Method and apparatus for locating position of a GPS device

• US 7,400,974 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Locate Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles, van Diggelen, Frank, Fuchs, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US11/618,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20070200753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/38, 701/48, 701/200, 701/207, 701/213, 701/214, 700/94, 700/245, 700/259, 342/357, 342/357.1, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/357.15, 342/464, 340/440, 370/208, 370/350, 370/503
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• 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 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/30 code related G01S19/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

A method and apparatus for locating position of a GPS device is described. In one example, a method for provisioning a mobile device with a model for determining a position of the mobile device in at least one geographic area is provided. The method includes obtaining an estimate of the position of the mobile device, forming one or more satellite orbit models from the estimate and a wide area model, and sending the at least one satellite orbit model to the mobile device. The wide area model is formed from measurements from a plurality of satellites of a Global Positioning System, and the measurements are obtained by a plurality of reference stations.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning a mobile device with a model for determining a position of the mobile device in at least one geographic area, the method comprising:

obtaining an estimate of the position of the mobile device;

forming at least one satellite orbit model from the estimate and a wide area model formed from measurements from a plurality of satellites of a Global Positioning System, wherein the measurements are obtained by a plurality of reference stations; and

sending the at least one satellite orbit model to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming at least one satellite orbit model comprises:

forming a pseudorange model as a function of the estimate and the wide area model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein forming at least one satellite orbit model comprises:

forming a pseudorange model as a function of the estimate and the wide area model; and

forming information representing differences between an almanac stored in memory of the mobile device and the pseudorange model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming at least one satellite orbit model comprises:

forming a compact orbit model as a function of the estimate and the wide area model.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining a request for a position of the mobile device comprises:

obtaining the request for location from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the at least one satellite orbit model to the mobile device occurs responsive to obtaining a request for the position of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining an estimate of the position of the mobile device comprises:

deriving the estimate from a location of a base station of a network to which the mobile device communicated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining an estimate of the position of the mobile device comprises:

deriving the estimate from a registration of the mobile device in a market service area.

9. A method for provisioning a mobile device with a model for determining a position of the mobile device in at least one geographic area, the method comprising:

receiving at the mobile device from a server at least one satellite orbit model, wherein the at least one satellite orbit model is formed from (i) an estimate of a position of the mobile device and (ii) a wide area model formed from measurements from a plurality of satellites of a Global Positioning System, and wherein the measurements are obtained by a plurality of reference stations.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

processing elements operable to determine the estimate of the position of the mobile device as a function of a positioning signal.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving at the mobile device a request for obtaining the position of the mobile device, and

sending from the mobile device to the server the request.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one satellite orbit model comprises a pseudorange model.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one satellite orbit model comprises a compact orbit model.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the compact orbit model includes information that enables to mobile device to compute the position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving at least one satellite orbit model comprises receiving the at least one satellite orbit model via a broadcast.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one satellite orbit model comprises:

information representing differences between an almanac stored in memory of the mobile device and a pseudorange model, and wherein the pseudorange model is formed as a function of the estimate and the wide area model.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information is adjusted for a timing of a clock of the mobile device.

18. A system for provisioning a mobile device with a model for determining a position of the mobile device in at least one geographic area, the system comprising:

a first device for obtaining an estimate of the position of the mobile device;

a server for forming at least one satellite orbit model from the estimate and a wide area model formed from measurements from a plurality of satellites of a Global Positioning System, wherein the measurements are obtained by a plurality of reference stations, and for sending the at least one satellite orbit model to the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device comprises the server.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device comprises the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is operable to send the estimate to the server.