Method for position determination with measurement stitching

Abstract

A mobile communications device uses a method for determining position that involves a positioning filter, such as a Kalman filter, which is initialized with measurements from reference stations such as satellite vehicles and/or base stations which may be acquired during different epochs. Accordingly, the positioning filter may be used for position estimation without the need to first acquire at least three different signals during the same measurement epoch.

1 . A method comprising:
 storing measurement information acquired from one or more transmitters, wherein said stored measurement information is not sufficient to compute a navigation solution; and   acquiring additional information enabling use of said stored measurement information in computing said navigation solution, wherein said acquiring is subsequent to said storing measurement information, and wherein said acquiring is in response to a changing condition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said changing condition comprises an improved signal environment and/or an improved line of sight to one or more satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said additional information comprises information of transmitters that were not in view. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said additional information comprises a transmitter system time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said additional information comprises ephemeris data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located on satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located at base stations. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said navigation solution comprises a position fix of a mobile receiver. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said stored information comprises one or more pseudorange measurements. 
     
     
         10 . A mobile communications device comprising:
 a receiver adapted to receive signals;   a processor in communication with said receiver, said processor adapted to:
 store measurement information acquired from one or more transmitters, wherein said stored information is not sufficient to compute a navigation solution; and 
 acquire additional information enabling use of said stored measurement information in computing said navigation solution, said additional information being acquired subsequent to storage of said measurement information and in response to a changing condition. 
   
     
     
         11 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said changing condition comprises an improved signal environment and/or an improved line of sight to one or more satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said additional information comprises information of transmitters that were not in view. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said additional information comprises a transmitter system time. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said additional information comprises ephemeris data. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located on satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located at base stations. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said navigation solution comprises a position fix of a mobile receiver. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile communications device of  claim 10 , wherein said stored information comprises one or more pseudorange measurements. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for storing measurement information acquired from one or more transmitters, wherein said stored information is not sufficient to compute a navigation solution; and   means for acquiring additional information enabling use of said stored measurement information in computing said navigation solution, wherein said acquiring is subsequent to said storing measurement information, and wherein said acquiring is in response to a changing condition.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said changing condition comprises an improved signal environment and/or an improved line of sight to one or more satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said additional information comprises information of transmitters that were not in view. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said additional information comprises a transmitter system time. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said additional information comprises ephemeris data. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located on satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located at base stations. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said navigation solution comprises a position fix of a mobile receiver. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said stored information comprises one or more pseudorange measurements. 
     
     
         28 . A processor-readable medium encoded with instruction code, wherein the instruction code, when executed by a processing unit, performs navigation, the instruction code comprising:
 code to store measurement information acquired from one or more transmitters, wherein said stored information is not sufficient to compute a navigation solution; and   code to acquire additional information enabling use of said stored measurement information in computing said navigation solution, said additional information being acquired subsequent to storage of said measurement information and in response to a changing condition.   
     
     
         29 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said changing condition comprises an improved signal environment and/or an improved line of sight to one or more satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         30 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said additional information comprises information of transmitters that were not in view. 
     
     
         31 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said additional information comprises a transmitter system time. 
     
     
         32 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said additional information comprises ephemeris data. 
     
     
         33 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located on satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         34 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located at base stations. 
     
     
         35 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said navigation solution comprises a position fix of a mobile receiver. 
     
     
         36 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein said stored information comprises one or more pseudorange measurements. 
     
     
         37 . A method comprising:
 computing a navigation solution based at least in part on measurement data obtained from one or more transmitters;   storing information acquired from one or more additional transmitters; and   updating said navigation solution based at least in part on said stored information in response to a changing condition.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said changing condition comprises an improved signal environment and/or an improved line of sight to one or more satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said stored information comprises information of transmitters that were not in view. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said stored information comprises a transmitter system time. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said stored information comprises ephemeris data. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located on satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located at base stations. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said navigation solution comprises a position fix of a mobile receiver. 
     
     
         45 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for computing a navigation solution based at least in part on measurement data obtained from one or more transmitters;   means for storing information acquired from one or more additional transmitters; and   means for updating said navigation solution based at least in part on said stored information in response to a changing condition.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said changing condition comprises an improved signal environment and/or an improved line of sight to one or more satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said stored information comprises information of transmitters that were not in view. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said stored information comprises a transmitter system time. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said stored information comprises ephemeris data. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located on satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located at base stations. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said navigation solution comprises a position fix of a mobile receiver. 
     
     
         53 . A processor-readable medium encoded with instruction code, wherein the instruction code, when executed by a processing unit, performs navigation, the instruction code comprising:
 code to compute a navigation solution based at least in part on measurement data obtained from one or more transmitters;   code to store information acquired from one or more additional transmitters; and   code to update said navigation solution based at least in part on said stored information in response to a changing condition.   
     
     
         54 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 53 , wherein said changing condition comprises an improved signal environment and/or an improved line of sight to one or more satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         55 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 53 , wherein said stored information comprises information of transmitters that were not in view. 
     
     
         56 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 53 , wherein said stored information comprises a transmitter system time. 
     
     
         57 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 53 , wherein said stored information comprises ephemeris data. 
     
     
         58 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 53 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located on satellite vehicles. 
     
     
         59 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 53 , wherein said one or more transmitters are located at base stations. 
     
     
         60 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 53 , wherein said navigation solution comprises a position fix of a mobile receiver.