Method and apparatus for location positioning in electronic device

• US 9,268,026 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Gye-Joong
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/766,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.2, 342/357.3, 342/357.32, 342/357.4, 342/357.74, 701/499, 701/500
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/425 by combining or switching between signals derived from different satellite radio beacon positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial

Abstract

A positioning method and apparatus of an electronic device which comprises a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or Global Positioning System (GPS), and an Inertial Navigation System (INS), includes receiving a satellite signal through the GNSS. A location of the electronic device and a reliability of location information of the electronic device is determined based on the satellite signal provided by the GNSS using at least one of satellite information of the satellite signal and location information based on the determined location of the electronic device. An operational level of the INS is determined using the reliability of the location information of the electronic device; and compensating the location of the electronic device by operating the INS according to the determined operational level of the INS.

Claims

1. A positioning method of an electronic device which comprises a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or Global Positioning System (GPS), and an Inertial Navigation System (INS), comprising:

receiving a satellite signal through the GNSS;

determining a location of the electronic device based on the satellite signal;

determining a reliability of location information of the electronic device provided by the GNSS using at least one of satellite information of the satellite signal and location information based on the determined location of the electronic device;

determining an operational level of the INS using the reliability of the location information of the electronic device; and

compensating the location of the electronic device by operating the INS according to the determined operational level of the INS, wherein compensating further comprises;

increasing an amount of power provided to at least one part of the INS responsive to detecting a reduction in the reliability of the location information.

2. The positioning method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the reliability of the location information of the electronic device provided by the GNSS comprises:

determining a first reliability by considering at least one of a number of visible satellites in the satellite information, a number of satellites used to locate the electronic device, a satellite signal receive strength, and satellite deployment information;

determining a second reliability by considering a velocity and a velocity change of the electronic device in the location information;

determining a third reliability by considering error information of the location of the electronic device in the location information;

determining a fourth reliability by considering a latitude, a longitude, an altitude, and changes of the latitude, the longitude, the altitude of the electronic device in the location information; and

determining a fifth reliability by combining at least one of the first reliability, the second reliability, the third reliability, and the fourth reliability.

3. The positioning method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a longitude, a latitude, an altitude, a movement direction, and a speed of the electronic device, and

the satellite information comprises at least one of a number of visible satellites, a satellite list used for the positioning, a satellite signal receive strength, satellite deployment information, Dilution of Precision (DOP) information indicating uniformity of the satellite deployment, and uncertainty or accuracy.

4. The positioning method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the operational level of the INS comprises:

determining a corresponding operational level of the INS by comparing the reliability of the location information of the GNSS and at least one threshold.

5. The positioning method of claim 1, wherein the operational level of the INS is divided into a plurality of operational levels based on at least one of a turning on/off status of a plurality of sensors of the INS and a sampling cycle of the plurality of sensors.

6. The positioning method of claim 1, wherein the operational level of the INS comprises:

a first level for turning off a sensor of the INS;

a second level for determining stop and movement;

a third level for determining rotation;

a fourth level for determining a rotation angle; and

a fifth level for determining the location information based on the INS.

7. The positioning method of claim 1, wherein the compensating of the location of the electronic device by operating the INS according to the determined operational level of the INS comprises:

determining third location data by combining first location data of the GNSS and second location data of the INS; and

determining the location of the electronic device based on the third location data.

8. A positioning apparatus which comprises a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or Global Positioning System (GPS), and an Inertial Navigation System (INS), comprising:

the GNSS configured to receive a satellite signal and determining a location of an electronic device based on the satellite signal;

a GNSS information analyzer configured to determine a reliability of location information provided by the GNSS using at least one of satellite information of the satellite signal and location information based on the determined location of the electronic device;

an INS combination determiner configured to determine an operational level of the INS using the reliability of the location information of the electronic device; and

a sensor information receiver configured to compensate the location of the electronic device by operating the INS according to the determined operational level of the INS, wherein configured to compensate further comprises;

configured to increase an amount of power provided to at least one art of the INS responsive to detecting a reduction in the reliability of the location information.

9. The positioning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the GNSS information analyzer determines a first reliability by considering at least one of a number of visible satellites in the satellite information, a number of satellites used to locate the electronic device, a satellite signal receive strength, and satellite deployment information,

determines a second reliability by considering a velocity and a velocity change of the electronic device in the location information,

determines a third reliability by considering error information of the location of the electronic device in the location information,

determines a fourth reliability by considering a latitude, a longitude, an altitude, and changes of the latitude, the longitude, the altitude of the electronic device in the location information, and

determines a fifth reliability by combining at least one of the first reliability, the second reliability, the third reliability, and the fourth reliability.

10. The positioning apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a longitude, a latitude, an altitude, a movement direction, and a speed of the electronic device, and

the satellite information comprises at least one of a number of visible satellites, a satellite list used for the positioning, a satellite signal receive strength, satellite deployment information, Dilution of Precision (DOP) information indicating uniformity of the satellite deployment, and uncertainty or accuracy.

11. The positioning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the INS combination determiner determines a corresponding operational level of the INS by comparing the reliability of the location information of the GNSS and at least one threshold.

12. The positioning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operational level of the INS is divided into a plurality of operational levels based on at least one of a turning on/off status of a plurality of sensors of the INS and a sampling cycle of the plurality of sensors.

13. The positioning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operational level of the INS comprises:

a first level for turning off a sensor of the INS;

a second level for determining stop and movement;

a third level for determining rotation;

a fourth level for determining a rotation angle; and

a fifth level for determining the location information based on the INS.

14. The positioning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensor information receiver determines third location data by combining first location data of the GNSS and second location data of the INS, and determines the location of the electronic device based on the third location data.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or Global Positioning System (GPS);

an Inertial Navigation System (INS);

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors, wherein the program comprises at least one instruction that when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising receiving a satellite signal through the GNSS, determining a location of the electronic device based on the satellite signal, determining a reliability of location information of the electronic device provided by the GNSS using at least one of satellite information of the satellite signal and location information based on the determined location of the electronic device, determining an operational level of the INS using the reliability of the location information of the electronic device, and compensating the location of the electronic device by operating the INS according to the determined operational level of the INS, wherein compensating further comprises;

increasing an amount of power provided to at least one part of the INS responsive to detecting a reduction in the reliability of the location information.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the program comprises another one or more instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising determining a first reliability by considering at least one of a number of visible satellites in the satellite information, a number of satellites used to locate the electronic device, a satellite signal receive strength, and satellite deployment information, determining a second reliability by considering a velocity and a velocity change of the electronic device in the location information, determining a third reliability by considering error information of the location of the electronic device in the location information, determining a fourth reliability by considering a latitude, a longitude, an altitude, and changes of the latitude, the longitude, the altitude of the electronic device in the location information, and determining a fifth reliability by combining at least one of the first reliability, the second reliability, the third reliability, and the fourth reliability.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a longitude, a latitude, an altitude, a movement direction, and a speed of the electronic device, and

the satellite information comprises at least one of a number of visible satellites, a satellite list used for the positioning, a satellite signal receive strength, satellite deployment information, Dilution of Precision (DOP) information indicating uniformity of the satellite deployment, and uncertainty or accuracy.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein determining the operational level of the INS comprises comparing the reliability of the location information of the GNSS and at least one threshold.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the operational level of the INS is divided into a plurality of operational levels based on at least one of a turning on/off status of a plurality of sensors of the INS and a sampling cycle of the plurality of sensors.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the operational level of the INS comprises:

a first level for turning off a sensor of the INS;

a second level for determining stop and movement;

a third level for determining rotation;

a fourth level for determining a rotation angle; and

a fifth level for determining the location information based on the INS.

21. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the compensating of the location of the electronic device by operating the INS according to the determined operational level of the INS comprises:

determining third location data by combining first location data of the GNSS and second location data of the INS; and

determining the location of the electronic device based on the third location data.

22. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein determining a reliability comprises:

determining whether the reliability exceeds a first threshold;

determining whether the reliability exceeds a second threshold higher than the first threshold; and

wherein increasing an amount of power provided to at least one part of the INS responsive to detecting a reduction in the reliability of the location information further comprises;

the at least the part of the INS uses a first level of power if the reliability does not exceed the first threshold;

the at least the part of the INS uses a second level of power if the reliability exceeds the first threshold but does not exceed the second threshold, wherein the first level of power is higher than the second level of power; and

the at least the part of the INS uses a third level of power if the reliability exceeds the second threshold, wherein the second level of power is higher than the second level of power.