Recording-location determination

• US 6,710,740 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Needham, Bradford H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/090,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20030164796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.13, 701/213, 701/215, 455/456, 455/457
• US Class Current: 342/357.46
• 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: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

Tracking and multiple signal sources, such as cellular phone towers, 802.11 hotspots, Radio Data System (RDS) transmitters, or the like, and using one or more of these sources to determine a current position that can be associated with a recording, such as a digital camera photo or other digital recording, conventional camera photo, or other recording.

Claims

1. A method for determining a current location that may be associated with a recording, comprising:

requesting an estimate of a current location from a server configured to estimate locations based on position data collected from different types of signal sources; and

receiving a response from the server comprising at least one estimated current location and a margin of error based on the types of signal sources utilized to determine the at least one estimated current location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the current location based at least in part on the response;

making a recording; and

associating the current location with the recording.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting the current location from an accurate position determination service;

determining unavailability of the accurate position determination service; and

requesting the estimate of the current location from the server after said determining unavailability.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the accurate position determination service comprises a GPS.

5. An article of manufacture to facilitate determining a current location that may be associated with a recording, comprising:

requesting an estimate of a current location from a server configured to estimate locations based on position data collected from different types of signal sources; and

receiving a response from the server comprising at least one estimated current location and a margin of error based on the types of signal sources utilized to determine the at least one estimated current location.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 5, whereom the machine-accessible medium further includes data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

determining the current location based at least in part on the response;

making a recording; and

associating the current location with the recording.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 5, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

requesting the current location from an accurate position determination service;

determining unavailability of the accurate position determination service; and

requesting the estimate of the current location from the server after said determining unavailability.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the data for requesting the current location further includes data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

requesting the current location from a GPS.