SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HYBRIDING WIRELESS LOCATION TECHNIQUES

• US 20100234045A1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TracBeam LLC (Dennis J. Dupray)
• Original Assignee: TracBeam LLC (Dennis J. Dupray)
• Inventors: Dupray, Dennis J., Karr, Charles L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,060,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/026 of associated receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/028 Simulation means, e.g. of beacon signals therefor for teaching or training purposes G09B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• 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 5/0257 Hybrid positioning by coordinating position lines of different shape G01S5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A hybrid wireless location system and method is disclosed for locating mobile stations (MSs). Multiple wireless location techniques (FOMs) are provided for MS location. One or more FOMs can be activated in various combinations (serially or parallelly) for outputting one or more MS location estimates with signal protocols being, e.g., CDMA, TDMA, or GSM. Resulting location estimates may be for, e.g.: 911 emergency calls, tracking, navigation, people and animal location, and/or applications for confinement to and/or exclusion from geographical areas. System components may be distributed on a network (e.g., the Internet). FOMs may be based on one or more of: TOA, TDOA, AOA, signal pattern recognition/fingerprinting, statistical analysis, base station coverage, GPS signals received at the MS, and/or input from mobile stations. Location estimates are enhanced by adjusting MS estimates (and/or confidences therefor) according to: a past performance of the FOM providing such estimates, and/or MS geolocation or velocity constraints.

Claims

1. A system for wirelessly locating a terrestrial mobile station M in communication with a network of a plurality of terrestrial communication stations, each terrestrial communication capable of at least one of:

wirelessly detecting said terrestrial mobile station M, and wirelessly being detected by said terrestrial mobile stations M, comprising;

a satellite signal receiver for receiving a wireless signal from a satellite to the mobile station M;

transceiver components configured for two way wireless communication between the mobile station M and one or more communication stations of the network;

computational machine components configured to obtain first location related information of the mobile station M, the first location related information dependent upon a time delay of the received wireless signal;

wherein the first location related information and second location related information of the mobile station M is provided to a computational machine location determining component that determines a resulting location of the mobile station M by one of;

preferring the first location related information over the second location related information when a first wireless signally context is identified, and preferring the second location related information over the first location related information when a second wireless signaling context is identified; and

wherein the second location related information is dependent upon or indicative of signal time delay measurement or signal strength measurement of the wireless signal communication between the mobile station M, and the one or more of the terrestrial communication stations.