Method and apparatus for transmitting position data using control channels in wireless networks

• US 7,986,952 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIRF Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Orler, Anthony J., Pende, Ashutosh
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US11/438,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/436, 455/552.1, 455/515, 455/450, 455/168.1, 455/521, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.11, 342/357.12, 701/207, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A cellular telephone for use with a cellular telephone network includes a GPS receiver section. Position determination related information is transmitted to and from the cellular telephone using a control channel.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device for use with a wireless communications network, the mobile device comprising:

a GPS receiver section configured to receive GPS signals from a GPS satellite; and

a call processor section including;

a transmitter transmitting a request over a control channel from the mobile device to the communications network requesting respectively different position determination information from the network based on a respective first and second operational mode of the mobile device, and

a receiver receiving the requested respectively different position determination information over the control channel from the communications network.

2. The mobile communications device of claim 1, further including a memory in which GPS data is stored, wherein the mobile device transmits the GPS data to the network over the control channel during a registration process.

3. The mobile communications device of claim 2, wherein during a registration process the mobile device receives from the network over the control channel verification of the GPS data transmitted by the mobile device.

4. The mobile communications device of claim 2, wherein the mobile device receives from the network over the control channel updated position information that updates the GPS data stored in the memory.

5. The mobile communications device of claim 4, wherein the mobile device calculates a final position of the mobile device based on the updated position information received from the network over the control channel.

6. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein during a registration process the mobile device transmits to the network over the control channel a request for the network to notify the mobile device as to whether the network is GPS enabled.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein during a registration process the mobile device transmits to the network over the control channel a request for the network to transmit GPS aiding data to the mobile device.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 7, wherein the mobile device receives the GPS aiding data from the network over the control channel and calculates a final position of the mobile device based on the received GPS aiding data.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the position determination information includes information selected form the group consisting of GPS data, ephemeris information, pseudorange information, almanac information, sub-almanac information, coarse position information, Doppler information, in-view satellite position information, time and frequency aid information, received wireless signal strength information, network information, transmit time information, local landmark information, and one or more combinations thereof.

10. A mobile communications device for use with a wireless communications network, the mobile device comprising:

means for receiving GPS signals from a GPS satellite

means for searching for an available control channel in a wireless communications network;

means for registering the mobile device with the network, including transmitting information that identifies the mobile device from the mobile device to the network over the control channel;

means for transmitting a request over the control channel from the mobile device to the communications network requesting respectively different position determination information from the communications network based on a respective first and second operational mode of the mobile device;

means for receiving the requested respectively different position determination information over the control channel from the communications network.

11. The mobile communications device of claim 10, including a means for, during registering, transmitting GPS data stored by the mobile device from the mobile device to the network over the control channel.

12. The mobile communications device of claim 11 further including means for, during registering, receiving from the network over the control channel verification of the GPS data transmitted by the mobile device.

13. The mobile communications device of claim 11, including a means for receiving from the network over the control channel updated position determination information that updates the GPS data stored by the mobile device.

14. The mobile communications device of claim 13, wherein a calculation of a final position of the mobile device is based on the updated position determination information received from the network over the control channel.

15. The mobile communications device of claim 10 further including means for, during registering, transmitting a request to the network over the control channel for the network to notify the mobile device as to whether the network is GPS enabled.

16. The mobile communications device of claim 10 further including means for, during registering, transmitting a request to the network over the control channel for the network to transmit GPS aiding data to the mobile device.

17. The mobile communications device of claim 16, further including means for receiving GPS aiding data from the network over the control channel, wherein the calculation of the final position by the mobile device is based on the GPS aiding data transmitted from the network.

18. The mobile communications device of claim 10, wherein the position determination information includes information selected from the group consisting of GPS data, ephermeris information, pseudorange information, almanac information, sub-almanac information, coarse position information, Doppler information, in-view satellite position information, time and frequency aid information, received wireless signal strength information, network information, transmit time information, local landmark information, and one or more combinations thereof.

19. A method for transferring information, comprising:

searching for an available control channel in a wireless communications network using a mobile communications device;

receiving GPS signals from a GPS satellite;

registering the mobile device with the network, including transmitting information that identifies the mobile device from the mobile device to the network over the control channel;

transmitting a request over the control channel from the mobile device to the communications network requesting respectively different position determination information from the communications network based on a respective first and second operational mode of the mobile device;

transmitting the respectively different position determination information over the control channel from the network to the mobile device in response to the request; and

receiving, by the mobile device, the requested respectively different position determination information over the control channel from the communications network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting position determination information includes, during registering, transmitting GPS data stored by the mobile device from the mobile device to the network over the control channel.

21. The method of claim 20 further including, during registering, receiving from the network over the control channel verification of the GPS data transmitted by the mobile device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting position determination information includes receiving from the network over the control channel updated position determination information that updates the GPS data stored by the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a calculation of a final position by the mobile device is based on the updated position determination information received from the network over the control channel.

24. The method of claim 19 further including, during registering, transmitting a request to the network over the control channel for the network to notify the mobile device as to whether the network is GPS enabled.

25. The method of claim 19 further including, during registering, transmitting a request to the network over the control channel for the network to transmit GPS aiding data to the mobile device.

26. The method of claim 25, further including receiving GPS aiding data from the network over the control channel, wherein a calculation of a final position by the mobile device is based on the GPS aiding data transmitted from the network.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the position determination information includes information selected form the group consisting of GPS data, ephemeris information, pseudorange information, almanac information, sub-almanac information, coarse position information, Doppler information, in-view satellite position information, time and frequency aid information, received wireless signal strength information, network information, transmit time information, local landmark information, and one or more combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 19 further including, after registering, placing a call, including transmitting a call request from the mobile device to the network over a selected control channel.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the selected control channel is different from the control channel utilized for registering the mobile device with the network and transmitting position determination information between the network and the mobile device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the selected control channel is the same as the control channel utilized for registering the mobile device with the network and transmitting position determination information between the network and the mobile device.

31. The method of claim 28 including assigning the call request to a voice channel and transferring the call to the voice channel.