System having doppler-based control of a mobile device

• US 8,200,238 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Gildea, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEIBER, SHANTELL LAKETA
• Application Number:
  US12/140,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20090312038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention recite a system having Doppler-based control of a mobile device. In one embodiment, at least one measured Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Doppler frequency shift measurement corresponding to a GNSS signal measured at a mobile electronic device is received. The speed of the remote device is then determined based at least in part upon the GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement. An operation of the remote device is then controlled from the base station when the speed of the remote device exceeds a speed threshold.

Claims

1. A method for Doppler-based control of a mobile device, said method comprising:

receiving at a base station a wireless signal comprising at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Doppler frequency shift measurement corresponding to a GNSS signal received at a mobile electronic device;

determining a speed of said mobile electronic device based at least in part on said at least one GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement, wherein an expected range rate is subtracted from a measured value indicating a speed of said mobile device and wherein said expected range rate is derived by calculating a dot product of at least one line-of-sight vector to a GNSS satellite and a velocity-in-space of said GNSS satellite;

controlling from said base station an operation associated with said mobile electronic device when said speed exceeds a speed threshold;

wherein said controlling said operation further comprises;

determining a first new speed of said mobile electronic device;

determining a second new speed of said mobile electronic device; and

transmitting a missed communication notice signal from said base station when neither of said first new speed of said mobile electronic device nor said second new speed exceeds said speed threshold, said missed communication notice signal configured to provide notification to said mobile electronic device that said communication was missed.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said determining said speed further comprises:

using a geographical position corresponding to said mobile electronic device and an orbital parameter for a GNSS satellite to determine a relative expected value proportional to said expected range rate for said GNSS satellite; and

using said expected value with said at least one GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement for said determining said speed.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

receiving at said base station at least one GNSS code phase offset determination for said GNSS signal received at said mobile electronic device; and

determining said geographic position of said mobile electronic device based at least in part on said at least one GNSS code phase offset determination.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said determining said speed comprises:

calculating a plurality of measured range rates corresponding to a plurality of GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurements;

calculating a plurality of said expected range rates between said mobile electronic device and a plurality of GNSS satellites; and

comparing said plurality of measured range rates with said plurality of said expected range rates for said determining said speed.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said controlling said operation comprises:

transmitting an inhibiting signal from said base station, said inhibiting signal configured to be used by said mobile electronic device for said controlling said operation.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

configuring said inhibiting signal to cause said mobile electronic device to perform at least one action from the group consisting of;

generating an audible notification by said mobile electronic device when a user input device in said mobile electronic device is operated, restricting an operation of a user input device of said mobile electronic device, requiring the use of a hands-free operation device to operate said mobile electronic device, and requiring the use of a voice activation system to operate said mobile electronic device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said controlling said operation comprises:

inhibiting, at said base station, a transmission of a communication addressed to said mobile electronic device when said speed exceeds said speed threshold.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

transmitting a missed communication notice signal from said base station when said speed does not exceed said speed threshold for a pre-determined time period, said missed communication notice signal configured to provide notification to said mobile electronic device that said communication was missed.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said communication is a text message and further comprising:

storing said text message at said base station; and

transmitting said text message from said base station addressed to said mobile electronic device when said speed does not exceed said speed threshold for a pre-determined time period.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

predicting a GNSS Doppler frequency shift, a GNSS code phase offset and a GNSS data bit time for said GNSS signal for a location proximate to said base station, and estimating a GNSS clock time;

offline transmitting one or more wireless signals having said GNSS Doppler frequency shift, said GNSS code phase offset and said GNSS data bit time predictions and said GNSS clock time estimate addressed to said mobile electronic device and configured to be used by said mobile electronic device for tuning to a carrier frequency, decreasing a time for making said measurement of said Doppler frequency shift, narrowing a range of GNSS code phase offsets for making a GNSS code phase offset determination and generating a GNSS clock time tag for said GNSS signal;

offline receiving one or more wireless signals having said GNSS code phase offset determination and said time tag from said mobile electronic device;

determining a position based at least in part on said GNSS code phase offset determination and said time tag;

calculating a plurality of expected values proportional to a plurality of said expected range rates between said mobile electronic device and a plurality of said GNSS satellites based on orbital parameters for said plurality of said GNSS satellites for said position assumed to be stationary; and

using said expected values with a plurality of said Doppler frequency shift measurements for said determining said speed.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said determining said speed further comprises:

determining one or more range rate vectors based on said expected values and said Doppler frequency shift measurements;

determining a plurality of said line-of-sight vectors for said plurality of said GNSS satellites; and

computing said speed based on said one or more range rate vectors and said line-of-sight vectors.

12. A wireless communication system comprising:

a transceiver at a base station configured to receive a wireless signal from a mobile electronic device, said wireless signal comprising at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Doppler frequency shift measurement corresponding to a GNSS signal received at said mobile electronic device;

a speed determiner configured to determine a speed of said mobile electronic device based at least in part on said at least one GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement, wherein said speed determiner subtracts an expected range rate from a measured value indicating a speed of said mobile device and wherein said expected range rate is derived by calculating a dot product of at least one line-of-sight vector to a GNSS satellite and a velocity-in-space of said GNSS satellite;

a communication controller configured to control an operation associated with said mobile electronic device when said speed exceeds a speed threshold; and

wherein said speed determiner is configured to determine a first new speed of said mobile electronic device and a second new speed of said mobile electronic device and wherein said wireless communication system further comprises;

a missed communication notice signal transmitter configured to transmit a missed communication notice signal when neither of said first new speed of said mobile electronic device nor said second new speed of said mobile electronic device exceeds said speed threshold, said missed communication notice signal configured to provide notification to said mobile electronic device that said communication was missed.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 12 wherein said speed determiner is configured to use a geographical position corresponding to said mobile electronic device and an orbital parameter for a GNSS satellite to determine said expected value proportional to an expected range rate for said GNSS satellite and to use said expected value with said at least one GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement to determine said speed.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 12 wherein said transceiver is configured to receive at least one GNSS code phase offset determination for said GNSS signal received at said mobile electronic device and wherein said speed determiner configured to determine a geographic position of said mobile electronic device based at least in part on said GNSS code phase offset determination.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 12 wherein said speed determiner further comprises:

a relative measurement calculator configured to calculate a plurality of measured range rates corresponding to a plurality of GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurements and calculating a plurality of said expected range rates between said mobile electronic device and a plurality of said GNSS satellites; and

a comparator configured to compare said measured range rates with said plurality of said expected range rates to determine said speed.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 12 further comprising:

an inhibiting signal generator configured to transmit an inhibiting signal, said inhibiting signal configured to be used by said mobile electronic device for said controlling said operation.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 16 wherein said inhibiting signal is configured to cause said mobile electronic device to perform at least one action from the group consisting of:

generating an audible notification by said mobile electronic device when a user input device in said mobile electronic device is operated, restricting an operation of a user input device of said mobile electronic device, requiring the use of a hands-free operation device to operate said mobile electronic device, and requiring the use of a voice activation system to operate said mobile electronic device.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 12 further comprising:

a call inhibitor configured to inhibit a transmission of a communication addressed to said mobile electronic device when said speed exceeds said speed threshold.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 18 further comprising:

a missed communication notice signal transmitter configured to transmit a missed communication notice signal from said base station when said speed does not exceed said speed threshold for a pre-determined time period, and wherein said missed communication notice signal is configured to provide notification to said mobile electronic device that said communication was missed.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 18 wherein said communication is a text message and wherein said wireless communication system further comprises:

a text message storage system configured to store said text message at said base station; and

a text message transmitter configured to transmit said text message addressed to said mobile electronic device when said speed does not exceed said speed threshold for a pre-determined time period.

21. The wireless communication system of claim 12 further comprising:

a GNSS acquisition assistance generator configured to predict a GNSS Doppler frequency shift, a GNSS code phase offset and a GNSS data bit time for said GNSS signal for a location proximate to said base station, and to estimate a GNSS clock time and wherein said transceiver is further configured to offline transmit of one or more wireless signals addressed to said mobile electronic device having said Doppler frequency shift, said GNSS code phase offset, and said GNSS data bit time predictions and said GNSS clock time estimate and configured to be used by said mobile electronic device for tuning to a carrier frequency, decreasing a time for making said measurement of said Doppler frequency shift, narrowing a range of GNSS code phase offsets for making a GNSS code phase offset determination, and generating a GNSS clock time tag for said GNSS signal; and

wherein said transceiver is further configured for offline receiving of one or more wireless signals having said GNSS code phase offset determination and said GNSS time tag from said mobile electronic device.

22. The wireless communication system of claim 21 wherein said speed determiner is further configured to calculate a position based at least in part on said GNSS code phase offset and said time tag, calculating a plurality of expected values proportional to a plurality of said expected range rates between said mobile electronic device and a plurality of said GNSS satellites based on orbital parameters for said plurality of said GNSS satellites for said position assumed to be stationary;

and using said expected values with a plurality of said Doppler frequency shift measurements to determine said speed.

23. The wireless communication system of claim 22 wherein said speed determiner is further configured to determine one or more range rate vectors based on said expected values and said Doppler frequency shift measurements, determining a plurality of said line-of-sight vectors for said GNSS satellites;

and computing said speed based on said one or more range rate vectors and said plurality of said line-of-sight vectors.