Geospatial positioning using correction information provided over cellular control channels

• US 10,101,464 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Appleford, Kirk, Mundt, Clinton Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Galt, Cassi J
• Application Number:
  US15/175,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/04 providing carrier phase data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/12 wherein the cooperating elements are telecommunication base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of calculating a geospatial position by a mobile device by monitoring with the mobile device a first control channel from a first cell of a cellular communications system; monitoring with the mobile device a second control channel from a second cell of the cellular communications system at the same time as the first cellular control channel; receiving with the mobile device a first correction value sent over the first control channel; receiving with the mobile device a second correction value sent over the second control channel; receiving with the mobile device a signal from a global navigation satellite system; calculating with the mobile device the geospatial position based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and at least one of the first correction value and the second correction value.

Claims

1. A method of receiving geospatial positioning information, the method comprising:

monitoring with a mobile device a first control channel from a first cell of a cellular communications system;

determining from a past observation of a message on the first control channel of the first cell of the cellular communications system, a first time that a first correction value will be sent from the first control channel and a second time that a second correction value will be sent from a second control channel from a second cell of the cellular communication system;

receiving with the mobile device the first correction value sent over the first control channel at the first time;

receiving with the mobile device the second correction value sent over the second control channel at the second time;

receiving with the mobile device a signal from a global navigation satellite system; and

calculating with the mobile device a geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and at least one of the first correction value and the second correction value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second control channels are broadcast control channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular communications system is a cellular communications system operating in accordance with one of:

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standard, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, an Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) standard, and a Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000) standard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating with the mobile device the geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and at least one of the first correction value and the second correction value comprises:

determining that a first base station that transmits the first cell is closer in proximity to the mobile device than a second base station that transmits the second cell; and

calculating, with the mobile device, the geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and the first correction value and not based upon the second correction value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second control channels are dedicated control channels.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

attaching the mobile device to the first control channel to observe the message on the first control channel.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

determining a third time that a third correction value will be sent from the first control channel and a fourth time that a fourth correction value will be sent from the second control channel from the second cell of the cellular communication system;

determining that reception of the third correction value is not possible and in response, receiving with the mobile device the fourth correction value sent over the second control channel at the fourth time;

receiving with the mobile device a second signal from the global navigation satellite system;

calculating with the mobile device a second geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the second signal from the global navigation satellite system and the fourth correction value; and

displaying the second geospatial position on a screen of the mobile device.

8. A mobile device for receiving geospatial positioning information, the mobile device comprising:

a processor configured by a non-transitory machine readable medium to perform operations comprising;

monitoring with the mobile device a first control channel from a first cell of a cellular communications system;

determining from a past observation of a message on the first control channel of the first cell of the cellular communications system, a first time that a first correction value will be sent from the first control channel and a second time that a second correction value will be sent from a second control channel from a second cell of the cellular communication system;

receiving with the mobile device the first correction value sent over the first control channel at the first time;

receiving with the mobile device the second correction value sent over the second control channel at the second time;

receiving with the mobile device a signal from a global navigation satellite system; and

calculating with the mobile device a geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and at least one of the first correction value and the second correction value.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the first and second control channels are broadcast control channels.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the cellular communications system is a cellular communications system operating in accordance with one of:

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standard, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, a Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) standard, and a Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000) standard.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the operations of calculating the geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and at least one of the first correction value and the second correction value comprises:

determining that a first base station that transmits the first cell is closer in proximity to the mobile device than a second base station that transmits the second cell; and

calculating with the mobile device the geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and the first correction value and not based upon the second correction value.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the operations of determining that the first base station is closer in proximity to the mobile device than the second base station comprises determining that the first base station is closer based upon a determination that a received signal quality of a signal transmitted by the first base station is better than a received signal quality of a signal transmitted by the second base station.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the first and second control channels are dedicated control channels.

14. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

attaching the mobile device to the first control channel to observe the message on the first control channel.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores instructions which when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

monitoring with a mobile device a first control channel from a first cell of a cellular communications system;

determining from a past observation of a message on the first control channel of the first cell of the cellular communications system, a first time that a first correction value will be sent from the first control channel and a second time that a second correction value will be sent from a second control channel from a second cell of the cellular communication system;

receiving with the mobile device the first correction value sent over the first control channel at the first time;

receiving with the mobile device the second correction value sent over the second control channel at the second time;

receiving with the mobile device a signal from a global navigation satellite system; and

calculating with the mobile device a geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and at least one of the first correction value and the second correction value.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second control channels are broadcast control channels.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the cellular communications system is a cellular communications system operating in accordance with one of:

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standard, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, a Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) standard, and a Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000) standard.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second control channels are dedicated control channels.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise attaching the mobile device to the first control channel to observe the message on the first control channel.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a third time that a third correction value will be sent from the first control channel and a fourth time that a fourth correction value will be sent from the second control channel from the second cell of the cellular communication system;

determining that reception of the third correction value is not possible and in response, receiving with the mobile device the fourth correction value sent over the second control channel at the fourth time;

receiving with the mobile device a second signal from the global navigation satellite system;

calculating with the mobile device a second geospatial position of the mobile device based upon the second signal from the global navigation satellite system and the fourth correction value; and

displaying the second geospatial position on a screen of the mobile device.