Updating position assist data on a mobile computing device

• US 8,989,763 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Paulson, Janell, Mahe, Isabel Ge, Hamilton, Craig C., Kansal, Sachin S., Ramaswamy, Gurunath, Russo, Dante, Jazra, Cherif, Shah, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/057,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/550.1, 4554561-4566, 455/414.1, 455/446, 455/440, 455/457, 455/427, 342/357.03, 342/357.05, 342/357.15, 342/357.62, 342/357.48, 701213-215, 370/338, 370/331, 370/332, 370/259
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view

Abstract

A mobile computing device comprises a memory, a processor and a transceiver. The memory is configured to store at least one type of position assist data. The processor is configured to provide a position fix based on the position assist data. The transceiver is configured for wireless communication. The memory is configured to store updated position assist data for the type of position assist data. The processor is operable in a first operating mode in which the type of position assist data is not updated and operable in a second operating mode in which the type of position assist data is updated in response to at least one triggering event.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a memory to store at least one type of position assist data and to store updated position assist data for the at least one type of position assist data;

a processing circuit to provide a position fix based on the at least one type of position assist data, the position fix provided in response to a position fix request received from an application, the processing circuit further configured to update the at least one type of position assist data in response to launching the application even when the application does not request position fixes, the at least one type of position assist data comprising a type of position assist data selected from the group consisting of almanac data, ephemeris data, and mobile-station assist data; and

a transceiver configured for wireless communication.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is to update the at least one type of position assist data by updating coarse data.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is to update the at least one type of position assist data by receiving data indicative of updated position assist data from the transceiver.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive a request for the position fix from the application, to update the at least one type of position assist data stored in the memory based on the request for the position fix from the application, and to continue to update the at least one type of position assist data stored in the memory in response to the request for the position fix received from the application even when the application does not request subsequent position fixes.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is configured to update, at intervals, the at least one type of position assist data after the request for the position fix from the application, wherein the intervals are variable.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is configured to update the at least one type of position assist data a first time in response to the request for the position fix from the application, and to update the at least one type of position assist data at least a second time in response to the request for the position fix from the application, the second time being after the first time, the update of the at least one type of position assist data from the second time not being used to respond to the request for the position fix from the application.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 6, wherein the processing circuit is configured to update the at least one type of position assist data multiple times after the first time in response to the request for the position fix from the application even when the application does not request subsequent position fixes.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one type of position assist data comprises ephemeris data.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one type of position assist data comprises almanac data.

10. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a memory to store at least one type of position assist data and to store updated position assist data for the at least one type of position assist data;

a processing circuit configured to provide a position fix based on the at least one type of position assist data and configured to update the at least one type of position assist data a defined number of times in response to the request for the position fix from an application even when the application does not request subsequent position fixes, the update of the at least one type of position assist data for the defined number of times not being used to respond to the request for the position fix from the application; and

a transceiver configured for wireless communication.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein a second time of the defined number of times is immediately after a first time.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to operate in an operating mode in which the at least one type of position assist data is updated in response to launching the application, the application not configured to request the position fix upon launch of the application.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein a second time of the defined number of times is not immediately after a first time.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein an interval between a first time of the defined number of times and a subsequent time of the defined number of times is variable.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is to update the at least one type of position assist data by obtaining the position fix for the mobile computing device.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit comprises a global positioning system engine.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein the defined number of times is at least two.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 10, the processing circuit further configured to operate in an operating mode in which the at least one type of position assist data is updated upon launching the application and before the application requests the position fix.