System and method for refining a WLAN-PS estimated location using satellite measurements in a hybrid positioning system

• US 8,089,399 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Alizadeh-Shabdiz, Farshid
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US12/479,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.31
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• 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

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system and method for refining a WLAN-PS estimated location using satellite measurements. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a method of determining the location of a WLAN and satellite enabled device by using two or more satellite measurements to refine an initial WLAN based location determination. The method can include estimating a position of the WLAN and satellite enabled device using a WLAN positioning system, gathering satellite location measurements from at least two satellites, determining an uncertainty area around the WLAN location estimate based on the expected error of the WLAN location estimate, wherein the uncertainty area has a plurality of possible location solutions, and determining the device location estimate inside the WLAN location uncertainty that best satisfies the satellite measurements.

Claims

1. A method of determining the location of a WLAN and satellite enabled device by using satellite measurements and satellite information from two or more satellites to refine an initial WLAN based location determination, the method comprising:

estimating a location of the WLAN and satellite enabled device using a WLAN positioning system;

gathering satellite measurements and satellite information from at least two satellites, the satellite measurements and satellite information including information that is preliminary to a resolved satellite-based location estimate; and

refining the WLAN-based location estimate based on the satellite measurements and satellite information, wherein the refining includes choosing a location solution that best satisfies the satellite measurements and satellite information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an uncertainty area around the WLAN-based location estimate based on an expected error of the WLAN-based location estimate, wherein the uncertainty area has a plurality of possible location solutions;

and wherein the location solution is inside the WLAN location uncertainty area.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the satellite measurements and satellite information that is preliminary to a satellite-based location estimate comprises at least one of pseudoranges, Doppler frequencies, carrier frequencies, internal SPS receiver clock offset, WLAN and satellite enabled device clock offset, satellite location, and satellite velocity.

4. The method of claim 2 comprising dividing the uncertainty area into a grid.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising evaluating the WLAN-based location estimate using the satellite measurements and satellite information at each point on the grid.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining the internal SPS receiver clock bias of the satellite measurements and satellite information at each grid point.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising using the consistency of the internal SPS receiver clock bias of the satellite measurements and satellite information to determine the location of the device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the location of device is the grid point which provides the most consistent internal SPS receiver clock bias for the satellite measurements and satellite information.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the size of the grid is based on an accuracy requirement for the location determination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the accuracy requirement is about ten meters.

11. A system for increasing the accuracy of a WLAN based position estimate using satellite positioning information, the system comprising:

a hybrid positioning module comprising;

a WLAN positioning module for receiving information from one or more WLAN access points, and for receiving a WLAN-based location estimate based on the WLAN access point information; and

a satellite positioning module for obtaining satellite measurements and satellite information from at least two different satellites, the satellite measurements and satellite information including information that is preliminary to a resolved satellite-based location estimate; and

logic in the hybrid positioning module for refining the WLAN-based location estimate based on the satellite measurements and satellite information, wherein the refining includes choosing a location solution that best satisfies the satellite measurements and satellite information.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising logic in the WLAN positioning module for determining an uncertainty area around the WLAN-based location estimate based on an expected error of the WLAN-based location estimate, wherein the uncertainty area has a plurality of possible location solutions;

and wherein the logic in the hybrid positioning module refines based on choosing a location solution inside the WLAN location uncertainty area.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the satellite measurements and satellite information that is preliminary to a satellite-based location estimate comprises at least one of pseudoranges, Doppler frequencies, carrier frequencies, clock offset received by the satellite positioning module, WLAN and satellite enabled device clock offset, satellite location, and satellite velocity.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the uncertainty area is divided into a grid.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the logic in the WLAN positioning module evaluates the WLAN-based location estimate using the satellite measurements and satellite information at each point on the grid.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the logic in the WLAN positioning module determines the internal SPS receiver clock bias of the satellite measurements and satellite information at each grid point.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the consistency of the internal SPS receiver clock bias of the satellite measurements and satellite information is used to determine the location of the device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the location of the device is the grid point which provides the most consistent internal SPS receiver clock bias for the satellite measurements and satellite information.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the size of the grid is based on an accuracy requirement for the location determination.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the accuracy requirement is about ten meters.