System and method for providing GNSS assistant data without dedicated receivers
A system and method of providing satellite assistance data to a mobile device without using a reference network. A request may be transmitted to a plurality of mobile device requesting that ones of the devices transmit a portion of a navigation data message received from one or more satellites to a location determining system. Navigation data message portions may be recorded and transmitted from the ones of the plural mobile devices to the location determining system. These navigation data message portions may then be compiled by the location determining system, and assistance data provided to a mobile device as a function of the compiled navigation data message portions.
1. A method of providing satellite assistance data to a mobile device, comprising the steps of:
(a) sending information to a plurality of mobile devices, the information including a request that ones of the plural mobile devices transmit a portion of a navigation data message received from one or more satellites to a location determining system;
(b) collecting navigation data message portions transmitted from the ones of the plural mobile devices;
(c) compiling the collected navigation data message portions by the location determining system; and
(d) providing assistance data to a mobile device as a function of the compiled navigation data message portions.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of collecting further comprises collecting the portions from ones of the plurality of mobile devices as each device transmits a location request to the location determining system.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the navigation data message portions comprise a predetermined number of bits.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of compiling is selected from the group consisting of predicting, assembling, reconstructing, correlating, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location determining system is a mobile location center (“MLC”) or a location information server (“LIS”).
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the satellites are part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (“GNSS”).
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: a Global Positioning System (“GPS”), Galileo system, GLONASS system, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“QZSS”), Compass satellite system, Bediou satellite system, and combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of: cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, and wireless transceiver.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of estimating a location of the mobile device as a function of the assistance data.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of compiling further comprises combining the collected navigation data message portions with navigation data message portions provided by a reference network.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the reference network is a wide area reference network (“WARN”).
12. In a method for providing satellite assistance data to a mobile device, the method comprising receiving a location request from the mobile device at a location determining system, the improvement comprising providing assistance data to the mobile device in response to the location request as a function of compiled navigation data message bits received from a plurality of mobile devices.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the complied navigation data message bits include bits received from a reference network.
14. A system for providing satellite assistance data to a mobile device, comprising:
(a) a transmitter for transmitting information to a plurality of mobile devices, the information including a request that ones of the plural mobile devices provide a portion of a navigation data message received from one or more satellites to a location determining system;
(b) a receiver for receiving navigation data message portions transmitted from ones of the plurality of mobile devices; and
(c) circuitry for compiling the received navigation data message portions;
wherein said transmitter transmits assistance data to one or more mobile devices as a function of the compiled navigation data message.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the navigation data message portions comprise a predetermined number of bits.
16. The system of claim 14 wherein the satellites are part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (“GNSS”).
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: a Global Positioning System (“GPS”), Galileo system, GLONASS system, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“QZSS”), Compass satellite system, Bediou satellite system, and combinations thereof.
18. The system of claim 14 wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of: cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, and wireless transceiver.
19. The system of claim 14 further comprising circuitry for determining the navigation data message as a function of information from a reference network.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the reference network is a wide area reference network (“WARN”).
21. In a method for providing satellite assistance data to a mobile device, the method comprising receiving a location request from the mobile device at a location determining system, the improvement comprising providing assistance data to the mobile device in response to the location request as a function of compiled navigation data message bits received from a plurality of mobile devices and navigation data message bits received from a satellite reference network.
22. A method of generating a database of signals received from a plurality of mobile devices to provide satellite assistance data to mobile devices in a communications network, comprising the steps of:
(a) sending information to a plurality of mobile devices, the information including a request that ones of the plural mobile devices transmit a portion of a navigation data message received from one or more satellites to a location determining system;
(b) collecting navigation data message portions transmitted from the ones of the plural mobile devices; and
(c) assembling the collected navigation data message portions by the location determining system to create a substantially complete navigation data message.
23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of:
(d) providing assistance data to one or more mobile devices as a function of the assembled navigation data message portions.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein the navigation data message portions comprise a predetermined number of bits.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of assembling further comprises combining the collected navigation data message portions with navigation data message portions provided by a reference network.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the reference network is a wide area reference network (“WARN”).