Position determination processes using signals' multipath parameters

• US 8,886,225 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc., Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Krasner, Norman F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US13/758,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/436, 455/437, 455/440, 455/441, 455/456.3, 342/357.78, 342/358
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/50 for measuring linear speed G01P3/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/64 Devices characterised by the determination of the time taken to traverse a fixed distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/254 relating to Doppler shift of satellite signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/26 involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/221 using past power control commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for determining a position of a mobile satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver which is coupled to a communication receiver or transceiver. In one exemplary method, a change in a communication signal received by the communication receiver is determined. A parameter, based on the change, is determined, and SPS signals from SPS satellites are processed according to the parameter. According to further details of this method, the change involves the fluctuation of the level of the communication signal and the parameter is a motion information which specifies a frequency range for searching for SPS signals in the process of acquiring the SPS signals from SPS satellites. In an alternative embodiment the change in the communication signal is a change in the transmitted signal in response to power control commands. Apparatuses, such as a mobile communication system which includes an SPS receiver and a communication receiver, are also described.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

means for receiving communication signals from a stationary transmitter, the communication signals having associated communication signal envelopes;

means for processing the communication signals envelopes to determine one or more multipath-related parameters;

means for determining motion information of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter using the one or more multipath-related parameters; and

means for determining a Doppler search window based on the motion information of the mobile device determined using the one or more multipath-related parameters, the Doppler search window being used to search and acquire signals of a positioning system used to determine a position of the mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more multipath-related parameters comprise one or more parameters indicative of fading of the communication signals.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the means for processing the communication signal envelopes to determine the one or more parameters indicative of fading of the communication signals comprise means for determining a signal level crossing rate.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising means for determining position of the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, further comprising:

means for determining one or more positioning parameters based on the motion information, and wherein the means for determining position of the mobile device accesses the one or more parameters for determining the position of the mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the means for determining position of the mobile device comprises means for accessing the motion information and performing positioning based on the motion information.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the means for accessing the motion information and performing positioning based on the motion information comprises performing positioning based on determining that the motion information indicates the mobile device is essentially stationary.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the means for determining motion information of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter using the one or more multipath-related parameters comprises means for determining a speed of the mobile device.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the communication signals are communication signals of a particular communication channel, and wherein the means for determining a speed of the mobile device comprise means for determining the speed of the mobile device using a frequency of the particular communication channel and the one or more multipath-related parameters.

10. A method of processing communication signals received at a mobile device comprising:

receiving communication signals from a stationary transmitter, the communication signals having associated signal envelopes;

processing the communication signals envelopes to determine one or more multipath-related parameters;

determining motion information of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter using the one or more multipath-related parameters; and

determining a Doppler search window based on the motion information of the mobile device determined using the one or more multipath-related parameters, the Doppler search window being used to search and acquire signals of a positioning system used to determine a position of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more multipath-related parameters comprise one or more parameters indicative of fading of the communication signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the communication signal envelopes to determine the one or more parameters indicative of fading of the communication signals comprises determining a signal level crossing rate.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining position information of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising wherein determining positioning information of the mobile device comprises determining one or more positioning parameters based on the motion information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining position information of the mobile device comprises accessing the motion information and performing positioning based on the motion information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein accessing the motion information and performing positioning based on the motion information comprises performing positioning based on determining that the motion information indicates the mobile device is essentially stationary.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein determining motion information of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter using the one or more multipath-related parameters comprises determining a speed of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication signals are communication signals of a particular communication channel, and wherein determining a speed of the mobile device comprise determining the speed of the mobile device using a frequency of the particular communication channel and the one or more multipath-related parameters.

19. A mobile device comprising:

a communication receiver configured to receive communication signals from a stationary transmitter, the communication signals having associated signal envelopes;

processor circuitry in communication with the communication receiver and configured to process the communication signals envelopes to determine one or more multipath-related parameters, to determine motion information of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter using the one or more multipath-related parameters, and to determine a Doppler search window based on the motion information of the mobile device determined using the one or more multipath-related parameters, the Doppler search window used to search and acquire signals of a positioning system used to determine a position of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the one or more multipath-related parameters comprise one or more parameters indicative of fading of the communication signals.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to determine the one or more parameters indicative of fading of the communication signals by determining a signal level crossing rate.

22. The mobile device of claim 19, further comprising a positioning receiver.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the processor circuitry is further in communication with the positioning receiver and further configured to determine one or more positioning parameters based on the motion information.

24. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the processor circuitry is further in communication with the positioning receiver and further configured to access the motion information and performing positioning based on the motion information.

25. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein the means for accessing the motion information and performing positioning based on the motion information comprises performing positioning based on determining that the motion information indicates the mobile device is essentially stationary.

26. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the processor circuitry is confirmed to determine a speed of the mobile device using the one or more multipath-related parameters.

27. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the communication signals are communication signals of a particular communication channel, and wherein the processor circuitry is configured to determine the speed of the mobile device using a frequency of the particular communication channel and the one or more multipath-related parameters.

28. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and comprising processor-readable instructions that, when executed on a processor, cause operations comprising:

receiving communication signals from a stationary transmitter, the communication signals having associated signal envelopes;

processing the communication signals envelopes to determine one or more multipath-related parameters;

determining motion information of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter using the one or more multipath-related parameters; and

determining a Doppler search window based on the motion information of the mobile device determined using the one or more multipath-related parameters, the Doppler search window being used to search and acquire signals of a positioning system used to determine a position of the mobile device.