APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ASSOCIATING A LOCATION FIX HAVING A QUALITY OF SERVICE WITH AN EVENT OCCURING ON A WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20100009696A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yip, Eric Chi Chung, Fok, Kenny
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for estimating a geographical position corresponding to an event associated with operation of a wireless device communicating in a wireless communications network. The time and distance between the occurrence of the event and the related time and speed of the wireless device of at least one of a first and second location fix, respectively measured before and after the event, are analyzed. The first and second location fixes having Quality of Service (QoS) adjusted such that the resulting fixes are based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements. These analyses include comparing those metrics to predetermined time thresholds to validate a geographic position and, in some instances, determine a preferred geographic position to associate with the event.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a geographical position corresponding to a wireless device event, comprising:

receiving at least one of a first geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a first location fix having a first Quality of Service (QoS) and a second geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a second location fix having a second QoS, wherein the first and second QoS result in fixes based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements; and

determining an estimated geographical position of the wireless device based on a predetermined relationship between the event and at least one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising initiating the method based upon an event-tracking configuration.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting an event tracking configuration to a wireless device across a wireless network, wherein the event tracking configuration controls the retrieval of at least one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data from a processing subsystem of the wireless device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined relationship results in application of an estimated geographical position algorithm specific to both first and second fixes being based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data are derived from a Mobile Station-Assisted (MS-Assisted) mode of location determination.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data correspond to an Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (AFLT) location fix.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event corresponds to a predetermined operation of the wireless device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the event corresponds to one or more predetermined configurable sequences of data associated with the operation of the wireless device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first geographical position data of the wireless device corresponds to a first fixed geographical position of the wireless device before a time corresponding to the event, and wherein the second geographical position data of the wireless device corresponds to a second fixed geographical position of the wireless device after the time corresponding to the event.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein determining an estimated geographical position of the wireless device based on a predetermined relationship comprises selecting the estimated geographical position of the wireless device from one of the first geographical position data of the wireless device and the second geographical position data of the wireless device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined relationship comprises one or more time relationships comprising a time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the event and (b) a time corresponding to any one of:

the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising comparing the one or more time relationships to one or more corresponding predetermined time thresholds.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the one or more predetermined time thresholds comprise a predetermined time threshold and a low time threshold.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined time threshold comprises a predetermined maximum time difference between (a) a time corresponding to either one of the first geographical position data of the wireless device and the second geographical position data of the wireless device, and (b) a time corresponding to the event.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the low time threshold comprises a time taken by the wireless device to travel a predetermined distance threshold at a predetermined maximum speed.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting the first geographic position data as a basis for the estimated geographic position if,

the first geographical position data corresponds to a first fixed geographical position of the wireless device before a time corresponding to the event and the first time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the first geographical position data, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the low time threshold, and

the second geographical position data corresponds to a second fixed geographic position of the wireless device after the time corresponding to the event and the second time difference between (a) the time corresponding to the first geographical position data, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is outside of the time threshold.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting the second geographic position data as a basis for the estimated geographic position if,

the first geographical position data corresponds to a first fixed geographical position of the wireless device before a time corresponding to the event and the first time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the first geographical position data, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is outside of the low time threshold, and

the second geographical position data corresponds to a second fixed geographic position of the wireless device after the time corresponding to the event and the second time difference between (a) the time corresponding to the first geographical position data, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the time threshold.

18. The method according to claim 13, further comprising selecting one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data as a basis for the estimated geographical position if:

the first geographical position data corresponds to a first fixed geographical position of the wireless device before a time corresponding to the event and the first time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the first geographical position data, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the low time threshold, and

the second geographical position data corresponds to a second fixed geographic position of the wireless device after the time corresponding to the event and the second time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the first geographical position data, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the time threshold.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising determining a preferred geographical position data from among the first and second geographical position data based on a comparison of the first time difference to the second time difference less a time bias, where the time bias is defined as an average difference between (a) a time corresponding to geographical position data and (c) the time corresponding to a request for the geographical position data.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising selecting the first geographical position data as a basis for the estimated geographic position if the first time difference is less than the second time difference less the time bias.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising selecting the second geographic position data as a basis for the estimated geographic position if the first time difference is greater than or equal to the second time difference less the time bias.

22. At least one processor configured to estimate a geographical position corresponding to a wireless device event, comprising:

a first module for receiving at least one of a first geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a first location fix having a first Quality of Service (QoS) and a second geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a second location fix having a second QoS, wherein the first and second QoS result in fixes based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements; and

a second module for determining an estimated geographical position of the wireless device based on a predetermined relationship between the event and at least one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data.

23. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of coded for causing a computer to receive at least one of a first geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a first location fix having a first Quality of Service (QoS) and a second geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a second location fix having a second QoS, wherein the first and second QoS result in fixes based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements; and

a second set of codes for causing a computer to determine an estimated geographical position of the wireless device based on a predetermined relationship between the event and at least one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving at least one of a first geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a first location fix having a first Quality of Service (QoS) location fix and a second geographical position data of the wireless device corresponding to a second location fix having a second QoS, wherein the first and second QoS result in fixes based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements; and

means for determining an estimated geographical position of the wireless device based on a predetermined relationship between n the event and at least one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data.

25. An apparatus for estimating a geographical position corresponding to a wireless device event, comprising:

an event position determination module operable to receive at least one of a first set of location fix information of the wireless device corresponding to a first location fix having a first Quality of Service (QoS) and a second set of location fix information of the wireless device corresponding to a second location fix having a second QoS, wherein the first and second QoS result in fixes based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements; and

event position determination logic included in the module and operable to determine an estimated geographical position of the wireless device to associate with the event based on a predetermined relationship between the event and at least one of the first set of location fix information and the second set of location fix information.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the first set of location fix information and the second set of location information are generated based on a detection of a predetermined event on the wireless device.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the event position determination module is operable to transmit an event tracking configuration across a wireless network to the wireless device, wherein the event tracking configuration is executable by the wireless device to generate at least one of the first set of location fix information and the second set of location information.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the predetermined relationship results in application of an estimated geographical position algorithm specific to both first and second fixes being based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements.

29. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the first set of location fix information and the second set of location fix information are derived a Mobile Station-Assisted (MS-Assisted) mode of location determination.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least one of the one of the first geographical position data and the second geographical position data correspond to an Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (AFLT) location fix.

31. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the event corresponds to a predetermined operation of the wireless device.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the event corresponds to one or more predetermined configurable sequences of data associated with an operation of the wireless device.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the first location fix information corresponds to a first location fix time prior to an event time, and wherein the second location fix information corresponds to a second location fix time after the event time.

34. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the event position determination logic is further operable to determine the estimated geographical position based upon selecting one of the first location fix information and the second location fix information.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the predetermined relationship comprises one or more time relationships comprising a time difference between (a) an event time corresponding to the event and (b) a time corresponding to either one of the first location fix information and the second location fix information.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the event position determination logic is further operable to compare the one or more time relationships to one or more corresponding predetermined time thresholds.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the one or more predetermined time thresholds comprises a predetermined time threshold and a low time threshold.

38. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the predetermined time threshold comprises predetermined maximum time difference between (a) a time corresponding to either one of the first location fix information and the second location fix information, and (b) the event time.

39. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the low time threshold comprises a time taken by the wireless device to travel the predetermined distance threshold at a predetermined maximum speed.

40. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the event position determination logic is operable to select the first location fix information as a basis for the estimated geographic position if,

the first location fix information corresponds to a first fixed geographical position of the wireless device before a time corresponding to the event and a first time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the first location fix information, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the low time threshold, and

the second location fix information corresponds to a second fixed geographic position of the wireless device after the time corresponding to the event and a second time difference between (a) the time corresponding to the first location fix information, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is outside of the time threshold.

41. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the event position determination logic is operable to select the second location fix information as a basis for the estimated geographic position if,

the first location fix information corresponds to a first fixed geographical position of the wireless device before a time corresponding to the event and a first time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the first location fix information, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is outside of the low time threshold, and

the second location fix information corresponds to a second fixed geographic position of the wireless device after the time corresponding to the event and a second time difference between (a) the time corresponding to the first location fix information, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the time threshold.

42. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the event position logic is operable to select one of the first location fix information and the second location fix information as the estimated geographical position if,

the first location fix information corresponds to a first fixed geographical position of the wireless device before a time corresponding to the event and a first time difference between (a) a time corresponding to the first location fix information, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the low time threshold, and

the second location fix information corresponds to a second fixed geographic position of the wireless device after the time corresponding to the event and a second time difference between (a) the time corresponding to the first location fix information, and (b) a time corresponding to the event is within the time threshold.

43. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the event position logic is further operable to determining a preferred location fix information from among the first and second location fix information based on a comparison of the first time difference to the second time difference less a time bias, where the time bias is defined as an average difference between (a) a time corresponding to location fix information and (c) the time corresponding to a request for the location fix information.

44. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the event position logic is further operable to select the first location fix information as a basis for the estimated geographic position if the first time difference is less than the second time difference less the time bias.

45. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the event position logic is further operable to select the second location fix information as a basis for the estimated geographic position if the first time difference is greater than or equal to than or equal to the second time difference less the time bias.