Method and apparatus for wireless vehicle location

• US 20030055560A1
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Phillips, Marc S.
• Application Number:
  US09/957,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning

Abstract

A novel and improved method and apparatus for locating a vehicle is disclosed. In one aspect, the disclosed method and apparatus may include a terminal configured to receive vehicle location information from a vehicle over a communication link, compare the vehicle location information with the location of the terminal, and display information to a user enabling the user to locate the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for locating a vehicle comprising:

a terminal configured to receive vehicle location information from a vehicle over a communication link, compare said vehicle location information with the location of said terminal, and display information to a user enabling said user to locate said vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is CDMA-compliant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is disposed within a GPS environment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle further includes a location module for determining the location of said vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said location module further includes a location processor for determining the location of said vehicle in a strictly CDMA terrestrial system having no satellites.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle further includes a communication module.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said communication module is configured to provide Bluetooth connectivity.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said communication module is configured to provide a CDMA communications link.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said terminal further includes a location module for determining the location of said vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said terminal further includes a location processor for determining the location of said vehicle in a strictly CDMA terrestrial system having no satellites.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said terminal further includes a communication module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said communication module is configured to provide Bluetooth connectivity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said communication module is configured to provide a CDMA communications link.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said terminal is configured to remain in a low-power standby mode when not in use.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said terminal is configured to provide CDMA-based communication services.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said terminal further includes a display area for providing location information to a user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said terminal compares the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said terminal compares the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle by using a cached location of said vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said terminal compares the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle by using a cellular link to retrieve request the location of said vehicle.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said terminal displays the location of said terminal in relation to the location of said vehicle on said display area.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said display includes the location of said terminal and the location of said vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said display further includes a distance indicator.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said display further includes an altitude indicator.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein said display further includes a map overlaid on said display.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein said display area further includes a pointer configured to direct the user to said vehicle.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said terminal compares the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle by using multi-fix position techniques.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said display area further includes a vector pointer for indicating both the direction and distance needed to arrive at said vehicle.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said vector pointer is displayed in relation to the user'"'"'s direction of travel.

29. A method for enabling a user to locate a vehicle using a terminal comprising:

determining, by a position location server, a vehicle'"'"'s location;

sending, by said position location server, said vehicle'"'"'s location to the terminal;

comparing, by said terminal, the location of the terminal to said vehicle'"'"'s location; and

displaying, by said terminal, location information enabling said user to locate said vehicle.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said position location server comprises a gpsOne server.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said position location server comprises a networked-based server.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said position location server is CDMA-compliant.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said position location server is disposed within a GPS environment.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein said act of determining, by a position location server, a vehicle'"'"'s location is performed by a location module disposed within said vehicle.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said location module further includes a location processor for determining the location of said vehicle in a strictly CDMA terrestrial system having no satellites.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein said act of sending, by said position location server, said vehicle'"'"'s location to the terminal is performed by a communication module disposed within said vehicle.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said communication module is configured to provide Bluetooth connectivity.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said communication module is configured to provide a CDMA communications link.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein said act of comparing, by said terminal, the location of the terminal to said vehicle'"'"'s location is performed by a location module disposed within said terminal.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said location processor determines the location of said vehicle in a strictly CDMA terrestrial system having no satellites.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein said terminal receives said vehicle location with a communication module.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said communication module is configured to provide Bluetooth connectivity.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said communication module is configured to provide a CDMA communications link.

44. The method of claim 29, wherein said act of displaying, by said terminal, location information enabling said user to locate said vehicle is performed by a display area disposed within said terminal.

45. The method of claim 44, further including the act of comparing the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle by using a cached location of said vehicle.

46. The method of claim 44, further including the act of comparing the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle by using a cellular link to retrieve request the location of said vehicle.

47. The method of claim 44, further including the act of displaying the location of said terminal in relation to the location of said vehicle on said display area.

48. The method of claim 44, further including the act of displaying the location of said terminal and the location of said vehicle.

49. The method of claim 48, further including the act of displaying a distance indicator.

50. The method of claim 49, further including the act of displaying an altitude indicator.

51. The method of claim 44, further including the act of overlaying a map on said display.

52. The method of claim 44, further including the act of displaying a pointer configured to direct the user to said vehicle.

53. The method of claim 29, wherein said act of comparing, by said terminal, the location of the terminal to said vehicle'"'"'s location, is performed by using multi-fix position techniques.

54. The method of claim 53, further including the act of displaying a vector pointer for indicating both the direction and distance needed to arrive at said vehicle.

55. The method of claim 54, further including the act of displaying said vector pointer in relation to the user'"'"'s direction of travel.

56. A method for enabling a user to locate a vehicle using a terminal comprising:

determining, by the vehicle, its location;

sending, by said vehicle, said location to the terminal over a communications link;

comparing, by said terminal, the location of the terminal to said vehicle location; and

displaying, by said terminal, location information enabling said user to locate said vehicle.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said communications link is CDMA-compliant.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein said vehicle is disposed within a GPS environment.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein said act of determining, by said vehicle, its location, is performed by a location module disposed within said vehicle.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said location module further includes a location processor for determining the location of said vehicle in a strictly CDMA terrestrial system having no satellites.

61. The method of claim 56, wherein said act of sending, by said vehicle location to the terminal is performed by a communication module disposed within said vehicle.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said communication module is configured to provide Bluetooth connectivity.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein said communication module is configured to provide a CDMA communications link.

64. The method of claim 56, wherein said act of comparing, by said terminal, the location of the terminal to said vehicle location is performed by a location module disposed within said terminal.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein said location processor determines the location of said vehicle in a strictly CDMA terrestrial system having no satellites.

66. The method of claim 56, wherein said terminal receives said vehicle location with a communication module.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein said communication module is configured to provide Bluetooth connectivity.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein said communication module is configured to provide a CDMA communications link.

69. The method of claim 56, wherein said act of displaying, by said terminal, location information enabling said user to locate said vehicle is performed by a display area disposed within said terminal.

70. The method of claim 69, further including the act of comparing the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle by using a cached location of said vehicle.

71. The method of claim 69, further including the act of comparing the location of said terminal to the location of said vehicle by using a cellular link to retrieve request the location of said vehicle.

72. The method of claim 69, further including the act of displaying the location of said terminal in relation to the location of said vehicle on said display area.

73. The method of claim 69, further including the act of displaying the location of said terminal and the location of said vehicle.

74. The method of claim 73, further including the act of displaying a distance indicator.

75. The method of claim 74, further including the act of displaying an altitude indicator.

76. The method of claim 69, further including the act of overlaying a map on said display.

77. The method of claim 69, further including the act of displaying a pointer configured to direct the user to said vehicle.

78. The method of claim 56, wherein said act of comparing, by said terminal, the location of the terminal to said vehicle'"'"'s location, is performed by using multi-fix position techniques.

79. The method of claim 69, further including the act of displaying a vector pointer for indicating both the direction and distance needed to arrive at said vehicle.

80. The method of claim 79, further including the act of displaying said vector pointer in relation to the user'"'"'s direction of travel.