U.S. patent application number 13/312385 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-06 for method and system for determining a position of a mobile communication device.
This patent application is currently assigned to BROADCOM CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Manuel del Castillo, Andrei Kosolobov, Christopher Lane, David Albert Lundgren, Steven Malkos, Alexander Michael Usach.
Application Number | 20120223857 13/312385 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41680986 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120223857 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Malkos; Steven ; et
al. |
September 6, 2012 |
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A POSITION OF A MOBILE
COMMUNICATION DEVICE
Abstract
A GNSS enabled mobile device transmits to a location server a
combination of GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location
data used to determining reference positions at the location
server. The GNSS mobile device receives the determined reference
positions from the location server to calculate an associated GNSS
position fix. The transmitted GNSS-based location data comprises
GNSS position fixes associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device.
The transmitted non-GNSS-based location data comprises a serving
Cell-ID, neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing
advance parameters, and/or a mobile country code. Reference
positions associated with the serving Cell-ID are determined and/or
refined based on location information acquired from each of
associated mobile devices. To respond to a reference position
request from the GNSS enabled mobile device without an associated
serving Cell-ID, the location server determines corresponding
reference positions by combing subscriber population density with
an associated MCC.
Inventors: |
Malkos; Steven; (San Jose,
CA) ; Kosolobov; Andrei; (San Jose, CA) ;
Lundgren; David Albert; (Mill Valley, CA) ; del
Castillo; Manuel; (Madrid, ES) ; Lane;
Christopher; (Ridgewood, NJ) ; Usach; Alexander
Michael; (San Francisco, CA) |
Assignee: |
BROADCOM CORPORATION
Irvine
CA
|
Family ID: |
41680986 |
Appl. No.: |
13/312385 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12394416 |
Feb 27, 2009 |
8094067 |
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13312385 |
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12190192 |
Aug 12, 2008 |
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12394416 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
342/357.43 ;
342/357.49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S 19/48 20130101;
G01S 19/25 20130101; G01S 5/0036 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
342/357.43 ;
342/357.49 |
International
Class: |
G01S 19/06 20100101
G01S019/06; G01S 19/12 20100101 G01S019/12 |
Claims
1-22. (canceled)
23. A mobile device comprising: a satellite signal processor
operable to process satellite-based location data; and a mobile
communication processor operable to: transmit the satellite based
location data and non-satellite based location data to a location
server; receive from the location server, a determined reference
position based on the satellite based location data, the
non-satellite based location data, and an uncertainty level,
wherein the uncertainty level is adapted according to the
non-satellite based location data; and calculate a position fix for
the mobile device based on the reference position.
24. The mobile device according to claim 23, wherein the satellite
based location data comprises position fixes associated with the
mobile device.
25. The mobile device according to claim 23, wherein the satellite
based location data comprises a serving Cell-ID, one or more
neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing advance
parameters, and/or a mobile country code.
26. The mobile device according to claim 25, wherein the neighbor
cell fingerprinting is associated with the one or more neighbor
Cell-IDs.
27. A method of processing signals, the method comprising:
transmitting satellite based location data and non-satellite based
location data to a location server; receiving from the location
server, a determined reference position based on the satellite
based location data, the non-satellite based location data, and an
uncertainty level, wherein the uncertainty level is adapted
according to the non-satellite based location data; and calculating
a position fix for the mobile device based on the reference
position.
28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the transmitted
GNSS-based location data comprises GNSS position fixes associated
with the GNSS enabled mobile device.
29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the transmitted
non-GNSS based location data comprises a serving Cell-ID, one or
more neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing
advance parameters, and/or a mobile country code.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the neighbor cell
fingerprinting is associated with the one or more neighbor
Cell-IDs.
31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the location server
acquires location information associated with the serving Cell-ID
from the GNSS enabled mobile device and other mobile devices
associated with the location server.
32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the location server
adaptively computes the uncertainty level with a fixed confidence
level of the determined reference position based on the satellite
based location data and the non-satellite based location data
associated with the serving Cell-ID.
33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the location server
refines the determined reference position based on the acquired
location information associated with the serving Cell-ID.
34. The method according to claim 29, wherein the location server
determines one or more reference subpositions associated with the
serving Cell-ID based on the neighbor cell fingerprinting.
35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the location server
communicates the determined one or more reference subpositions
associated with the serving Cell-ID to the GNSS enabled mobile
device.
36. The method according to claim 27, wherein the location server
identifies subscriber population density associated with the mobile
country code.
37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the location server
determines the reference position based on the mobile country code
and identified subscriber population density associated with the
mobile country code.
38. A system for processing signals, the system comprising: a
location server operable to: receive satellite based location data
and non-satellite based location data from a mobile station;
determine a reference position according to the satellite based
location data and the non-satellite based location data; and
determine an uncertainty level that is adapted according to the
non-satellite based location data, wherein the reference position
and the uncertainty level enable the mobile station to calculate a
position fix.
39. The system according to claim 38, wherein the location server
adaptively computes the uncertainty level with a fixed confidence
level based on location information from multiple sources.
40. The system according to claim 38, wherein the location server
identifies subscriber population density associated with a mobile
country code.
41. The system according to claim 40, wherein the location server
determines the reference position based on the subscriber
population density.
42. The system according to claim 38, wherein the satellite based
location data comprises a serving Cell-ID, one or more neighbor
Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing advance parameters,
and/or a mobile country code.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY
REFERENCE
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 12/394,416, filed on Feb. 27, 2009, now U.S.
Pat. No. 8,094,067, issued on Jan. 10, 2012, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/190,192 filed
on Aug. 12, 2008.
[0002] The above stated applications are hereby incorporated by
reference in their entirety for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Certain embodiments of the invention relate to signal
processing for communication systems. More specifically, certain
embodiments of the invention relate to a method and system for
determining a position of a mobile communication device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Location based services (LBS) are emerging as a new type of
value added service provided by mobile communication network. LBS
are mobile services in which the user location information is used
in order to enable various LBS applications such as, for example,
enhanced 911 (E-911) services. A position of a mobile device is
determined in different ways such as, for example, using network
based technology, using terminal based technology, and/or hybrid
technology (a combination of the former technologies). Many
positioning technologies such as, for example, Cell of Origin
(COO), Time of Arrival (TOA), Observed Time Difference of Arrival
(OTDOA), Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD) as well as the
satellite-based systems such as the global positioning system
(GPS), or Assisted GPS (A-GPS), are in place to estimate the
location of the mobile device and convert it into a meaningful X, Y
coordinate for LBS applications.
[0005] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and
traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the
art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the
present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present
application with reference to the drawings.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A method and/or system for determining a position of a
mobile communication device, substantially as shown In and/or
described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set
forth more completely in the claims.
[0007] These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of
the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated
embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the
following description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary communication
system that enables determining a position of a mobile
communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary mobile device
that is operable to provide location information for mobile
positioning, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary location
server that enables mobile positioning using location information
from associated mobile devices, in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an exemplary call flow that illustrates exemplary
determining a position of a mobile communication device using
location information, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
dynamically computing an uncertainty level with a fixed confidence
level for a Cell-ID based mobile positioning, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
refining uncertainty level with a fixed confidence level for a
Cell-ID based positioning based on reported timing advance, in
accordance with an embodiment of the Invention.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
providing Cell-ID based mobile positioning based on reported
neighbor cell fingerprinting, in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
determining a position of a mobile communication device based on
combined MCC and subscriber population centroid, in accordance with
an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a
method and system for determining a position of a mobile
communication device. In accordance with various exemplary
embodiments of the invention, a GNSS enabled mobile device may be
enabled to generate GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based
location data and transmit a combination of the generated
GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location data to a
location server for more accurate reference positions. The location
server may be enabled to determine reference positions based on the
transmitted combination of the generated GNSS-based location data
and non-GNSS based location data. The determined reference
positions may be communicated to the GNSS enabled mobile device via
a wireless communication network. The GNSS enabled mobile device
may be enabled to receive the determined reference positions from
the location server to calculate an associated GNSS position
fix.
[0017] The generated GNSS-based location data may comprise GNSS
position fixes associated with the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c.
The generated non-GNSS based location data may comprise a serving
Cell-ID, one or more neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell
fingerprinting, timing advance parameters, and/or a mobile country
code. The neighbor cell fingerprint may comprise signal strength,
signal time delay, and/or a channel impulse response measured for
signals from the corresponding one or more neighbor cells at the
GNSS enabled mobile device. The location server may be enabled to
acquire and/or learn location information associated with the
serving Cell-ID from the GNSS enabled mobile device as well as
other served mobile devices associated with the location server.
The location server may be enabled to determine and/or refine
reference positions based on the acquired location information. The
location server may be enabled to determine and/or refine reference
positions in various ways such as, for example, by correlating the
serving Cell-ID with GNSS position fixes, timing advance
parameters, and/or neighbor cell fingerprinting. The location
server may be enabled to adaptively compute an uncertainty level
with a fixed confidence of the determined and/or refined reference
positions. The uncertainty level may be determined based on the
acquired location information such as GNSS position fixes and/or
timing advance parameters associated with the serving Cell-ID. To
respond to a reference position request from the GNSS enable mobile
device without an associated serving Cell-ID, the location server
may be configured to identify subscriber population density of an
associated mobile country code (MCC) via the wireless communication
network. The combination of the identified subscriber population
density and the associated MCC may be utilized to determine
corresponding reference positions associated with the GNSS enabled
mobile device.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary communication
system that enables determining a position of a mobile
communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a communication
system 100 comprising a plurality of cells, of which a cell 110 and
a cell 120 are displayed, a wireless communication network 130, a
location server 140, an IP network 150, a LBS application server
160, and a GNSS satellite infrastructure 170, of which GNSS
satellites 170a-170c are displayed. A plurality of mobile devices,
of which a GNSS enabled smart phone 110a, a GNSS enabled notebook
computer 110b, and a GNSS enabled cell phone 110c are displayed,
may be located within the cell 110. The cell 120 comprises a
plurality of mobile devices, of which a GNSS enabled smart phone
120a, a GNSS enabled notebook computer 120b, and a GNSS enabled
cell phone 120c are displayed.
[0019] The cell 110 and/or the cell 120 comprise geographical areas
covered by associated base stations. A cell such as the cell 110
may be identified by a unique cell identifier, which is referred to
as the Cell-ID. A plurality of served mobile devices such as, for
example, the GNSS enabled smart phone 110a, the GNSS enabled
notebook computer 110b, and the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c, may
be located in the cell 110.
[0020] A served mobile device such as the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c may comprise suitable logic, circuitry and/or code that may be
enabled to communicate with the wireless communication network 130
as well as the GNSS satellite infrastructure 170. The GNSS enabled
cell phone 110c may be capable of transmitting and/or receiving
radio signals across the wireless communication network 130
compatible with various telecommunication standards such as, for
example, 3GPP, 3GPP2, WiFi, and WiMAX. The GNSS enabled cell phone
110c may be enabled to receive GNSS signals from a plurality of
GNSS satellites such as the GNSS satellites 170a through 170c to
determine a position fix associated with the GNSS enabled cell
phone 110c. A quick position fix for the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c may be determined based on reference position information
acquired from the location server 140.
[0021] The reference position information may be acquired in
various ways such as cell-ID based and/or MCC code based. In this
regard, to improve the accuracy of reference positions acquired
from the location server 140, the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may
be enabled to generate location data, which may be communicated to
the location server 140. The uncertainty level with a fixed
confidence level of the acquired reference positions may be
adaptive to various location information captured, determined
and/or learned from a plurality of mobile devices associated with
the location server 140. The location information may be generated
by associating a serving Cell-ID with latitude and longitude (Lat,
Lon) of the determined GNSS position fix, timing advance (TA)
parameters, and/or neighbor cell information. The neighbor cells
may be the cells within a vicinity of the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c. In instances where a particular Cell-ID may not be indicated
in a reference position request, the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c
may be enabled to generate location data comprising an associated
mobile country code (MCC) and provide to the location server
140.
[0022] The wireless communication network 130 may comprise suitable
logic, circuitry and/or code that may be enabled to support various
voice and/or data services to various served mobile devices such as
the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c in the cell 110 and the smart
phone 120a in the cell 2, respectively. The wireless communication
network 130 may be operable to support various telecommunication
standards such as, for example, CDMA 2000, WCDMA, GSM, UMTS, LTE,
WiFi, and/or WiMAX communication standards. The wireless
communication network 130 may be enabled to communicate various LBS
applications from the LBS application server 160 to a plurality of
served mobile devices such as the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c via
the Internet 140 and the wireless communication network 130,
respectively.
[0023] The location server 140 may comprise suitable logic, devices
and/or code that may enable retrieval of location information for
residential as well as enterprise users. The location server 140
may be enabled to convert retrieved location information into a
meaningful X, Y coordinate for various LBS applications provided by
the LBS application server 160. The location server 140 may be
enabled to determine various reference positions associated with
served mobile devices such as the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c
based on location data such as, for example, a serving Cell-ID
and/or an associated MCC. The location data may be provided either
directly by the wireless communication network 130 or by the GNSS
enabled cell phone 110c via various signaling such as, for example,
a short message service (SMS). In various embodiments of the
invention, in-band and/or out-of-band may be utilized to provide
the location information. The location server 140 may be enabled to
acquire, capture or learn location information from the GNSS
enabled cell phone 110c as well as other associated mobile devices.
The acquired location information may comprise GNSS-based location
data such as GNSS position fixes, and/or non-GNSS based location
data such as serving Cell-ID, neighbor Cell-IDs, TA parameters,
and/or associated MCC.
[0024] The location server 140 may utilize the captured, determined
and/or learned location information to determine and/or refine
reference positions associated with a particular serving Cell-ID
and/or a particular MCC. For example, the location server 140 may
correlate a particular serving Cell-ID with associated GNSS
position fixes, neighbor Cell-IDs, and/or associated TA parameters
to determine reference positions associated with the particular
serving Cell-ID. Moreover, the location server 140 may be
configured to determine reference positions associated with a
particular MCC and assign to served mobile devices when the
corresponding serving Cell-ID may not be available. The determined
reference positions, whether a Cell-ID based or a MCC-based, may be
communicated to the served mobile devices via the wireless
communication network 130. In the event that the particular serving
Cell-ID that a served mobile device is attached may be known to the
location server 140, an adaptive uncertainty level with a fixed
confidence level may be computed and assigned to the determined
and/or refined reference positions associated with the particular
serving Cell-ID. The adaptive uncertainty level with the fixed
confidence level may be determined based on captured, derived
and/or learned location information from each of associated mobile
devices. In the event that the particular serving Cell-ID that the
served mobile device is attached may not be known, the location
server 140 may be enabled to determine reference positions of an
associated MCC by combining with corresponding subscriber
population density centroid of the associated MCC.
[0025] The IP network 150 may comprise suitable logic, devices
and/or code that enables data communication via various network
wired and/or wireless technologies using internet protocols (IP).
The IP network 150 may be operable to provide communication between
the LBS application server 160 and a plurality of served mobile
devices such as the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c.
[0026] The LBS application server 160 may comprise suitable logic,
circuitry and/or code that Is enabled to retrieve various
positioning information such as, for example, a requested hotel
addresses and a map of the vicinity of areas of interest. The LBS
application server 160 may be enabled to communicate the retrieved
positioning information with various mobile devices such as the
GNSS enabled cell phone 110c based on corresponding position
fix.
[0027] The GNSS satellite infrastructure 170 may comprise suitable
logic, circuitry and/or code that provide navigation information to
various GNSS receivers. The GNSS receivers, which comprise GP, S,
GALILEO and/or GLONASS receivers, are integrated within or
externally coupled to the mobile devices such as the GNSS enabled
cell phone 110c.
[0028] In operation, various mobile devices such as, for example,
the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may be attached to a cell such as
the cell 110 to communicate with the wireless communication network
130. The GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may be enabled to acquire
GNSS signals from the GNSS satellite infrastructure 170. The
acquired GNSS signals may be used to calculate a GNSS position fix
associated with the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c. To achieve a fast
position fix, the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may be enabled to
acquire associated reference positions from the location server 140
by providing location information such as a serving Cell-ID and/or
an associated MCC. In this regard, the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c
may be enabled to generate location data and communicate with the
location server 140 for more accurate reference positions. The
generated location data may be GNSS-based location data and/or
non-GNSS based location data. The generated GNSS-based location
data may comprise GNSS position fixes. The generated non-GNSS-based
location data may comprise serving Cell-ID, neighbor Cell-IDs, GNSS
position fixes, TA parameters, and/or associated MCC. For a
particular Cell-ID of a cell in which the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c is located, the location server 140 may be enabled to
adaptively calculate an uncertainty level with a fixed confidence
level based on location information contributed from each of
associated mobile devices to the location server 140. The location
server 140 may determine and/or refine reference positions with the
calculated uncertainty level and the fixed confidence level. In
instances where a particular Cell-ID of a cell in which the GNSS
enabled cell phone 110c is located is unknown, the location server
140 may be enabled to determine reference positions of an
associated MCC based on corresponding subscriber population density
centroid of the associated MCC. The determined reference positions
may be communicated to the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c via the
wireless communication network 130. The GNSS enabled cell phone
110c may utilize the reference position to achieve a fast position
fix for various LBS applications supported by the LBS application
server 160.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary mobile device
that is operable to provide location information for mobile
positioning, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a GNSS enabled mobile device
200 comprising an antenna 202, a GNSS front end 204a, a
telecommunication front end 204b, a processor 206, a reference
position database 208, and a memory 210.
[0030] The antenna 202 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry
and/or code that may be enabled to receive GNSS signals from a
plurality of GNSS satellites such as the GNSS satellites 170a
through 170c and may be capable of transmitting and/or receiving
radio signals via, for example, the wireless communication network
130. The antenna 202 may be a single antenna for communicating GNSS
signals from the GNSS satellite 170a through 170c and radio signals
from the wireless communication network 130. The antenna 202 may
comprise separate antenna communicating GNSS signals from the GNSS
satellite 170a through 170c and radio signals from the wireless
communication network 130, respectively.
[0031] The GNSS front end 204a may comprise suitable logic,
circuitry and/or code that may be enabled to receive GNSS satellite
broadcast signals via the antenna 202 and convert them to GNSS
baseband signals, which may be suitable for further processing in
the processor 206 for a navigation solution.
[0032] The telecommunication front end 204b may comprise suitable
logic, circuitry and/or code that may be enabled to transmit and/or
receive radio signals over the wireless communication network 130
via the antenna 202 and convert them to corresponding baseband
signals, which may be suitable for further processing in the
processor 206.
[0033] The processor 206 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry
and/or code that may be enabled to process received satellite
signals as well as signals received from the wireless communication
network 130. The processor 206 may be configured to extract
navigational information from each received GNSS signal to compute
a position fix associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device 200.
The processor 206 may be programmed to calculate the position fix
by combining local GNSS measurements and the reference position
database 208. The processor 206 may be enabled to acquire reference
positions associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device 200 from
the location server 140. The processor 206 may be enabled to
provide location information such as a serving Cell-ID and/or an
associated MCC to the location server 140 at a time requesting
reference positions. In this regard, the processor 206 may be
enabled to generate location data and communicate with the location
server 140 for more accurate reference positions. The generated
location data may comprise GNSS-based location data such as
associated GNSS position fixes, and/or non-GNSS based location data
such as serving Cell-ID, neighbor Cell-IDs, associated timing
advance (TA) parameters, and/or an associated MCC. In return, the
processor 206 may be enabled to receive refined reference positions
associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device 200 from the
location server 140.
[0034] The reference position database 208 may comprise suitable
logic, circuitry, and/or code that may be operable to manage and
store data comprising reference positions associated with the GNSS
enabled mobile device 200. The contents in the reference position
database 208 may be used as reference positions for GNSS
calculations of the GNSS enabled mobile device 200. The contents in
the reference position database 208 may be updated as a needed base
or periodically.
[0035] The memory 210 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,
and/or code that may enable storing of information such as
executable instructions and data that may be utilized by the
processor 206. The executable instructions may comprise algorithms
that may be enabled to calculate a position fix using local GNSS
measurements and/or reference positions provided by the reference
position database 208. The data may comprise local GNSS
measurements and location data. The local GNSS measurements may be
associated to the satellite signals directly received from the GNSS
satellite 170a through 170c. The location data may comprise
neighbor cell fingerprinting comprising measured neighbor signal
strength and/or signal time delay. The memory 210 may comprise RAM,
ROM, low latency nonvolatile memory such as flash memory and/or
other suitable electronic data storage.
[0036] In operation, a plurality of signals may be received at the
antenna 202 coupled to the GNSS enabled mobile device 200. The
received plurality of signals may be measured and communicated to
the GNSS front end 204a or the telecommunication front end 204b,
respectively, depending on the type of received signals. The GNSS
front end 204a may convert the received GNSS signals to
corresponding baseband signals and communicate to the processor
206. The telecommunication front end 204b may convert the received
telecommunication signals into corresponding baseband signals and
communicate to the processor 206. The received telecommunication
signals may comprise reference position data from the location
server 140. The received reference position data may be stored in
reference position database 208. For more accurate reference
position data, the processor 206 may be enabled to generate
location data and communicate with the location server 140 via the
telecommunication front end 204b. The processor 206 may receive
reference positions of associated serving Cell-10 or an associated
MCC. The received reference positions may be stored in the
reference position database 208. The received reference positions
of the associated serving Cell-ID may comprise an adaptive
uncertainty level and a fixed confidence level. The received
reference positions of the associated MCC may be determined based
on corresponding subscriber population density centroid of the
associated MCC. The processor 206 may be enabled to determine a
position fix associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device 200
based on the local GNSS measurements from the GNSS front end 204a
and/or received reference positions stored in the reference
position database 208. The processor 206 may determine the position
fix associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device 400 using
various algorithms stored in the memory 210.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary location
server that enables mobile positioning using location information
from associated mobile devices, in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a location
server 300 comprising an antenna a processor 302, a positioning
database 304, and a memory 306.
[0038] The processor 302 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry
and/or code that may be enabled to process reference position
requests from various served mobile devices such as the GNSS
enabled mobile device 200. The processor 302 may be operable to
capture, determine and/or lean location information such as, for
example, Cell IDs and/or associated MCC, from a plurality of
associated mobile devices. In this regard, the processor 302 may be
enabled to receive location information comprising serving Cell ID,
neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting, associated GNSS
position fixes, associated TA parameters, and/or associated MCC.
The processor 302 may be enabled to utilize the captured,
determined and/or learned location information to determine and/or
refine reference positions of a particular serving Cell-ID and/or a
particular MCC. The processor 302 may be enabled to calculate
uncertainty level adaptively with a fixed confidence level for the
reference positions of the particular serving Cell-ID.
[0039] An uncertainty level associated with the reference positions
of the particular serving Cell-ID may be determined based on the
captured location information from the plurality of mobile devices
associated with the location server 140. For example, the
uncertainty level associated with the reference positions of the
particular serving Cell-ID may be re-computed when the captured
location information such as a GNSS position fix and/or timing
advance (TA) parameter associated with a mobile device in the
corresponding cell changes. In instances where the particular
serving Cell-ID may be unknown to the location server 300, the
processor 302 may be enabled to acquire subscriber population
density centroid of an associated MCC from, for example, the
wireless communication network 130. The processor 302 may be
enabled to determine reference positions of the associated MCC
based on the acquired subscriber population density centroid of the
associated MCC.
[0040] The positioning database 304 may comprise suitable logic,
circuitry, and/or code that may be operable to manage and/or store
data comprising reference positions and/or location information
that is captured, determined and/or learned from a plurality of
mobile devices associated with the location server 300. In this
regard, the positioning database 304 may be enabled to provide the
captured; determined and/or learned location information to the
processor 302 to determine and/or refine reference positions
associated with a particular Cell-ID and/or a particular MCC. The
contents in the positioning database 304 may be updated as a needed
base or periodically.
[0041] The memory 306 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,
and/or code that may enable storing of information such as
executable instructions that may be utilized by the processor 302.
The executable instructions may comprise algorithms that may be
enabled to determine and/or refine reference positions associated
with a particular cell such as the cell 110 based on the captured
location information stored in the positioning database 304. The
memory 306 may comprise RAM, ROM, low latency nonvolatile memory
such as flash memory and/or other suitable electronic data
storage.
[0042] In operation, various location information from a plurality
of mobile devices associated with the location server 140 may be
captured, determined and/or learned via the processor 302. The
processor 302 may be enabled to determine and/or refine reference
positions associated with a particular Cell-ID and/or a particular
MCC based on the captured location Information. In instances where
reference positions associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device
200 may be requested, the processor 302 may be enabled to
communicate with the positioning database 304 to acquire the
captured location information from the plurality of mobile devices
associated with the location server 300. The processor 302 may be
enabled to determine and/or refine corresponding reference
positions using various algorithms stored in the memory 306 based
on the acquired captured location information. The determined or
refined reference positions of the particular Cell-ID or the
particular MCC may be communicated with a served mobile device such
as the GNSS enabled mobile device 200 for various LBS applications
supported by the LBS application server 160.
[0043] FIG. 4 is an exemplary call flow that illustrates exemplary
determining a position of a mobile communication device using
location information, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the exemplary steps start with step
402, where a particular mobile device such as the GNSS enabled cell
phone 110c within the cell 110 may request associated reference
positions from the location server 140. The GNSS enabled cell phone
110c may be enabled to generate location data and provide to the
location server 140. The generated location data may comprise
GNSS-based location data comprising associated GNSS position fixes,
and/or may be non-GNSS-based location data comprising serving
Cell-ID, neighbor Cell-IDs, neighbor cell fingerprinting,
associated TA parameters, and/or associated MCC. For example, the
GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may provide a particular serving
Cell-ID such as the Cell-ID of the cell 110, neighbor Cell-IDs such
as the Cell-ID associated with the cell 120, and/or an associated
MCC.
[0044] In step 404, the location server 140 may be enabled to
determine and/or refine reference positions associated with, for
example, the particular serving Cell-ID, based on location
information captured or learned related to the particular serving
Cell-ID from the GNSS enabled cell,-phone 110c as well as other
mobile devices such as the GNSS enabled notebook computer 110b and
the GNSS enabled smart phone 120a associated with the location
server 140. In step 406, the location server 140 may communicate
the determined or refined reference positions to the GNSS enable
cell phone 110c via the wireless communication network 130. In step
408, the GNSS enable cell phone 110c may be enabled to determine an
associated position fix based on the received refined reference
positions, accordingly. The determined associated position fix may
be utilized to enable a LBS application provided by the LBS server
160.
[0045] FIG. 5 Is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
dynamically computing an uncertainty level with a fixed confidence
level for a Cell-ID based mobile positioning, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the exemplary
steps start with step 502, where the location server 140 may
receive location information from a served mobile device such as,
for example, the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c. The received
location information comprise a serving Cell-ID for the cell that
the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c is attached as well as a GNSS
position fix associated with the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c. The
GNSS position fix may be calculated based on GNSS signals from the
GNSS satellites 170a through 170c.
[0046] In step 504, it may be determined whether the received
position fix is within a current uncertainty level of a current
average of latitude and longitude (Lat, Lon) associated with the
received serving Cell-ID in the positioning database 304. In
instances where the received position fix is within the current
uncertainty level of the current average of the latitude and
longitude associated with the received serving Cell-ID in the
positioning database 304, then in step 512, the received location
information from the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may be stored in
the positioning database 304.
[0047] In step 504, in instances where the received position fix is
outside the current uncertainty level of the current average of the
latitude and longitude associated with the received serving Cell-ID
in the positioning database 304, then in step 506, the location
server 140 may be enabled to compute an average of the latitude and
longitude associated with the received serving Cell-ID based on
location information captured or learned from the GNSS enabled cell
phone 110c as well as other served mobile devices associated with
the location server 140.
[0048] In step 508, the location server 140 may be enabled to
compute an uncertainty level of the computed average of the
latitude and longitude with a fixed confidence level.
[0049] In step 510, the current average of the latitude and
longitude and current uncertainty level associated with the
received serving Cell-ID may be updated with the computed average
of the latitude and longitude and the computed uncertainty level,
respectively. The exemplary steps return to the step 502.
[0050] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
refining uncertainty level with a fixed confidence level for a
Cell-ID based positioning based on reported timing advance, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG.
6, the exemplary steps start with step 602, where the location
server0 may receive location information from a served mobile
device such as the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c within the cell
110. The received location information may comprise timing advance
parameter associated with a serving Cell-10 corresponding to the
cell 110.
[0051] In step 604, the location server 140 may be enabled to
extract the timing advance parameter from the received location
information. In step 606, the location server 140 may be enabled to
determine the latitude and longitude associated with the serving
Cell-ID based on the extracted timing advance parameter.
[0052] In step 608, it may be determined whether the determined
(Lat, Lon) associated with the serving Cell-ID is within a current
uncertainty level of a current average of the latitude and
longitude associated with the serving Cell-10 in the positioning
database 304. In instances where the determined latitude and
longitude associated with the serving Cell-ID is within the current
uncertainty level of the current average of the latitude and
longitude associated with the serving Cell-ID in the positioning
database 304, then in step 614, where the location server 140 may
be enabled to store the determined latitude and longitude
associated with the serving Cell-ID into the positioning database
304. The exemplary process continues in step 602.
[0053] In step 608, in Instances where the determined (Lat, Lon)
associated with the serving Cell-ID is outside of the current
uncertainty level of the current average of the latitude and
longitude associated with the serving Cell-ID in the positioning
database 304, then in step 610, the location server 140 may be
enabled to compute an average bf the latitude and longitude
associated with the serving Cell-10 based on the determined
latitude and longitude and contributions from other mobile devices
associated with the location server 140.
[0054] In step 612, the location server 140 may be operable to
refine or update the current average of the latitude and longitude
associated with the serving Cell-ID and corresponding current
uncertainty level In the positioning database 302 with the computed
average of the latitude and longitude and the computed uncertainty
level, respectively. The exemplary process continues in step
602.
[0055] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
providing Cell-ID based mobile positioning based on reported
neighbor cell fingerprinting, in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention. Referring to FIG. 7, the exemplary steps start with
step 702, where the location server 140 may receive location
information from a served mobile device such as the GNSS enabled
cell phone 110c within the cell 110. The received location
information may comprise fingerprints of one or more neighbor cells
such as the cell 120 in vicinity of the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c. The fingerprints of the one or more neighbor cells may
comprise signal strength, signal time delay, or even channel
impulse response measured for signals from neighbor cells at the
GNSS enabled cell phone 110c. In this regard, the fingerprints of
the one or more neighbor cells may comprise of signals measured
from GSM, UMTS, and/or CDMA 2000. In step 704, the location server
140 may be enabled to store the received location information in
the positioning database 302. In step 706, it may be determined
whether the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may request reference
positions. In instances where the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may
request reference positions, then in step 708, where the location
server 140 may be enabled to compute an average of the latitude and
longitude associated with the serving cell based on location
information captured or learned from each of served mobile devices
associated with the location server 140 for the serving cell. In
step 710, the location server 140 may be enabled to compute an
uncertainty level of the computed average of the latitude and
longitude with a fixed confidence level.
[0056] In step 712, based on the received fingerprints of the one
or more neighbor cells in vicinity of the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c, the location server 140 may be enabled to determine reference
subpositions within the serving cell for the computed uncertainty
level. In step 714, the location server 140 may be enabled to send
a response comprising the determined reference subpositions to the
GNSS enabled cell phone 110c. The exemplary steps continue in step
702. In step 706, in instances where the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c may not request reference positions, then the exemplary
process returns to step 702.
[0057] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for
determining a position of a mobile communication device based on
combined MCC and subscriber population centroid, in accordance with
an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the exemplary
steps start with step 802, where the location server 140 may
receive a reference position request from the GNSS enabled cell
phone 110c. The received reference position request comprises a
particular MCC that the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c is associated
with. In step 804, it may be determined whether a serving Cell-ID
associated with the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c is known at the
location server 140. In instances where the serving Cell-ID
associated with the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c is unknown at the
location server 140, then in step 806, where the location server
140 may be enabled to acquire subscriber population density
centroid of the particular MCC. In step 808, the location server
140 may be enabled to determine reference positions associated with
the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c within the particular MCC based on
the acquired subscriber population density centroid. In step 812,
the location server 140 may communicate the determined reference
positions to the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c. In step 804, in
instances where the serving Cell-ID associated with the GNSS
enabled cell phone 110c is known at the location server 140, then
in step 810, where the location server 140 may be enabled to
determine and provide reference positions associated with the GNSS
enabled cell phone 110c based on various Cell-ID based positioning
methods. The exemplary process may continue in step 812.
[0058] Aspects of a method and system for determining a position or
location of a mobile communication device are provided. In
accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the invention, a
mobile device such as, for example, the GNSS enabled cell phone
110c, may be enabled to generate GNSS-based location data and
non-GNSS based location data and transmit a combination of the
generated GNSS-based location data and non-GNSS based location data
to the location server 140 for more accurate reference positions.
The location server 140 may be enabled to determine reference
positions based on the transmitted combination of the generated
GNSS based location data and non-GNSS based location data. The
determined reference positions may be communicated to the GNSS
enabled cell phone 110c via the wireless communication network 130.
The GNSS enabled cell phone 110c may be enabled to receive the
determined reference positions from the location server 140 to
calculate an associated GNSS position fix. The generated GNSS-based
location data may comprise GNSS position fixes associated with the
GNSS enabled cell phone 110c. The generated non-GNSS based location
data may comprise a serving Cell-ID, one or more neighbor Cell-IDs,
neighbor cell fingerprinting, timing advance parameters, and/or a
mobile country code. The neighbor cell fingerprint may comprise
signal strength, signal time delay, and/or a channel impulse
response measured for signals from the one or more neighbor cells
at the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c.
[0059] The location server 140 may be enabled to acquire and/or
learn location information associated with the serving Cell-ID from
the GNSS enabled cell phone 110c as well as other served mobile
devices associated with the location server 140. The location
server 140 may be enabled to determine and/or refine reference
positions based on the acquired location information. As described
with respect to, for example, FIG. 4 through FIG. 7, the location
server 140 may be enabled to determine and/or refine reference
positions in various ways such as, for example, by correlating he
serving Cell-ID with GNSS position fixes, timing advance
parameters, and/or neighbor cell fingerprinting. For example,
referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the location server 140 may be
enabled to, adaptively compute an uncertainty level with a fixed
confidence of the determined and/or refined reference positions.
The uncertainty level may be determined based on the acquired
location information such as GNSS position fixes and/or timing
advance parameters associated with the serving Cell-ID. Referring
to FIG. 7, to respond a reference position request from the GNSS
enable cell phone 110c without an associated serving Cell-ID, the
location server 140 may be configured to Identify subscriber
population density of an associated mobile country code (MCC) via
the wireless communication network 130. The combination of the
identified subscriber population density and the associated MCC may
be utilized to determine corresponding reference positions
associated with the GNSS enable cell phone 110c.
[0060] Another embodiment of the invention may provide a machine
and/or computer readable storage and/or medium, having stored
thereon, a machine code and/or a computer program having at least
one code section executable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby
causing the machine and/or computer to perform the steps as
described herein for a method and system for determining a position
of a mobile communication device.
[0061] Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in
hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The
present invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at
least one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where
different elements are spread across several interconnected
computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus
adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A
typical combination of hardware- and software may be a general
purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being
loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it
carries out the methods described herein.
[0062] The present invention may also be embedded in a computer
program product, which comprises all the features enabling the
implementation of the methods described herein, and which when
loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods.
Computer program in the present context means any expression, in
any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended
to cause a system having an Information processing capability to
perform a particular function either directly or after either or
both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or
notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.
[0063] While the present invention has been described with
reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents
may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present
invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a
particular situation or material to the teachings of the present
invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is
intended that the present invention not be limited to the
particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention
will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *