Navigation services based on position location using broadcast digital television signals

• US 8,041,505 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Inventors: Pierce, Matthew D., Rabinowitz, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/834,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701213-215, 701207-208, 340/988, 348/113, 348/118, 348148-149, 342/357.06, 342/457, 342/463
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0218 Multipath in signal reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02216 Timing or synchronisation of the receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/145 Using a supplementary range measurement, e.g. based on pseudo-range measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/615 Signal processing at physical level signal processing in analog two-way television systems H04N7/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A service depends on the location of a device. The device location is determined using DTV signals. More specifically, the device location is determined based on pseudo-ranges between the device and a plurality of digital television (DTV) transmitters and the pseudo-ranges are determined based on broadcast DTV signals received by the device from the DTV transmitters. Examples of DTV signals include the American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) signals, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) signals and the Japanese Integrated Service Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) signals.

Claims

1. A method for providing a navigation service, the method comprising:

accessing data representing a location of a device, the location determined from pseudo-ranges between the device and a plurality of digital television (DTV) transmitters, the pseudo-ranges calculated from broadcast DTV signals received by the device from the DTV transmitters, wherein each of the pseudo-ranges represents a difference between a time of transmission from the respective DTV transmitter of a component of the respective DTV signal and a time of reception at the device of the component, as well as a clock offset of the device; and

providing data representing navigation information according to the location of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information comprises a map of a local vicinity around the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information comprises directions between the location of the device and a second location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second location is determined by a user of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information comprises directions between the location of the device and a location of a second device, wherein the location of the second device is determined from pseudo-ranges between the second device and a plurality of DTV transmitters, the pseudo-ranges calculated from broadcast DTV signals received by the second device from the DTV transmitters.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically accessing an updated location of the device; and

periodically providing updated navigation information according to the updated location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing navigation information comprises:

the device providing the navigation information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the location of the device comprises:

receiving the location from a DTV location server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing navigation information comprises:

a service provider system retrieving the navigation information according to the location of the device; and

the service provider system transmitting the navigation information to the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing navigation information comprises:

a service provider system determining a key code for navigation information according to the location of the device, the key code enabling retrieval of the navigation information; and

the service provider system transmitting the key code to the device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the DTV signals are American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) signals.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the DTV signals are European Telecommunications Standards Institute Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) signals.

13. A computer software product, comprising computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, to effect, when executed, a method for providing navigation information according to a location of a device, comprising:

accessing a location of the device, the location determined from pseudo-ranges between the device and a plurality of DTV transmitters, the pseudo-ranges calculated from broadcast DTV signals received by the device from the DTV transmitters, wherein each of the pseudo-ranges represents a difference between a time of transmission from the respective DTV transmitter of a component of the respective DTV signal and a time of reception at the device of the component, as well as a clock offset of the device; and

providing navigation information according to the location of the device.

14. The computer software product of claim 13, wherein the navigation information comprises a map of a local vicinity around the device.

15. The computer software product of claim 13, wherein the navigation information comprises directions between the location of the device and a second location.

16. The computer software product of claim 15, wherein the second location is determined by a user of the device.

17. The computer software product of claim 13, the effected method further comprising:

periodically accessing an updated location of the device; and

periodically providing updated navigation information according to the updated location.

18. A system for providing a navigation service, comprising:

a device to receive broadcast DTV signals from a plurality of DTV transmitters; and

a DTV location server to determine a location of the device from pseudo-ranges between the device and the DTV transmitters, the pseudo-ranges calculated from the received DTV signals, wherein each of the pseudo-ranges represents a difference between a time of transmission from the respective DTV transmitter of a component of the respective DTV signal and a time of reception at the device of the component, as well as a clock offset of the device.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising a service provider system to provide navigation information according to the location of the device.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the device serves as the DTV location server by determining the location from the pseudo-ranges; and

the device serves as the service provider system by providing the navigation information.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein:

the device serves as the DTV location server by determining the location from the pseudo-ranges.