of the one or more cell towers and the one or more satellites to the second remote server; and

receiving the second set of location data of the mobile device from the second remote server.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program code for:

displaying the first set of location data before the at least a part of the series of location data becomes available.