System and/or method for reducing initial position uncertainty in SPS operation

• US 8,700,049 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ische, Marc, Daita, Lalitaprasad V., Rowland, Thomas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US12/106,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20090264136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for reducing an initial position uncertainty of a mobile station. In one example, although claimed subject matter is not so limited, a process to improve an initial position estimate comprises identifying the locations of a serving cell and at least one other landmark proximate to a receiver and determining an initial estimate of the location of the receiver based, at least in part, on the identified locations of the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

estimating a location of a mobile station based, at least in part, on one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals received at said mobile station contemporaneously with communicating with a serving cell;

updating an estimated location of at least one landmark other than said serving cell in a database maintained at said mobile station based, at least in part, on said estimated location of said mobile station, wherein a landmark comprises an object at a fixed location;

detecting presence of the at least one landmark in proximity to the mobile station;

estimating the location of the at least one landmark based, at least in part, on said received SPS signals;

storing the estimated location of the at least one landmark in the database maintained at said mobile station;

combining the location information associated with the serving cell and the estimated location of the at least one landmark; and

determining an initial estimate of the location of the mobile station based on the combined location information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing location information associated with the serving cell in the database maintained at said mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the one or more SPS signals based, at least in part, on the initial estimate of the location of the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one landmark from a remote database.

5. An article comprising a non-transitory storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, are adapted to:

estimate a location of a mobile station based, at least in part, on one or more satellite processing system (SPS) signals received at said mobile station and contemporaneously communicate with a serving cell;

update an estimated location of at least one landmark other than said serving cell in a database maintained at said mobile station based, at least in part, on said estimated location of said mobile station, wherein a landmark comprises an object at a fixed location;

detect presence of the at least one landmark in proximity to the mobile station;

estimate the location of the at least one landmark based, at least in part, on said received SPS signals;

store the estimated location of the at least one landmark in the database maintained at said mobile station;

combine the location information associated with the serving cell and the estimated location of the at least one landmark; and

determine an initial estimate of the location of the mobile station based on the combined location information.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

store location information associated with the serving cell in the database maintained at said mobile station.

7. The article of claim 5, wherein said machine-readable instructions, when executed, are further adapted to:

process the one or more SPS based, at least in part, on the initial estimate of the location of the mobile station.

8. A mobile station, comprising:

a receiver to receive one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals, said mobile station being adapted to;

estimate a location of the mobile station based, at least in part, on the one or more signals received at said mobile station from one or more global navigation satellite system transmitters contemporaneously with communicating with a serving cell;

update an estimated location of at least one landmark other than said serving cell in a database maintained at said mobile station based, at least in part, on said estimated location of said mobile station, wherein a landmark comprises an object at a fixed location;

detect presence of the at least one landmark in proximity to the mobile station;

estimate the location of the at least one landmark based, at least in part, on said received SPS signals;

store the estimated location of the at least one landmark in the database maintained at said mobile station;

combine the location information associated with the serving cell and the estimated location of the at least one landmark; and

determine an initial estimate of the location of the mobile station based on the combined location information.

9. The mobile station of claim 8, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to store location information associated with the serving cell in the database maintained at said mobile station.

10. The mobile station of claim 8, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to process the one or more SPS signals based, at least in part, on the initial estimate of the location of the mobile station.

11. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein said mobile station is further adapted to determine uncertainty of location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one other landmark.

12. A mobile station comprising:

means for estimating a location of a mobile station based, at least in part, on one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals received at said mobile station contemporaneously with communicating with a serving cell;

means for updating an estimated location of at least one landmark other than said serving cell in a database maintained at said mobile station based, at least in part, on said estimated location of said mobile station, wherein a landmark comprises an object at a fixed location;

means for detecting presence of the at least one landmark in proximity to the mobile station;

means for estimating the location of the at least one landmark based, at least in part, on said received SPS signals;

means for storing the estimated location of the at least one landmark in the database maintained at said mobile station;

means for combining the location information associated with the serving cell and the estimated location of the at least one landmark; and

means for determining an initial estimate of the location of the mobile station based on the combined location information.

13. The mobile station of claim 12 further comprising:

means for storing location information associated with the serving cell in the database maintained at said mobile station.

14. The mobile station of claim 12 further comprising:

means for processing the one or more SPS signals based, at least in part, on the initial estimate of the location of the mobile station.

15. The mobile station of claim 12 further comprising:

means for receiving location information associated with the serving cell and the at least one landmark from a remote database.