Systems and methods for IP and VoIP device location determination

• US 8,867,531 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iposi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iposi, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Richard M., Keegan, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): KASSIM, KHALED M
• Application Number:
  US13/098,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20110206039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 342/357.22, 342/357.24, 342/357.39, 701214-216
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 19/17 Emergency applications
• 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 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for precise position determination of general Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected devices. A method enables use of remote intelligence located at strategic network points to distribute relevant assistance data to IP devices with embedded receivers. Assistance is tailored to provide physical timing, frequency and real time signal status data using general broadband communication protocols. Relevant assistance data enables several complementary forms of signal processing gain critical to acquire and measure weakened or distorted in-building Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) signals and to ultimately extract corresponding pseudo-range time components. A method to assemble sets of GNSS measurements that are observed over long periods of time while using standard satellite navigation methods, and once compiled, convert using standard methods each pseudo-range into usable path distances used to calculate a precise geographic position to a known degree of accuracy.

Claims

1. A method of verifying a previously determined position of a device connected to a network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:

autonomously determining position of said device relative to said fixed coordinate system without input from a user of the device, wherein said determining comprises estimating said position of said device to a first level of accuracy, receiving reference time and frequency information relative to a positioning system at said device, calibrating a time and frequency reference of said device to the reference time and frequency information to align time and frequency elements of said device to time and frequency elements of said positioning system, and receiving signals from said positioning system to determine said position of said device to second level of accuracy that is more accurate than the first level of accuracy;

gathering a first set of information regarding attachment of said device to said network that is uniquely indicative of said attachment to said network at said determined position, wherein said first set of information comprises characteristics derived through communication of signals over said network relative to said device;

storing said first set of gathered information;

receiving a request for location information of said device;

gathering a second set of information regarding attachment of said device to said network indicative of a unique attachment to said network, wherein said second set of information comprises characteristics derived through communication of signals over said network relative to said device;

comparing said first set of information to said second set of information; and

verifying in near real time that said device is at said previously determined position if said comparison results in surpassing a predetermined threshold of characteristic similarity,

wherein said first and second sets of information regarding attachment to said network comprise at least one of packet mean time delay between a peering point server and said device, packet time delay distribution between said peering point server and said device, or trace-route information between said peering point server and said device.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said method is performed at generally regular time intervals.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said method is performed as a result of a request resulting from a request to contact an emergency services dispatch center.