POSITION DETERMINATION USING RECEIVED BROADCAST SIGNALS

• US 20080311870A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walley, John, Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bibaud, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

A radio device that is capable of positioning itself within a broadcast radio system includes a receiver operable to receive a plurality of broadcast radio signals, each broadcast from a respective one of a plurality of broadcast radio signal sources. The radio device further includes processing circuitry operable to determine respective call station identification information for each of the broadcast radio signal sources from the broadcast radio signals, measure respective signal quality characteristics for each of the received broadcast radio signals, identify station position data associated with each of the broadcast radio signal sources from the respective call station identification information, and calculate a location of the radio device using the signal quality characteristics and station position data associated with at least three broadcast radio signal sources.

Claims

1. A radio device, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a plurality of broadcast radio signals, each broadcast from a respective one of a plurality of broadcast radio signal sources; and

processing circuitry coupled to said receiver and operable to;

determine respective call station identification information associated with each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals from each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals, each said call station identification information identifying a respective one of said plurality of broadcast radio signal sources;

measure respective signal quality characteristics for each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals from said respective broadcast radio signals,

identify station position data associated with each of said broadcast radio signal sources from said respective call station identification information, said station position data indicating a respective location of each of said broadcast radio signal sources, and

calculate a location of said radio device using said signal quality characteristics and said station position data associated with at least three of said broadcast radio signal sources.

2. The radio device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of broadcast radio signals includes radio data system (RDS) data;

and wherein said processing circuitry is further operable to decode said RDS data within said at least one of said broadcast radio signals to determine a respective RDS identifier for each of said at least one respective broadcast radio signal sources and to use said respective RDS identifiers to identify said respective station position data.

3. The radio device of claim 2, wherein said station position data is included within said RDS data broadcast by said broadcast radio signal sources.

4. The radio device of claim 2, wherein said processing circuitry is further operable to measure respective non-RDS signal quality characteristics for one or more non-RDS broadcast radio signals broadcast from non-RDS signal sources and utilize said non-RDS signal quality characteristics to assist in the calculation of said location of said radio device.

5. The radio device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory storing said station position data.

6. The radio device of claim 1, further comprising:

a network transceiver in communication with a wireless network to download said station position data therefrom.

7. The radio device of claim 1, wherein each said station position data includes coordinate data identifying the geographical coordinates of said respective broadcast radio signal source and transmit power data identifying the transmit power of said respective broadcast radio signal source.

8. The radio device of claim 7, wherein each said station position data further includes signal measurement data that associates said measured signal quality characteristics for said respective broadcast radio signal source with a radial distance from said respective broadcast radio signal source.

9. The radio device of claim 8, wherein said processing circuitry is further operable to calculate said signal measurement data using said measured signal quality characteristics, said coordinate data and said transmit power data.

10. The radio device of claim 8, wherein said processing circuitry is operable to calculate said location of said radio device using at least one triangulation of said signal measurement data from at least three of said broadcast radio signal sources.

11. The radio device of claim 8, further comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver operable to populate a table containing said signal measurement data for each of said broadcast radio signal sources.

12. The radio device of claim 1, wherein said signal quality characteristics of each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals include a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

13. The radio device of claim 1, wherein said processing circuitry is operable to average a plurality of said signal quality characteristics for each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals and utilize average signal quality characteristics to calculate said location of said radio device.

14. The radio device of claim 1, wherein said processing circuitry is operable to multiply a respective weighting factor to each of said signal quality characteristics to produce weighted signal quality characteristics and utilize said weighted signal quality characteristics to calculate said location of said radio device.

15. The radio device of claim 1, wherein said processing circuitry is further operable to select at least three of said broadcast radio signal sources based on said signal quality characteristics for each of said broadcast radio signal sources.

16. The radio device of claim 1, wherein said broadcast radio signals are frequency modulated (FM) broadcast radio signals.

17. A method for determining a location of a radio device using broadcast radio signals, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of broadcast radio signals, each broadcast from a respective one of a plurality of broadcast radio signal sources;

determining respective call station identification information associated with each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals from each of said received plurality of broadcast radio signals, each said call station identification information identifying a respective one of said plurality of broadcast radio signal sources;

measuring respective signal quality characteristics for each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals from said respective broadcast radio signals;

identifying station position data associated with each of said broadcast radio signal sources from said respective call station identification information, said station position data indicating a respective location of each of said broadcast radio signal sources; and

calculating said location of said radio device using said signal quality characteristics and said station position data associated with at least three of said broadcast radio signal sources.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of broadcast radio signals includes radio data system (RDS) data;

and wherein said step of determining said call station identification information further comprises the step of;

decoding said RDS data within said at least one of said broadcast radio signals to determine a respective RDS identifier for each of said at least one respective broadcast radio signal sources for use during said step of identifying said respective station position data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of identifying said station position data further comprises the step of:

extracting said station position data from said RDS data broadcast by said broadcast radio signal sources.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of identifying said station position data further comprises the step of:

downloading said station position data from a wireless network.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein each said station position data includes coordinate data identifying the geographical coordinates of said respective broadcast radio signal source and transmit power data identifying the transmit power of said respective broadcast radio signal source.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each said station position data further includes signal measurement data that associates said measured signal quality characteristics for said respective broadcast radio signal source with a radial distance from said respective broadcast radio signal source.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of identifying said station position data further comprises the step of:

calculating said signal measurement data using said measured signal quality characteristics, said coordinate data and said transmit power data.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of calculating said location of said radio device further comprises the step of:

calculating said location of said radio device using at least one triangulation of said signal measurement data from at least three of said broadcast radio signal sources.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to populate a table containing said signal measurement data for each of said broadcast radio signal sources.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein said signal quality characteristics of each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals include at least one of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

27. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of calculating said location of said radio device further comprises the steps of:

averaging a plurality of said signal quality characteristics for each of said plurality of broadcast radio signals; and

utilizing average signal quality characteristics to calculate said location of said radio device.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of calculating said location of said radio device further comprises the steps of:

multiplying a respective weighting factor to each of said signal quality characteristics to produce weighted signal quality characteristics; and

utilizing said weighted signal quality characteristics to calculate said location of said radio device.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein said broadcast radio signals are frequency modulated (FM) broadcast radio signals.