Method for positioning, a positioning system, and an electronic device

• US 7,277,054 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Valio, Harri, Alanen, Kimmo, Syrjarinne, Jari, Kontola, Ilkka
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing; Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US10/081,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.1, 342/357.09, 342/457, 342/464, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 342/464
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for positioning a wireless communication device where position data of one or a plurality of reference points is stored into at least one data base, and which of the reference points is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device is determined. The method also includes transmitting at least position data of the reference point located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device to the wireless communication device and selecting the reference point located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device as the default location of the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method for positioning of a wireless communication device comprising:

storing position data of a plurality of reference points in at least one data base;

examining which of the plurality of reference points are located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device;

transmitting at least position data about more than one of the plurality of reference points located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device to the wireless communication device;

calculating a default position of the wireless communication device from a geometric midpoint of the more than one reference points located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device; and

using the default position of the wireless communication device to estimate a pseudorange between the wireless communication device and a satellite of a positioning system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using base stations of a mobile communication network as the plurality of reference points;

defining a cell global identity for each base station; and

separating the plurality of reference points according to cell global identity when storing the position data.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising establishing the at least one data base in the mobile communication network.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

setting up a communication connection between the wireless communication device and a certain one of the base stations of the mobile communication network.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the position data of the base stations is transmitted to the wireless communication device.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

setting up the at least one data base in a data base server; and

establishing a communication connection from the at least one data base to the wireless communication device to transfer the position data between the wireless communication device and the at least one data base.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a connection according to a WAP protocol is used as said communication connection.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing information on the position of the plurality of reference points in the wireless communication device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a cell global identity of a base station communicating with the wireless communication device to the wireless communication device;

determining whether any position data based on a cell global identity of a new base station are stored in the wireless communication device when the new base station communicates with the wireless communication device; and

sending a request from the wireless communication device for transmission of positioning data to the wireless communication device when no position data based on the cell global identity of the new base station are stored in the wireless communication device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining the position data of the plurality of reference points at least in the wireless communication device; and

transmitting the determined position data and identities of associated base stations to be stored in the at least one data base.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the pseudorange between the wireless communication device and a satellite of the positioning system comprises one of:

a code phase;

a bit phase;

a subframe phase;

or

a frame phase.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating the default position of the wireless communication device from the more than one reference points located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device and a direction of movement of the wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the position data of the more than one reference points from antenna directional patterns of the associated base stations.

14. A positioning system to be used in the positioning of a wireless communication device comprising:

at least one data base for storing a plurality of reference points;

means for detecting which of the plurality of reference points is located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device;

means for transmitting position data of more than one of the plurality of reference points located in the vicinity of said wireless communication device to the wireless communication device, wherein the transmitted position data of said the more than one reference points in the vicinity of the wireless communication device is used to calculate a geometric midpoint of the more than one reference points, wherein the geometric midpoint is used as a default position of the wireless communication device; and

means for estimating a pseudorange between the wireless communication device and a satellite of a positioning system using the default position of the wireless communication device.

15. The positioning system according to claim 14, wherein base stations of a mobile communication network are arranged to be used as the plurality of reference points, a cell global identity is defined for each base station, and the plurality of reference points are separated according to said cell global identity when storing position data of the plurality of reference points.

16. The positioning system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one data base is established in the mobile communication network.

17. The positioning system according to claim 15, comprising means for establishing a communication connection between the wireless communication device and a certain one of the base stations of the mobile communication network.

18. The positioning system according to claim 15, comprising means for transmitting position data of the base stations of the mobile communication network to the wireless communication device.

19. The positioning system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one data base is set up in a data base server, and that the positioning system comprises means for setting up a communication connection from the at least one data base to the wireless communication device to transfer position data between the wireless communication device and the data base.

20. The positioning system according to claim 19, wherein a connection according to a WAP protocol is used as said communication connection.

21. The positioning system according to claim 14, wherein information on the position of the plurality of reference points is stored in the wireless communication device.

22. The positioning system according to claim 21, comprising means for transmitting to the wireless communication device a cell global identity of a base station with which the wireless communication device is communicating;

the wireless communication device comprising means for determining whether position data based on a cell global identity of a new base station is stored in the wireless communication device when the new base station communicates with the wireless communication device, wherein a request to transmit position data to the wireless communication device is arranged to be transmitted from the wireless communication device when no position data based on a cell global identity of the new base station is stored in the wireless communication device.

23. The positioning system according to claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device comprises:

means for determining position data for the plurality of reference points; and

means for transmitting the determined position data and a cell global identities of base stations associated with the plurality of reference points,

wherein the positioning system comprises means for receiving and storing said determined position data and cell global identities into the data base.

24. An electronic device to be used in a positioning system comprising at least:

positioning means;

means for performing functions of a mobile communication device;

means for detecting which of a plurality of reference points stored in a data base of the positioning system is located in a vicinity of the electronic device;

means for receiving position data of more than one reference points of the plurality of reference points located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device;

means for using the received position data of the more than reference points located in the vicinity of said wireless communication device to calculate a geometric midpoint of the more than one reference points, wherein the geometric midpoint is used as a default position of the wireless communication device; and

means for using the default position of the wireless communication device to estimate a pseudorange between the wireless communication device and a satellite of a positioning system.

25. A method comprising:

storing position data of a plurality of reference points in at least one data base;

examining which of the plurality of reference points are located in the vicinity of a positioning module;

transmitting at least position data about more than one of the plurality of reference points located in the vicinity of the positioning module to the positioning module;

calculating a default position of the positioning module from a geometric midpoint of the more than one reference points located in the vicinity of the positioning module; and

using the default position of the positioning module to estimate a pseudorange between the positioning module and a satellite of a positioning system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the determination of the pseudorange between the wireless communication device and a satellite of the positioning system comprises one of:

a code phase;

a bit phase;

a subframe phase;

or

a frame phase.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising calculating the default position of the wireless communication device from the more than one reference points located in the vicinity of the wireless communication device and a direction of movement of the wireless communication device.

28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

using base stations of a mobile communication network as the plurality of reference points;

defining a cell global identity for each base station; and

separating the plurality of reference points according to cell global identity when storing the position data.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising determining the position data of the more than one reference points from antenna directional patterns of the associated base stations.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising establishing the at least one data base in the mobile communication network.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:

setting up a communication connection between the positioning module and a certain one of the base stations of the mobile communication network.

32. The method according to claim 28, wherein the position data of the base stations is transmitted to the positioning module.

33. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:

setting up the at least one data base in a data base server; and

establishing a communication connection from the at least one data base to the positioning module to transfer the position data between the positioning module and the at least one data base.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein a connection according to a WAP protocol is used as said communication connection.

35. The method according to claim 25, further comprising storing information on the position of the plurality of reference points in positioning module.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:

transmitting a cell global identity of a base station communicating with the positioning module to the positioning module;

determining whether any position data based on a cell global identity of a new base station are stored in the positioning module when the new base station communicates with the positioning module; and

sending a request from the positioning module for transmission of positioning data to the positioning module when no position data based on the cell global identity of the new base station are stored in the positioning module.

37. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

determining the position data of the plurality of reference points at least in the positioning module; and

transmitting the determined position data and identities of associated base stations to be stored in the at least one data base.

38. A system comprising:

at least one data base configured to store a plurality of reference points;

a positioning module configured to detect which of the plurality of reference points is located in the vicinity of the positioning module;

a communication network configured to transmit position data of more than one of the plurality of reference points located in the vicinity of the positioning module to the positioning module, wherein the transmitted position data of the more than one reference points in the vicinity of the position module is used to calculate a geometric midpoint of the more than one reference points, wherein the geometric midpoint is used as a default position of the position module; and

a processor configured to estimate a pseudorange between the positioning module and a satellite of a positioning system using the default position of the positioning module.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein base stations of a mobile communication network are arranged to be used as the plurality of reference points, a cell global identity is defined for each base station, and the plurality of reference points are separated according to said cell global identity when storing position data of the plurality of reference points.

40. The system according to claim 39, wherein the at least one data base is established in the communication network.

41. The system according to claim 39, comprising a wireless communication device configured to establish a communication connection between the positioning module and a certain one of the base stations of the communication network.

42. The system according to claim 39, comprising means for transmitting position data of the base stations of the mobile communication network to the positioning module.

43. The system according to claim 39, wherein the at least one data base is set up in a data base server, and that the system comprises a wireless communication device configured to set up a communication connection from the at least one data base to the positioning module to transfer position data between the positioning module and the data base.

44. The system according to claim 43, wherein a connection according to a WAP protocol is used as said communication connection.

45. The system according to claim 38, wherein information on the position of the plurality of reference points is stored in the positioning module.

46. The system according to claim 45, wherein the communication network is configured to transmit to the positioning module a cell global identity of a base station with which the positioning module is communicating;

the positioning module comprising a processor configured to determine whether position data based on a cell global identity of a new base station is stored in the positioning module when the new base station communicates with the positioning module, wherein a request to transmit position data to the positioning module is arranged to be transmitted from the positioning module when no position data based on a cell global identity of the new base station is stored in the positioning module.

47. The system according to claim 38, wherein the positioning module comprises:

a control block configured to determine position data for the plurality of reference points; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the determined position data and a cell global identities of base stations associated with the plurality of reference points,

wherein the system comprises for a switching center configured to receive and store said determined position data and cell global identities into the data base.

48. An apparatus comprising:

a positioning module including

detection means to detect which of a plurality of reference points stored in a data base of a positioning system is located in a vicinity of the apparatus;

receiving means to receive position data of more than one reference points of the plurality of reference points located in the vicinity of the apparatus;

calculating means to calculate a geometric midpoint of the more than one reference points using the received position data of the more than reference points located in the vicinity of the apparatus, wherein the geometric midpoint is used as a default position of the apparatus; and

estimating means to estimate a pseudorange between the wireless communication device and a satellite of a positioning system using the default position of the apparatus.