Apparatus, system and method for determining position by use of a low power wireless link

• US 8,228,838 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Uusitalo, Arttu Tapio, Honkanen, Mauri Juhana
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMARTH, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US12/080,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20090253437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 370/318
• US Class Current: 370/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system, comprising: a first low power wireless transceiver; a second low power wireless transceiver configured to transmit a first positioning request to the first low power wireless transceiver over a low power wireless link; a cellular radio transceiver configured, in response to the first low power wireless transceiver receiving the first positioning request, to transmit a second positioning request to a base station of a cellular network, and configured to receive, as a reply to the second positioning request, first positioning data from the base station of the cellular network; wherein the first low power wireless transceiver is configured to transmit second positioning data, determined by the first positioning data, to the second low power wireless transceiver over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first low power wireless transceiver housed in a first apparatus;

a satellite positioning receiver housed in a second apparatus;

a second low power wireless transceiver, housed in the second apparatus, configured to transmit a first positioning request to the first low power wireless transceiver over a low power wireless link; and

a cellular radio transceiver, housed in the first apparatus and configured, in response to the first low power wireless transceiver receiving the first positioning request, to transmit a second positioning request to a base station of a cellular network, and configured to receive, as a reply to the second positioning request, first positioning data from the base station of the cellular network;

wherein the first low power wireless transceiver is configured to transmit second positioning data, determined at least partially from the first positioning data, to the second low power wireless transceiver over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request; and

wherein the satellite positioning receiver, housed in the second apparatus, is configured to use the second positioning data to determine a position.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first positioning data is the same as the second positioning data.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second positioning data identifies an approximate position determined using the cellular network.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein second positioning data is different from the first positioning data.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second positioning data comprises data relating to the orbit of at least one satellite.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second positioning data comprises data relating to the phase of a code transmitted by at least one satellite.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second positioning data comprises data relating to frequencies to be searched by the satellite positioning receiver housed in the second apparatus.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cellular radio transceiver enables the first apparatus to operate as a mobile radio telephone in the cellular network.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second apparatus is an imaging apparatus comprising a memory for storing images and/or video and processing circuitry configured to associate a position identified in the second positioning data with a stored image or a stored video.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second apparatus is a navigation apparatus configured to navigate from one position to another position.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first positioning request is a request for information to assist the satellite positioning receiver, housed in the second apparatus, to determine a position.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second positioning data indicates the approximate position of the first apparatus.

13. A method, comprising:

transferring a first positioning request to a first low power wireless transceiver housed in a first apparatus from a second low power wireless transceiver housed in a second apparatus over a low power wireless link;

transmitting, via a cellular radio transceiver housed in the first apparatus, in response to receiving the first positioning request at the first low power wireless transceiver, a second positioning request to a base station of a cellular network;

receiving, via the cellular radio transceiver, as a reply to the second positioning request, first positioning data from the base station of the cellular network;

transferring transmitting second positioning data, determined at least partially from the first positioning data, from the first low power wireless transceiver to the second low power wireless transceiver over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request; and

using a satellite positioning receiver housed in the second apparatus to determine a position using the second positioning data.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first positioning data is the same as the second positioning data.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first positioning data is different to the second positioning data.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

processing circuitry; and

at least one memory storing computer program instructions that, when performed by the processing circuitry, cause at least the following to be performed;

responding to reception, over a low power wireless link, of a first positioning request from a further apparatus by controlling transmission of a second positioning request to a base station of a cellular network;

responding to reception of first positioning data, received from the base station of the cellular network as a reply to the second positioning request, by controlling transmission of second positioning data, determined at least partially from the first positioning data, to the further apparatus over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request, wherein the second positioning data is for use in determining a position using a satellite positioning receiver housed in the further apparatus.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first positioning data is the same as the second positioning data.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second positioning data is different from the first positioning data.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first positioning data identifies an approximate position determined using the cellular network.

20. A system comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 16 and the further apparatus housing the satellite positioning receiver, wherein the further apparatus housing the satellite positioning receiver is configured to determine its position using the second positioning data.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second positioning data indicates the approximate position of the apparatus.

22. A method, comprising:

responding to reception, over a low power wireless link, of a first positioning request from an apparatus by controlling transmission of a second positioning request to a base station of a cellular network; and

responding to reception of first positioning data, received from the base station of the cellular network as a reply to the second positioning request, by controlling transmission of second positioning data, determined at least partially from the first positioning data, to the apparatus over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request, wherein the second positioning data is for use in determining a position using a satellite positioning receiver housed in the apparatus.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the first positioning data is the same as the second positioning data.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the first positioning data is different from the second positioning data.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when performed by processing circuitry, cause at least the method as claimed in claim 22 to be performed.

26. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the second positioning data indicates the approximate position of the apparatus.

27. A second apparatus, comprising:

processing circuitry; and

at least one memory storing computer program instructions that, when performed by the processing circuitry, cause at least the following to be performed;

controlling transmission of a first positioning request to a first apparatus over a low power wireless link; and

a satellite positioning receiver housed in the second apparatus configured to use the second positioning data, received from the first apparatus over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request, to determine a position of the second apparatus, wherein said second positioning data received from the first apparatus is determined at least partially from first positioning data that is received by the first apparatus as a result of a cellular radio transceiver housed in the first apparatus transmitting a second positioning request to a base station in response to the first positioning request and receiving, as a reply to the second positioning request, said first positioning data from the base station.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the apparatus is an imaging apparatus comprising a memory for storing images and/or video and processing circuitry configured to associate the position determined by the satellite positioning receiver with a stored image or a stored video.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the apparatus is a navigation apparatus configured to navigate from one position to another position.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the positioning data indicates the approximate position of the apparatus.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein use of the received positioning data reduces the time taken by the satellite positioning receiver to determine a position.

32. A method, comprising:

controlling transmission of a first positioning request, to a first apparatus from a second apparatus, over a low power wireless link; and

using second positioning data, received from the first apparatus over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request, to determine a position of the second apparatus, wherein said second positioning data received from the first apparatus is determined at least partially from first positioning data that is received by the first apparatus as a result of a cellular radio transceiver housed in the first apparatus transmitting a second positioning request to a base station in response to the first positioning request and receiving, as a reply to the second positioning request, said first positioning data from the base station.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising associating the determined position with an image.

34. The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising providing information for navigating from the determined position to another position.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when performed by processing circuitry, cause at least the method as claimed in claim 32 to be performed.

36. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the positioning data indicates the approximate position of the apparatus.

37. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein use of the received positioning data reduces the time taken by the satellite positioning receiver to determine a position.