Satellite-based position determination

• US 9,933,524 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Deutschland GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Hammes, Markus, Schmid, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Galt, Cassi J
• Application Number:
  US14/639,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20150276933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/26 involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Method and apparatuses involving satellite position signals are disclosed. Based on data indicating a usage environment, parameters, for example acquisition parameters or calculation parameters, are adapted.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless portion configured to receive wireless signals over a first antenna;

a satellite receiver portion configured to receive satellite position signals over a second antenna; and

a processor to support execution of instructions to;

determine an environment of the apparatus based on;

a first determination of whether the apparatus is static or moving from the wireless signals and

a second determination of a physical environmental context of the apparatus from the wireless signals;

adapt an acquisition parameter and a coupling parameter based on the environment of the apparatus; and

determine an estimate of a position or location of the apparatus based on satellite position signals acquired using the acquisition parameter and the wireless signals,

wherein the coupling parameter is configured for processing of the satellite position signals and the wireless signals for the estimate of the position or location of the mobile device, wherein the acquisition parameter is an assistance data update rate, and wherein the assistance data is configured to be received via the wireless portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive cellular communication signals including a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the satellite receiver portion is configured to receive satellite position signals including a signal from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless portion and the satellite receiver portion are integrated in a System on Chip (SoC).

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless portion and the satellite receiver portion are provided in a system-in-package (SiP).

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is a microcontroller or a digital signal processor, which supports determination of the estimate of the position or location of the mobile device, wherein the apparatus is configured to be a portion of the mobile device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a navigation application is to determine the location of the mobile device based on the estimate of the position or location.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second determination of the physical environmental context of the apparatus is based on signal strength of the wireless signals.

24. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the wireless signals are Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signals.

25. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the wireless signals are Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

26. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the wireless signals are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals.

27. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signals.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

a first antenna;

a wireless portion coupled to the first antenna;

a second antenna;

a satellite portion coupled to the second antenna;

wherein the wireless portion is configured to receive wireless signals over the first antenna,

wherein the satellite portion is configured to receive satellite position signals over the second antenna, and

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is to support execution of instructions to;

determine an environment of the mobile device based on;

a first determination of whether the apparatus is static or moving from the wireless signals and

a second determination of a physical environmental context of the apparatus from the wireless signals;

adapt an acquisition parameter and a coupling parameter based on the environment of the mobile device; and

determine an estimate of a position or location of the mobile device based on satellite position signals acquired using the acquisition parameter and the wireless signals, wherein the coupling parameter is configured for processing of the satellite position signals and the wireless signals for the estimate of the position or location of the mobile device, wherein the acquisition parameter is an assistance data update rate, and wherein the assistance data is configured to be received via the wireless portion,

wherein the mobile device is configured to support an application to determine a position or location of the mobile device in response to receiving the estimate of the position or location of the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive cellular communication signals including Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the satellite receiver portion is configured to receive satellite position signals including a signal from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signals.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processing unit, the baseband processor, the wireless portion, and the satellite receiver portion are integrated in a System on Chip (SoC).

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processing unit, the baseband processor, the wireless portion, and the satellite receiver portion are provided in a system-in-package (SiP).

16. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is a microcontroller or a digital signal processor, which supports determination of the estimate of the position or location of the mobile device.

17. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the application includes a navigation application.

18. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the second determination of the physical environmental context of the apparatus is based on signal strength of the wireless signals.

28. The mobile device of claim 10,

wherein the wireless signals are Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signals.

29. The mobile device of claim 10,

wherein the wireless signals are Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

30. The mobile device of claim 10,

wherein the wireless signals are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals.

31. The mobile device of claim 10,

wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive cellular communication signals including a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a mobile device, comprising:

receiving wireless signals from a wireless portion configured to receive wireless signals,

receiving satellite position signals from a satellite portion configured to receive satellite position signals,

determining an environment of the apparatus based on;

a first determination of whether the apparatus is static or moving from the wireless signals and

a second determination of a physical environmental context of the apparatus from the wireless signals;

adapting an acquisition parameter and a coupling parameter based on the environment of the apparatus; and

determining an estimate of a position or location of the mobile device based on satellite position signals acquired using the acquisition parameter and the wireless signals, wherein the coupling parameter is configured for processing of the satellite position signals and the wireless signals for the estimate of the position or location of the mobile device, wherein the acquisition parameter is an assistance data update rate, and wherein the assistance data is configured to be received via the wireless portion, and

providing the estimate of the position or location of the mobile device for display.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive cellular communication signals including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the satellite receiver portion is configured to receive satellite position signals including a signal from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signals.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

determining the second determination of the physical environmental context of the apparatus based on signal strength of the wireless signals.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19,

wherein the wireless signals are Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signals.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19,

wherein the wireless signals are Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19,

wherein the wireless signals are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19,

wherein the wireless portion is further configured to receive Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals.