Augmentation for GPS calculations

• US 9,476,714 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Siris, Marc David
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/282,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 340/989, 340/995.1, 340/3.3, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 340/995.21, 340/995.23, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/3.31, 340/994
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/072 Ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for providing improved augmentation for GPS calculations. In general, various embodiments of the invention involve using a plurality of GPS devices associated with stationary objects associated with a common carrier'"'"'s delivery network and the common carrier'"'"'s delivery fleet to calculate error corrections and to communicate these error corrections to a number of GPS enable devices to be used by these devices to augment GPS calculations to correct errors associated with GPS signals. Further, various embodiments of the invention involve collecting GPS data for a plurality of delivery routes traveled by the common carrier'"'"'s delivery fleet. In particular embodiments, this collected data may be used to provide more accurate address information for locations along these delivery routes and more accurate renderings of various landscapes along these delivery routes.

Claims

1. A system for providing improved augmentation for a global positioning system, the system comprising:

a stationary global positioning system device associated with an operating object located along a route, wherein the stationary global positioning system device is configured to;

(1) receive signals from a plurality of satellites associated with the global positioning system;

(2) determine a calculated location of the stationary global positioning system device based at least in part on the received signals; and

(3) determine an error correction based at least in part on a predetermined location of the stationary global positioning system device and the calculated location of the stationary global positioning system device; and

a stationary communication device, associated with the operating object, configured to receive the error correction from the stationary global positioning system device and communicate the error correction to a communication device associated with a global positioning system enabled device in a vehicle as the vehicle travels within a predetermined distance of the operating object, the error correction to cause the global positioning system enabled device to use the error correction to augment for global positioning system calculations performed by the global positioning system enabled device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stationary global positioning system device and the stationary communication device are the same device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device communicates the error correction by broadcasting the error correction over an open wireless communication channel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the stationary communication device communicates the error correction by broadcasting the error correction over an open wireless communication channel to cause one or more of the global positioning system enabled devices proximate to the operating object to receive the error correction.

5. A method for augmenting global positioning system data associated with a global positioning system, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) receiving, by a stationary global positioning system device, signals from a plurality of satellites associated with the global positioning system, the stationary global positioning system device being one of a plurality of stationary global positioning system devices disposed along a plurality of routes;

(2) determining, by the stationary global positioning system device, a calculated location of the stationary global positioning system device based at least in part on the received signals; and

(3) determining, by the stationary global positioning system device, an error correction based at least in part on a predetermined location of the stationary global positioning system device and the calculated location of the stationary global positioning system device;

(4) communicating, by a stationary communication device, the error correction to a communication device associated with a global positioning system enabled device in a vehicle as the vehicle travels within a predetermined distance of the stationary global positioning system device, the error correction to cause the global positioning system enabled device to use the error correction to augment for global positioning system calculations performed by the global positioning system enabled device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the stationary global positioning system device and the stationary communication device are the same device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication device communicates the error correction by broadcasting the error correction over an open wireless communication channel.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the stationary communication device communicates the error correction by broadcasting the error correction over an open wireless communication channel to cause one or more of the global positioning system enabled devices proximate to the operating object to receive the error correction.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the stationary global positioning system device and the stationary communication device are the same device.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the communication device communicates the error correction by broadcasting the error correction over an open wireless communication channel.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the stationary communication device communicates the error correction by broadcasting the error correction over an open wireless communication channel to cause one or more of the global positioning system enabled devices proximate to the operating object to receive the error correction.

12. A computer program product for comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

(1) an executable portion configured to receive, by a stationary global positioning system device, signals from a plurality of satellites associated with the global positioning system, the stationary global positioning system device being one of a plurality of stationary global positioning system devices disposed along a plurality of routes;

(2) an executable portion configured to determine, by the stationary global positioning system device, a calculated location of the stationary global positioning system device based at least in part on the received signals; and

(3) an executable portion configured to determine, by the stationary global positioning system device, an error correction based at least in part on a predetermined location of the stationary global positioning system device and the calculated location of the stationary global positioning system device;

(4) an executable portion configured to communicate, by a stationary communication device, the error correction to a communication device associated with a global positioning system enabled device in a vehicle as the vehicle travels within a predetermined distance of the stationary global positioning system device, the error correction to cause the global positioning system enabled device to use the error correction to augment for global positioning system calculations performed by the global positioning system enabled device.