Location-aware multimodal communication system

• US 9,538,496 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheynblat, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): MAPA, MICHAEL Y
• Application Number:
  US14/605,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20150133160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 4554141-4142, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/435.2, 455443-444, 455448-449, 4554561-457, 455524-525
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal is disclosed. A positioning unit determines a location of a remote terminal. A processor identifies transceivers for communicating in at least a first communication mode and a second communication mode according to the location of the remote terminal. The processor retrieves information about the identified transceivers from a database and generates a multimodal list. The processor causes a transceiver to transmit the multimodal list of transceiver devices to the remote terminal using a communication mode of the remote terminal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which a multimode wireless device is configured to communicate;

accessing, in response to the request, a database containing transceiver device information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device;

selecting, from the database, assistance information to assist position determination for the multimode wireless device, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the multimode wireless device at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed; and

transmitting to the multimode wireless device the assistance information selected in response to the request so as to enable determination of the multimode wireless device'"'"'s position based on the transceiver device position information for each of the at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within the respective associated positioning range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the assistance information comprises:

selecting the assistance information based on the associated positioning range for the each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on a position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee, RFD, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining supported modes for the multimode wireless device from a device capability database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the database containing the transceiver device information comprises accessing a database organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the position of the multimode wireless device based, at least in part, on the transceiver device position information.

11. A data source for transceiver device information comprising:

storage media comprising a database containing transceiver device information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of a multimode wireless device;

a network interface configured to receive a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which the multimode wireless device is configured to communicate; and

one or more processors configured to;

access, in response to the request, the database; and

select, from the database, assistance information to assist position determination for the multimode wireless device, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the multimode wireless device at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed;

wherein the network interface is further configured to;

transmit to the multimode wireless device the assistance information selected in response to the request so as to enable determination of the multimode wireless device'"'"'s position based on the transceiver device position information for each of the at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within the respective associated positioning range.

12. The data source of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors configured to select the assistance information are configured to:

select the assistance information based on the associated positioning range for the each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on a position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

13. The data source of claim 11, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GFRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee, RFD, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

14. The data source of claim 11, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

15. The data source of claim 14, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

16. The data source of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine supported modes for the multimode wireless device from a device capability database.

17. The data source of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors configured to access the database containing the transceiver device information are configured to access a database organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

18. The data source of claim 17, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

19. The data source of claim 11, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

20. The data source of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine the position of the multimode wireless device based, at least in part, on the transceiver device position information.

21. A data source for transceiver device information comprising:

means for receiving a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which a multimode wireless device is configured to communicate;

means for accessing, in response to the request, a database containing transceiver device information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device;

means for selecting, from the database, assistance information to assist position determination for the multimode wireless device, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the multimode wireless device at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed; and

means for transmitting to the multimode wireless device the assistance information selected in response to the request so as to enable determination of the multimode wireless device'"'"'s position based on the transceiver device position information for each of the at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within the respective associated positioning range.

22. The data source of claim 21, wherein the means for selecting the assistance information comprises:

means for selecting the assistance information based on the associated positioning range for the each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on a position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

23. The data source of claim 21, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee, RFID, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

24. The data source of claim 21, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

25. The data source of claim 24, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

26. The data source of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining supported modes for the multimode wireless device from a device capability database.

27. The data source of claim 21, wherein the means for accessing the database containing the transceiver device information comprises means for accessing a database organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

28. The data source of claim 27, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

29. The data source of claim 21, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

30. The data source of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining the position of the multimode wireless device based, at least in part, on the transceiver device position information.

31. A non-transitory computer readable media programmed with a set of instructions, executable on a processor, to:

receive a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which a multimode wireless device is configured to communicate;

access, in response to the request, a database containing transceiver device information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device;

select, from the database, assistance information to assist position determination for the multimode wireless device, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the multimode wireless device at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed; and

transmit to the multimode wireless device the assistance information selected in response to the request so as to enable determination of the multimode wireless device'"'"'s position based on the transceiver device position information for each of the at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within the respective associated positioning range.

32. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the instructions to select the assistance information comprise instructions to:

select the assistance information based on the associated positioning range for the each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on a position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

33. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee, RFID, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

34. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

35. The computer readable media of claim 34, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

36. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to:

determine supported modes for the multimode wireless device from a device capability database.

37. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the instructions to access the database containing the transceiver device information comprise instructions to access a database organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

38. The computer readable media of claim 37, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

39. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

40. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to:

determine the position of the multimode wireless device based, at least in part, on the transceiver device position information.

41. A method comprising:

transmitting a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which a multimode wireless device is configured to communicate;

receiving transceiver device information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device, the transceiver device information selected from a database accessed in response to the request, the database including information to assist position determination for the multimode wireless device for each of the at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the multimode wireless device at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed; and

determining a position of the multimode wireless device based, at least in part, on the transceiver device information relevant to the at least two network modes of operation.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the transceiver device information selected from the database accessed in response to the request is selected based on the associated positioning range for the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on the position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee, RFID, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein supported modes for the multimode wireless device are determined from a device capability database.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the accessed database containing the transceiver device information is organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

50. A mobile device comprising:

at least one transceiver to communicate in at least two network modes of operation;

a memory;

a positioning unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the at least one transceiver, and the positioning unit;

wherein the processor and the at least one transceiver are configured to;

transmit a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which the mobile device is configured to communicate;

receive transceiver device information relevant to the at least two network modes of operation of the mobile device, the transceiver device information selected from a database accessed in response to the request, the database including information to assist position determination for the mobile device for each of the at least two network modes of operation of the mobile device, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the mobile wireless device at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed;

and wherein the positioning unit is configured to;

determine a position of the mobile device based, at least in part, on the transceiver device information relevant to the at least two network modes of operation.

51. The mobile device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver device information selected from the database accessed in response to the request is selected based on the associated positioning range for the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on a position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

52. The mobile device of claim 50, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802;

16), ZigBee, RFD, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

53. The mobile device of claim 50, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

54. The mobile device of claim 53, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

55. The mobile device of claim 50, wherein supported modes for the mobile device are determined from a device capability database.

56. The mobile device of claim 50, wherein the accessed database containing the transceiver device information is organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

57. The mobile device of claim 56, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

58. The mobile device of claim 50, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

59. A multimode wireless apparatus, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which the multimode wireless apparatus is configured to communicate;

means for receiving transceiver device information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless apparatus, the transceiver device information selected from a database accessed in response to the request, the database including information to assist position determination for the multimode wireless apparatus for each of the at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless apparatus, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the multimode wireless apparatus at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed; and

means for determining a position of the multimode wireless apparatus based, at least in part, on the transceiver device information relevant to the at least two network modes of operation.

60. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 59, wherein the transceiver device information selected from the database accessed in response to the request is selected based on the associated positioning range for the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on a position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

61. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 59, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee, RFID, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

62. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 59, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

63. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 62, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

64. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 59, wherein supported modes for the multimode wireless apparatus are determined from a device capability database.

65. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 59, wherein the accessed database containing the transceiver device information is organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

66. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 65, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

67. The multimode wireless apparatus of claim 59, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.

68. A non-transitory computer readable media programmed with a set of instructions, executable on a processor, to:

transmit a request for information pertaining to transceiver devices with which a multimode wireless device is configured to communicate;

receive transceiver device information relevant to at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device, the transceiver device information selected from a database accessed in response to the request, the database including information to assist position determination for the multimode wireless device for each of the at least two network modes of operation of the multimode wireless device, including transceiver device position information for at least one transceiver device, for each of the at least two network modes of operation, determined to be within an associated positioning range from the multimode wireless device at which positioning operations can be performed, wherein the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation is further associated with a communication range, different from the associated positioning range, at which voice and data communication exchange can be performed; and

determine a position of the multimode wireless device based, at least in part, on the transceiver device information relevant to the at least two network modes of operation.

69. The computer readable media of claim 68, wherein the transceiver device information selected from the database accessed in response to the request is selected based on the associated positioning range for the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation, and on a position of each of the at least one transceiver device for each of the at least two network modes of operation.

70. The computer readable media of claim 68, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise two or more of:

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), WUSB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee, RFID, or a satellite-based communication mode or combination thereof.

71. The computer readable media of claim 68, wherein the at least two network modes of operation comprise at least two different WiFi network modes of operation.

72. The computer readable media of claim 71, wherein the at least two different WiFi network modes of operation comprise:

OFDM-based WiFi mode and TDMA-based WiFi mode.

73. The computer readable media of claim 68, wherein supported modes for the multimode wireless device are determined from a device capability database.

74. The computer readable media of claim 68, wherein the accessed database containing the transceiver device information is organized according to a hierarchical coverage scheme.

75. The computer readable media of claim 74, wherein the hierarchical coverage scheme is organized according to one or more of:

CDMA switches, or GSM switches.

76. The computer readable media of claim 68, wherein the database containing the transceiver device information comprises a number of known WiFi access points within a particular base station sector.