Use of third party ultra-wideband devices to establish geo-positional data

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for determining a location of a wireless device in a wireless communication system. In one embodiment of the present invention, an initial request is transmitted to wireless devices having known locations for positioning information so that a location can be determined for a first wireless device having an undetermined location. Those wireless devices with known locations that receive the initial request in turn transmit positioning information to the first wireless device. If positioning information from less than a sufficient number of wireless devices with known locations is received by the first mobile wireless device, an additional request is then transmitted to other wireless devices. After responses to the request from one or more of these other wireless devices are received, communication then occurs with at least a portion of the responding wireless devices to obtain information relating to the distance between the first wireless device and the responding wireless devices. A location of the first wireless device is then estimated using the information obtained from the responding wireless devices.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for determining a location of an ultra-wideband wireless device, comprising: 
 transmitting a first request to at least two ultra-wideband devices having substantially fixed locations for determining a location of a first ultra-wideband wireless device; and    transmitting a second request to a least one additional ultra-wideband device if the location of the first ultra-wideband wireless device cannot be determined using data received in response to the first request.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device has either a substantially fixed location or is a mobile ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from other ultra-wideband devices not queried by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from a combination of ultra-wideband devices queried by the first ultra-wideband device and other ultra-wideband devices not queried by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from the additional ultra-wideband device and from at least one of the ultra-wideband devices having substantially fixed locations.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received only from the additional ultra-wideband devices.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second request is re-transmitted by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second request is retransmitted at a higher power level if an insufficient number of responses are received in response to the retransmission.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device obtains information relating to the distance between the first ultra-wideband wireless device and the additional ultra-wideband device, and a scaling factor.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device obtains information to update an internal clock of the first wireless device.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines a location and an elevation using data received in response to the first and second requests.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to an elevation of an ultra-wideband device responding to the first and second request.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to a sea level.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the determination of the location and the elevation employs data obtained from any one of: a terrain map, a topographical map, and a historical map.  
     
     
         15 . A system for determining a location of an ultra-wideband wireless device, comprising: 
 logic for transmitting a first request to at least two ultra-wideband devices having substantially fixed locations for determining a location of a first ultra-wideband wireless device; and    logic for transmitting a second request to a least one additional ultra-wideband device if the location of the first ultra-wideband wireless device cannot be determined using data received in response to the first request.    
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from other ultra-wideband devices not queried by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second request is re-transmitted by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second request is retransmitted at a higher power level if an insufficient number of responses are received in response to the retransmission.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device obtains information to update an internal clock of the first wireless device.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines a location and an elevation using data received in response to the first and second requests.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to an elevation of an ultra-wideband device responding to the first and second request.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to a sea level.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the determination of the location and the elevation employs data obtained from any one of: a terrain map, a topographical map, and a historical map.  
     
     
         24 . A method for determining a location of an ultra-wideband wireless device, comprising: 
 transmitting a first request to at least three mobile ultra-wideband devices for determining a location of a first ultra-wideband wireless device; and    transmitting a second request to a least one additional ultra-wideband device if the location of the first ultra-wideband wireless device cannot be determined using data received in response to the first request.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device has either a substantially fixed location or is a mobile ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from other ultra-wideband devices not queried by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from a combination of ultra-wideband devices queried by the first ultra-wideband device and other ultra-wideband devices not queried by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from the additional ultra-wideband device and from at least one of the ultra-wideband devices having substantially fixed locations.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received only from the additional ultra-wideband devices.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second request is re-transmitted by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the second request is retransmitted at a higher power level if an insufficient number of responses are received in response to the retransmission.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device obtains information relating to the distance between the first ultra-wideband wireless device and the additional ultra-wideband device, and a scaling factor.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device obtains information to update an internal clock of the first wireless device.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines a location and an elevation using data received in response to the first and second requests.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to an elevation of an ultra-wideband device responding to the first and second request.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to a sea level.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the determination of the location and the elevation employs data obtained from any one of: a terrain map, a topographical map, and a historical map.  
     
     
         38 . A system for determining a location of an ultra-wideband wireless device, comprising: 
 logic for transmitting a first request to at least three mobile ultra-wideband devices for determining a location of a first ultra-wideband wireless device; and    logic for transmitting a second request to a least one additional ultra-wideband device if the location of the first ultra-wideband wireless device cannot be determined using data received in response to the first request.    
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the additional ultra-wideband device determines its location from data received from other ultra-wideband devices not queried by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the second request is re-transmitted by the first ultra-wideband device.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the second request is retransmitted at a higher power level if an insufficient number of responses are received in response to the retransmission.  
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device obtains information to update an internal clock of the first wireless device.  
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the first ultra-wideband device determines a location and an elevation using data received in response to the first and second requests.  
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to an elevation of an ultra-wideband device responding to the first and second request.  
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the elevation is an elevation relative to a sea level.  
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the determination of the location and the elevation employs data obtained from any one of: a terrain map, a topographical map, and a historical map.