Assisted GPS data management

• US 8,768,382 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Gordin, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US12/262,787
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/422.1, 455/456.3, 455/457, 370/310.2, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of determining a position includes acquiring and storing Assisted Satellite Positioning (ASP) data in a mobile user equipment associated with a cellular network. Upon receiving a request for a position determination service, it is determined whether the ASP data is usable for the requested position determination service. When the ASP data is usable for the requested position determination service, the position of the mobile user equipment is determined based partially on the ASP data.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position, comprising:

acquiring and storing first Assisted Satellite Positioning (ASP) data in a mobile user equipment associated with a cellular network, the first ASP data being provided by a cellular network base station, the stored first ASP data being associated with first location information that includes a first local area identity, the first location information being received by the mobile user equipment from the cellular network base station, the first ASP data and the associated first location information being stored in a data store at the mobile user equipment, the data store being configured to contain multiple sets of ASP data and associated location information that includes local area identities for future uses;

receiving a request for a position determination service;

determining whether the first ASP data is usable for the requested position determination service by;

acquiring second location information that includes a second local area identity associated with a current location of the mobile user equipment; and

comparing the first location information associated with the ASP data from the cellular network base station and the second location information identifying the current location of the mobile user equipment to determine whether the first ASP data is usable for the current location of the mobile user equipment;

when the first ASP data is usable for the requested position determination service, determining a position of the mobile user equipment based partially on the first ASP data;

when the current location is different from the first location associated with the ASP data from the cellular network base station and the ASP data is not usable for reducing a time to first fix of a satellite positioning receiver, acquiring new ASP data associated with the current location of the mobile user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the first ASP data is usable comprises:

determining whether the first ASP data is older than a predetermined period of time; and

determining whether the first ASP data is usable for a current location of the mobile user equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the first location information and second location information comprises acquiring a Local Area Identity (LAI) from a base station of the cellular network which the mobile user equipment is associated with at the time of acquisition thereof.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ASP data and the first location information are acquired at the same time.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a stored computer program embodying instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to determine a position, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for acquiring and storing first Assisted Satellite Positioning (ASP) data in a mobile user equipment associated with a cellular network, the first ASP data being provided by a cellular network base station, the stored first ASP data being associated with first location information that includes a first local area identity, the first location information being received by the mobile user equipment from the cellular network base station, the first ASP data and the first location information being stored in a data store at the mobile user equipment, the data store being configured to contain multiple sets of ASP data and associated location information that includes local area identities for future uses;

instructions for receiving a request for a position determination service;

instructions for determining whether the first ASP data is usable for the requested position determination service by;

acquiring second location information that includes a second local area identity associated with a current location of the mobile user equipment; and

comparing the first location information associated with the ASP data from the cellular network base station and the second location information identifying the current location of the mobile user equipment to determine whether the first ASP data is usable for the current location of the mobile user equipment;

when the first ASP data is usable for the requested position determination service, determining a position of the mobile user equipment based partially on the first ASP data;

when the current location is different from the ASP data from the cellular network base station and the ASP data is not usable for reducing a time to first fix of a satellite positioning receiver, acquiring new ASP data associated with the current location of the mobile user equipment.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions for determining whether the first ASP data is usable comprises:

instructions for determining whether the first ASP data is older than a predetermined period of time; and

instructions for determining whether the first ASP data is usable for a current location of the mobile user equipment.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions for acquiring the first location information and second location information comprise instructions for acquiring a Local Area Identity (LAI) from a base station of the cellular network which the mobile user equipment is associated with at the time of acquisition thereof.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the first ASP data and the first location information are acquired at the same time.

7. A method of managing Assisted Satellite Positioning (ASP) data in a mobile station, comprising:

acquiring and storing first ASP data and first location information that includes a first local area identity associated with the first ASP data, the first ASP data and the first location information being provided by a cellular network base station, the first ASP data and the associated first location information being stored in a data store at the mobile station, the data store being configured to contain multiple sets of ASP data and associated location information that includes local area identities for future uses;

receiving a request for a position determination service;

acquiring second location information that includes a second local area identity associated with a current location of the mobile station upon receiving the request;

determining whether the stored first ASP data is older than a predetermined period of time;

determining whether the first location information and the second location information are the same by;

comparing the first location information associated with the ASP data from the cellular network base station and the second location information identifying the current location of the mobile station to determine whether the first ASP data is usable for the current location of the mobile station;

when the first ASP data is not older than the predetermined period of time and the first location information and the second location information are the same, determining a position of the mobile station based partially on the first ASP data for the requested position determination service;

when the first ASP data is older than the predetermined period or the first location information and the second location information are not the same and the first ASP data is not usable for reducing a time to first fix of a satellite positioning receiver, acquiring new ASP data associated with the current location of the mobile station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether the first ASP data is older than the predetermined period of time comprises:

obtaining a first time of acquiring the first ASP data and a second time of receiving the request; and

determining whether a time between the first time and the second time is greater than the predetermined time period.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined time period is about two hours.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first location information and second location information is related to a location of a base station of a cellular network which the mobile station is associated with at the time of acquisition thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the acquiring the first location information and second location information comprises acquiring a Local Area Identity (LAI) from a base station of a cellular network which the mobile station is associated with at the time of acquisition thereof.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile station is a cellular network user equipment.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a stored computer program embodying instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to manage Assisted Satellite Positioning (ASP) data in a mobile station, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for acquiring and storing first ASP data and a first location information that includes a first local area identity associated with the first ASP data, the first ASP data and the first location information being provided by a cellular network base station, the first ASP data and the associated first location information being stored in a data store at the mobile station, the data store being configured to contain multiple sets of ASP data and associated location information that includes local area identities for future uses;

instructions for receiving a request for a position determination service;

instructions for acquiring second location information that includes a second local area identity associated with a current location of the mobile station upon receiving the request;

instructions for determining whether the stored first ASP data is older than a predetermined period of time;

instructions for determining whether the first location information and the second location information are the same by;

comparing the first location information from the cellular network base station and the second location information identifying the current location of the mobile station to determine whether the first ASP data is usable for the current location of the mobile station;

instructions for when the first ASP data is not older than the predetermined period of time and the first location information and the second location information are the same, determining a position of the mobile station based partially on the first ASP data for the requested position determination service;

instructions for when the first ASP data is older than the predetermined period or the first location information and the second location information are not the same and the first ASP data is not usable for reducing a time to first fix of a satellite positioning receiver, acquiring new ASP data associated with the current location of the mobile station.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions for determining whether the first ASP data is older than the predetermined period of time comprises:

instructions for obtaining a first time of acquiring the first ASP data and a second time of receiving the request; and

instructions for determining whether a period time between the first time and the second time is greater than the predetermined time period.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the predetermined time period is about 2 hours.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein each of the first location information and second location information is related to a location of a base station of a cellular network which the mobile station is associated with at the time of acquisition thereof.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for acquiring the first location information and second location information comprise instructions for acquiring a Local Area Identity (LAI) from a base station of a cellular network which the mobile station is associated with at the time of acquisition thereof.

18. A cellular network user equipment comprising the non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13.

19. A mobile station, comprising:

a storage unit storing first Assisted Satellite Positioning (ASP) data and first location information that includes a first local area identity associated with the first ASP data, the first ASP data and the first location information being provided by a cellular network base station, the storage unit being a data store at the mobile station, the data store being configured to contain multiple sets of ASP data and associated location information that includes local area identities for future uses;

a user interface configured to receive a user request for a position determination service;

a cellular unit configured to acquire second location information that includes a second local area identity associated with a current location of the mobile station upon receiving the user request; and

a processor configured to;

compare the first location information from the cellular network base station and the second location information identifying the current location of the mobile station to determine whether the ASP data is usable for the current location of the mobile station;

when the first ASP data is usable for the requested position determination service, determining a position of the mobile station based partially on the first ASP data;

when the current location is different from the first location associated with the ASP data from the cellular network base station and the ASP data is not usable for reducing a time to first fix of a satellite positioning receiver, acquiring new ASP data associated with the current location of the mobile user equipment.

21. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein the predetermined period of time is about two hours.

22. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein each of the first local information and second location information is related to a location of a base station of a cellular network which the mobile station is associated with at the time of acquisition thereof.

23. The mobile station of claim 22, wherein each of the first local information and second location information comprises a Local Area Identity (LAI) broadcasted from the base station of the cellular network which the mobile station is associated at the time of the acquisition thereof.

24. The mobile station of claim 19 comprises a cellular network user equipment.

20. The mobile station of clam 19, wherein the processor is further configured to compare a first time of acquiring the first ASP data with a second time of receiving the user request to determine when the first ASP data is older than the predetermined period of time.