Distributed A-GNSS positioning of static devices

• US 9,144,054 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2011
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen William
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/309,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.25, 342/357.29, 342/457, 701/468, 701/469, 455/456.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Method and apparatus for determining locations of static devices are disclosed. The method includes identifying a plurality of static devices, obtaining location measurements by the plurality of static devices at different times, and determining locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements obtained at the different times. The method of determining locations of the plurality of static devices includes determining a group location of the plurality of static devices based on GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by the one or more static devices, where the group location is near a centroid of the plurality of static devices weighted by the number of GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by each of the plurality of static devices. The method of determining locations of the plurality of static devices further includes sharing a common time reference among the plurality of static devices.

Claims

1. A method for determining locations of static devices, comprising:

identifying a plurality of static devices by one or more processors supporting a device positioning module in an apparatus;

obtaining location measurements by the plurality of static devices at different times using the one or more processors; and

determining locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements obtained at the different times with the device positioning module supported by the one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining location measurements comprises:

obtaining GNSS pseudo range measurements for one or more satellite vehicles by one or more static devices in the plurality;

obtaining Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) measurements for one or more fixed radio beacons;

obtaining signal propagation time from one or more fixed radio beacons to one or more static devices in the plurality;

or some combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining locations of the plurality of static devices comprises:

determining a group location of the plurality of static devices based on GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by the one or more static devices.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the group location is near a centroid of the plurality of static devices weighted by the number of GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by each of the plurality of static devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining locations of the plurality of static devices further comprises:

sharing a common time reference among the plurality of static devices.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the relative locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements made by one or more static devices in the plurality of static devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the location measurements made by one or more static devices in the plurality of static devices comprises:

Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) measurements of pairs of static devices;

signal propagation times between one or more pairs of static devices in the plurality of static devices;

or some combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling a target time for obtaining location measurements; and

synchronizing location measurements by the plurality of static devices according to the target time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the target time comprises:

a GNSS time;

a local transmission time of one of the plurality of static devices;

a local transmission time of a terrestrial radio beacon;

a time relative to current time;

or some combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of the static devices comprises a femtocell.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of the static devices comprises a Wireless LAN Access Point.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

a device positioning module, working with the one or more processors, includes logic for identifying a plurality of static devices;

logic for obtaining location measurements by the plurality of static devices at different times;

logic for determining locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements obtained at the different times; and

a memory configured to store locations of the plurality of static devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein logic for obtaining location measurements comprises:

logic for obtaining GNSS pseudo range measurements for one or more satellite vehicles by one or more static devices in the plurality;

logic for obtaining Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) measurements for one or more fixed radio beacons;

logic for obtaining signal propagation time from one or more fixed radio beacons to one or more static devices in the plurality;

or some combination thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein logic for determining locations of the plurality of static devices comprises:

logic for determining a group location of the plurality of static devices based on GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by the one or more static devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the group location is near a centroid of the plurality of static devices weighted by the number of GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by each of the plurality of static devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein logic for determining locations of the plurality of static devices further comprises:

logic for sharing a common time reference among the plurality of static devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

logic for determining the relative locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements made by one or more static devices in the plurality of static devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the location measurements made by one or more static devices in the plurality of static devices comprises:

Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) measurements of pairs of static devices;

signal propagation times between one or more pairs of static devices in the plurality of static devices;

or some combination thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

logic for scheduling a target time for obtaining location measurements; and

logic for synchronizing location measurements by the plurality of static devices according to the target time.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the target time comprises:

a GNSS time;

a local transmission time of one of the plurality of static devices;

a local transmission time of a terrestrial radio beacon;

a time relative to current time;

or some combination thereof.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus resides in a location server.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus resides in at least one of secure user plane location (SUPL) server, SUPL location platform server, and serving mobile location center.

23. A computer program product for determining locations of static devices, comprising a non-transitory medium storing computer programs for execution by one or more computer systems, the computer program product comprising:

code for identifying a plurality of static devices;

code for obtaining location measurements by the plurality of static devices at different times; and

code for determining locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements obtained at the different times.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein code for obtaining location measurements comprises:

code for obtaining GNSS pseudo range measurements for one or more satellite vehicles by one or more static devices in the plurality;

code for obtaining Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) measurements for one or more fixed radio beacons;

code for obtaining signal propagation time from one or more fixed radio beacons to one or more static devices in the plurality;

or some combination thereof.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein code for determining locations of the plurality of static devices comprises:

code for determining a group location of the plurality of static devices based on GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by the one or more static devices.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the group location is near a centroid of the plurality of static devices weighted by the number of GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by each of the plurality of static devices.

27. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein code for determining locations of the plurality of static devices further comprises:

code for sharing a common time reference among the plurality of static devices.

28. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

code for determining the relative locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements made by one or more static devices in the plurality of static devices.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the location measurements made by one or more static devices in the plurality of static devices comprises:

Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) measurements of pairs of static devices;

signal propagation times between one or more pairs of static devices in the plurality of static devices;

or some combination thereof.

30. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising:

code for scheduling a target time for obtaining location measurements; and

code for synchronizing location measurements by the plurality of static devices according to the target time.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the target time comprises:

a GNSS time;

a local transmission time of one of the plurality of static devices;

a local transmission time of a terrestrial radio beacon;

a time relative to current time or some combination thereof.

32. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein at least one of the plurality of the static devices comprises a femtocell.

33. A system for determining locations of static devices, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of static devices;

means for obtaining location measurements by the plurality of static devices at different times; and

means for determining locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements obtained at the different times.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein means for determining locations of the plurality of static devices comprises:

means for determining a group location of the plurality of static devices based on GNSS pseudo range measurements contributed by the one or more static devices.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein means for determining locations of the plurality of static devices further comprises:

means for sharing a common time reference among the plurality of static devices.

36. The system of claim 33 further comprising:

means for determining the relative locations of the plurality of static devices using the location measurements made by one or more static devices in the plurality of static devices.

37. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

means for scheduling a target time for obtaining location measurements; and

means for synchronizing location measurements by the plurality of static devices according to the target time.