Systems and methods for IP and VoIP device location determination

• US 9,661,134 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• 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
• Application Number:
  US13/748,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• 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. An apparatus comprising:

a timing module comprising a local clock;

a network interface module for interfacing with an asynchronous IP network;

a signal receiving module driven by said local clock for receiving signals from transmitters of a positioning system;

an aligning module, executed by a processor of said apparatus, for aligning said signal receiving module to signal characteristics of said positioning signal at a first estimated position of said apparatus, wherein said aligning module is operable to obtain said signal characteristic regarding said positioning system at said first estimated position of said apparatus from said asynchronous IP network by said network interface module;

a calibration module, executed by said processor of said apparatus, operable to calibrate at least one of a time reference or a frequency reference of said local clock of said apparatus with corresponding frequency and time aligning information regarding said positioning system that is derived based on communication characteristics of a communication between said network interface module and an external time reference over said asynchronous IP network, wherein said calibration of said at least one of said time reference or said frequency reference occurs prior to said signal receiving module receiving said signals from said transmitters of said positioning system; and

a processing module for processing signals received by said signal receiving module, wherein said processing module is operable to determine a second position of said apparatus relative to said positioning system based at least in part on said signals received by said signal receiving module and said calibration, and wherein said second position is more accurate than said first estimated position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a voice over data network unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a data unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a VoIP unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a phone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said positioning system is a GNSS.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said GNSS at least one of is the GPS, Glonass, Galileo and QZSS.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing module is operable to determine true time relative to said positioning system based at least in part on said signals received by said signal receiving module and said calibration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a barometric pressure sensor in operative communication with said signal receiving module to assist in determining an altitude at which said apparatus is located.

10. A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device comprising:

a voice conversion module operable to convert voice to data and data to voice;

a network interface module for interfacing with an asynchronous IP network;

a timing module comprising a local clock, wherein said timing module is operable to calibrate a time reference of said local clock with a time reference to said GNSS based on corresponding frequency and time aligning information that is derived based on communication characteristics of a communication between said network interface module and an external time reference over said asynchronous IP network;

a signal receiving module driven by said local clock for receiving signals from transmitters of a GNSS;

an aligning module, executed by a processor of said VoIP device, for aligning said signal receiving module to signal characteristics of said positioning system at a first estimated position of said VoIP device, wherein said aligning module is operable to obtain said signal characteristics regarding said GNSS at said first estimated position of said VoIP device from said asynchronous IP network by said network interface module; and

a processing module, executed by a processor of said VoIP device, for processing signals received by said signal receiving module, wherein said processing module is operable to determine a second position of said apparatus relative to said GNSS based at least in part on said signals received by said signal receiving module and said calibrated time reference, and wherein said second position is more accurate than said first estimated position.

11. The VoIP device of claim 10, wherein said GNSS is the GPS.

12. A system for use in determining one of a position or a time reference of a device connected to an asynchronous IP network relative to a fixed coordinate system, comprising:

a device connected to said asynchronous IP network, wherein said device is operable to receive signals from transmitters of a positioning system and comprises a processing module for processing signals received by said signal receiving module;

a model server in communication with said device over said asynchronous IP network, wherein said model server is operable to provide to said device information regarding signal characteristics of said transmitters of said positioning system; and

a peering point server in communication with said device over said asynchronous IP network, wherein said peering point server is operable to derive at least one of frequency information or time information for distribution to said device over said asynchronous IP network for calibration of a local clock of said device to an external time reference of said positioning system based on communication characteristics of a communication between said device and said peering point server over said asynchronous IP network;

wherein said device further comprises an aligning module, executed by a processor of said device, for aligning said processing module to said signal characteristics of said transmitters of said positioning system at a first estimated position of said device and a calibration module, executed by said processor of said device, operable to calibrate at least one of a time reference or a frequency reference of said local clock of said device with at least one of said frequency or said time information, wherein said calibration of said at least one of said time reference or said frequency reference occurs prior to said device receiving said signals from said transmitters of said positioning system; and

wherein said processing module is operable to determine a position of said device relative to said positioning system based at least in part on said signals from said transmitters of said positioning system and said time reference of said device that is calibrated to said external time reference of said positioning system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said positioning system is the GPS.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said model server is operable to determine an estimate of the location of said device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said model server comprises a database correlating a plurality of devices to a plurality of corresponding locations.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said device is a VoIP phone.