SYSTEM AND METHOD TO COLLECT AND MODIFY CALIBRATION DATA

• US 20080189321A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geoscope Technologies Pte. Ltd. (Transpacific IP Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alles, Martin, Mazlum, Selcuk, Carlson, John, Maher, George
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02526 using non-dedicated equipment, e.g. user equipment or crowd-sourcing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method modifies calibration data used to geo-locate a mobile station. Calibration data measured via a calibration data collection device may contain errors due to the physical limitations of the collection device and/or the collection process. Any data collection device may produce some degree of signal degradation or drop-out. Dead reckoning provides a remedy for signal drop-out, however, it often produces data results that may be unsatisfactory to perform an accurate location estimate. To ensure the integrity of the collected calibration data, a data modification and/or data replacement algorithm may be implemented to enhance the accuracy of the collected data. In addition, current collection procedures used to generate a calibration database may be laborious, time-consuming and expensive. Simplifying the test and measurement equipment needed, and the procedures for obtaining calibration data may save time and expenses.

Claims

1. A method for generating a calibration database, comprising:

obtaining location data at a plurality of geographic location situated within a region;

providing a location information database wherein said location database includes latitude and longitude information for each of a plurality of points within said region;

determining a first point and a second point of said plural points that are in proximity to a first one of said plural geographic locations;

interpolating between said first and second points to thereby determine a third point and entering said third point in said calibration database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said location data for ones of said plural geographic locations is obtained using a wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said wireless device is a global positioning receiver.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said wireless device is attached to a motor vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving at said wireless device an attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communicating with a mobile station in said region.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said attribute is selected from the group consisting of:

signal strength, Cell Global Identity, broadcast control channel, base station identity code.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting from said wireless device at least on of said location data and said attribute to a controller unit.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining at said controller unit if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so entering said location data into said calibration database.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining at said controller unit if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so entering said location data into a non-uniform grid generator.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising sending future positioning information from said controller unit to said wireless device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said future positioning information includes at least one of a geographic position and a speed.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining said future positioning information at least in part on information from said location information database.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining said future positioning information at least in part on information from a non-uniform grid generator.

14. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving at said wireless device an attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communication with a mobile station in a second region.

15. The method of claim 4 wherein said region contains plural streets and intersections of said plural streets.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said location information database is a street database.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of determining if said first geographic location is situated on one of said plural streets and only if said first geographic location is situated on one of said plural streets entering said geographic location in said calibration database.

18. A method for generating a calibration database, comprising;

obtaining location data a plurality of geographic locations situated within a region, wherein said location data is obtained using a wireless device, and wherein said region contains plural streets and intersections of said plural streets;

providing a location information database wherein said location database includes latitude and longitude information for each of a plurality of points within said region;

determining a status of said wireless device;

determining from said status a most likely one of said plural streets upon which said wireless device is sited for a first one of said plural geographic locations;

determining a first point of said plural points that is in proximity to said first geographic location; and

entering said first point in said calibration database.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said wireless device is a global positioning receiver.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said first point is not entered in said calibration database if a number of global positioning satellites visible to said global positioning receiver is less than a first predetermined threshold or if a dilution of precision value is greater than a second predetermined threshold.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said first point is not entered in said calibration database if said global positioning receiver is more than a predetermined distance from a previous global positioning system fix that is determined to be valid for said global positioning receiver.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein said wireless device is attached to a motor vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising receiving at said wireless device an attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communicating with a mobile station is said region.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said attribute is selected from the group consisting of:

signal strength, Cell global identity, broadcast control channel, base station identity code.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising transmitting from said wireless device at least one of said location data and said attribute to a controller unit.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising determining at said controller unit if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so entering said location data into said location information database.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising determining at said controller unit if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so entering said location data into a non-uniform grid generator.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising sending future positioning information from said controller unit to said wireless device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said future position information includes at least one of a geographic position and a speed.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising determining said future positioning information at least in part on information from said location information database.

31. The method of claim 28 further comprising determining said future positioning information at least in part on information from a non-uniform grid generator.

32. The method of claim 22 further comprising receiving at said wireless device and attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communication with a mobile station in a second region.

33. The method of claim 18 wherein said location database is a street database.

34. The method of claim 18 wherein said status includes attributes selected from the group consisting of:

direction of travel;

speed of travel, and change in direction of travel.

35. A system for generating a calibration database, comprising:

a first database containing location data obtained at a plurality of geographic locations situated within a region;

a location information database wherein said location database includes latitude and longitude information for each of a plurality of points within said region;

circuitry for determining a first point and a second point of said plural points that are in proximity to a first on of said plural geographical location;

circuitry for interpolating between said first and second points to thereby determine a third point; and

circuitry for entering said third point in said calibration database.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said location data for ones of said plural geographic locations is obtained using a wireless device.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said wireless device is a global positioning receiver.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein said wireless device is attached to a motor vehicle.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein said wireless device receives an attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communicating with a mobile station in said region.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said attribute is selected from the group consisting of:

signal strength, Cell Global identity, broadcast control channel, base station identity code.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein said wireless device includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting at least on of said location data and said attribute to a controller unit.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein said controller unit determines if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so, enters said location data into said location information database.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein said controller unit determines if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so enters said location data into a non-uniform grid generator.

44. The system of claim 41 wherein said controller unit sends future positioning information to said wireless device.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein said future positioning information includes at least one of a geographic position and a speed.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein said future positioning information is determined based at least in part on information from said location information database.

47. The system of claim 44 wherein said future positioning information is determined based at least in part on information from a non-uniform grid generator.

48. The system of claim 38 wherein said wireless device receives and attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communication with a mobile station in said second region.

49. the system of claim 38 wherein said region contains plural streets and intersections of said plural streets.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein said location database is a street database.

51. The system of claim 50 further comprising circuitry for determining if said first geographic location is situated on one of said plural streets and circuitry for entering said geographic location is said calibration database only if said first geographic location is situated on one of said plural streets.

52. A system for generating a calibration database, comprising:

a wireless device for obtaining location data at a plurality of geographic locations situated within a region, wherein said region contains plural streets and intersections of said plural streets;

a location information database wherein said location database includes latitude and longitude information for each of a plurality of points within said region;

circuitry for determining a status of said wireless device;

circuitry for determining from said status a most likely one of said plural streets upon which said wireless device is sited for a first one of said plural geographic location;

circuitry for determining a first point of said plural points that is in proximity to said first geographic location; and

circuitry for entering said first point in said calibration database.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein said wireless device is a global positioning receiver.

54. The system of claim 52 wherein said wireless device is attached to a motor vehicle.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein said wireless device receives an attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communicating with a mobile station in said region.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein said attribute is selected from the group consisting of:

signal strength, Cell Global identity, broadcast control channel, base station identity code.

57. The system of claim 55 wherein said wireless device includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting at least on of said location data and said attribute to a controller unit.

58. The system of claim 57 wherein said controller unit determines if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so, enters said location data into said location information database.

59. The system of claim 57 wherein said controller unit determines if said location data is statistically sufficient and if so enters said location data into a non-uniform grid generator.

60. The system of claim 57 wherein said controller unit sends future positioning information to said wireless device.

61. The system of claim 60 wherein said future positioning information includes at least one of a geographic position and a speed.

62. The system of claim 60 wherein said future positioning information is determined based at least in part on information from said location information database.

63. The system of claim 60 wherein said future positioning information is determined based at least in part on information from a non-uniform grid generator.

64. The system of claim 54 wherein said wireless device receives and attribute of a signal transmitted by a wireless transmitter communication with a mobile station in said second region.

65. The system of claim 52 wherein said location database is a street database.

66. The system of claim 52, wherein said status includes attributes selected from the group consisting of:

direction of travel;

speed of travel, and change in direction of travel.