Multi-mode global positioning system for use with wireless networks

• US 6,389,291 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SiRF Technology (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garin, Lionel Jacques, Pande, Ashutosh, Chadha, Kanwar, Turetzky, Gregory Bret
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gary, Erika A.
• Application Number:
  US09/781,068
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/521, 455/404, 455/457, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/450, 342/457, 701/207, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention discloses a GPS system that can operate in different modes depending on the network facilities and bandwidth available, the GPS information that can be acquired, or user or system requirements. The modes comprise standalone mode, where a mobile communications device computes the position of the device, an autonomous mode, where the mobile communications device transmits the computed position to a server, application, or PSAP in a communications network, a network aided mode, where the network aides the mobile communications device in determining the position of the device, a network based mode, and other modes.

Claims

1. A geolocation system, comprising:

a geolocation server, wherein the geolocation server receives at least one signal from at least one GPS satellite; and

a wireless communications device, comprising a GPS receiver section, wherein the GPS receiver section can be selectively switched between a standalone mode and at least one other mode for determining a geolocation of the wireless communications device, wherein the at least one other mode is selected from a group comprising an autonomous mode, a network aided mode, and a network centric mode, and wherein the selective switching occurs substantially simultaneously with the determination of the geolocation of the wireless device, and the wireless communications device can selectively send the determined geolocation of the wireless communications device to the geolocation server.

2. The geolocation system of claim 1, wherein the selective switching of the GPS receiver is performed automatically by the wireless communications device.

3. The geolocation system of claim 1, wherein the selective switching of the GPS receiver is performed manually at the wireless communications device.

4. The geolocation system of claim 1, wherein the selective sending of the determined geolocation of the wireless communications device is performed automatically by the wireless communications device.

5. The geolocation system of claim 1, wherein the selective sending of the determined geolocation of the wireless communications device is performed manually at the wireless communications device.

6. The geolocation system of claim 1, wherein the GPS receiver switches between the standalone mode and the at least one other mode when a predetermined event occurs.

7. The geolocation system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined event is manually selected by a user.

8. The geolocation system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined event is initial acquisition of at least one GPS satellite signal.

9. The geolocation system of claim 8, wherein the selective switching of the GPS receiver switches the receiver from the at least one other mode to standalone mode.

10. The geolocation system of claim 9, wherein the at least one other mode is the network aided mode.

11. The geolocation system of claim 10, wherein the at least one other mode further comprises a reverse aiding mode.

12. The geolocation system of claim 11, wherein the wireless communications device can receive information from a second source.

13. The geolocation system of claim 12, wherein the second source of information is selected from a group comprising a bluetooth network, a Specialized Mobile Radio network, a Personal Communication System (PCS) network, a wireless Local Area Network, an infrared network, a paging network, a two-way paging network, or an FM broadcast network.

14. The geolocation system of claim 13, wherein the geolocation of the wireless communication device is determined using GPS satellite signals and the second source of information.

15. The geolocation system of claim 6, wherein the wireless communications device selectively displays the determined geolocation of the wireless communications device.

16. A method for determining the geoposition of a mobile device, comprising:

receiving at least one signal from at least one GPS satellite at the mobile device, wherein the mobile device can be selectively switched into a mode selected from a group comprising a standalone mode and at least one other mode, wherein the at least one other mode is selected from a group comprising an autonomous mode, a network aided mode, and a network centric mode;

determining the geolocation of the mobile device wherein the geolocation is determined using the selected mode at substantially the same time as switching into the selected mode; and

selectively sending the determined geolocation of the mobile device to a geolocation server via a wireless network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining of the geolocation is performed by the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selective sending of the geolocation is performed by the mobile device, and the geolocation is sent from the mobile device to the geolocation server.

19. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a call processing section for communicating with a wireless communications network; and

a GPS receiver section, wherein the GPS receiver section can be selectively switched between a standalone mode and at least one other mode for determining a geolocation of the wireless communications device, wherein the at least one other mode is selected from a group comprising an autonomous mode, a network aided mode, and a network centric mode, and wherein the selective switching occurs substantially simultaneously with the determination of the geolocation of the wireless communications device, and the wireless communications device can selectively send the determined geolocation of the wireless communications device to the call processing section for transmission over the wireless communications network.