Portable mobile transceiver for gps navigation and vehicle data input for dead reckoning mode

Abstract

A mobile transceiver device comprises a GPS receiver module to receive GPS signals and calculate current positions. The current positions are used in a navigation module. The mobile transceiver device comprises one or more local interface technologies, such as Bluetooth and USB. These local interface technologies can be used to communicate with an automobile data system. In situations where there is sporadic GPS coverage, the mobile transceiver device receives inputs from the automobile data system, such as speed or velocity information, and heading information, such as output from a compass, as available. These inputs are used in the navigation module of the mobile transceiver device to navigate by dead reckoning until an updated position fix based on received GPS signals can be calculated.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for implementation on a mobile transceiver device, comprising:
 determining a position of a mobile transceiver device based on received GPS signals; and   responsive to detecting GPS signal reception inadequate to update the position of the mobile transceiver device, using dead reckoning inputs received from a vehicle in which the mobile transceiver device is located, in conjunction with a last GPS determined position, to provide an estimated position of the vehicle, for use in producing a navigation output.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeatedly updating the estimated position based on a sequence of dead reckoning inputs received from the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the receiving of the dead reckoning inputs comprises receiving the dead reckoning inputs via a data processing system coupled to one or more vehicle sensors. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the last GPS determined position of the mobile transceiver device as a starting point for providing the estimated position of the vehicle using dead reckoning. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dead reckoning inputs comprise an average speed during a time interval of a specified size, to estimate a distance traveled during that interval. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the dead reckoning inputs as instantaneous speed measurements taken on a sampling schedule. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the dead reckoning inputs on a regular interval and producing the navigation output based on either a GPS determined position, if available, and if unavailable, based on the estimated position. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the dead reckoning inputs while receiving GPS signals at the mobile transceiver device, and either determining a position of the mobile transceiver device based on the received GPS signals, or using the dead reckoning inputs when detecting GPS signal reception inadequate to update the position of the mobile transceiver device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dead reckoning inputs comprise speed and heading information. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising supplementing the dead reckoning inputs received from the vehicle with an input representing a condition sensed by the mobile transceiver device to produce the estimated position of the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the dead reckoning inputs received from the vehicle comprise speed information, and the condition sensed by the mobile transceiver device comprises a heading. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile transceiver device, comprising:
 a receiver module for receiving a plurality of signals from which a position can be determined, and for producing a navigation output based on the received plurality of signals, wherein the receiver module may fail to calculate a current position at times;   a microprocessor; and   a memory storing code for configuring the microprocessor to
 receive, from the receiver module, the current calculated position, when available, and use the current calculated position in providing a navigation output through a user interface of the mobile transceiver device, and 
 receive dead reckoning inputs from an interface to an automobile data system, during one or more times when the receiver module fails to output the current position, and to use the dead reckoning inputs in estimating the current position of the mobile transceiver device. 
   
     
     
         13 . The mobile transceiver device of  claim 12 , wherein the receiver module comprises a Global Positioning System signal receiver module. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile transceiver device of  claim 12 , wherein the code is further for configuring the microprocessor to receive the dead reckoning inputs at generally regular intervals and to responsively estimate the current position. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile transceiver device of  claim 12 , wherein the code is further for configuring the microprocessor to use the last outputted current position from the receiver module as a starting position for dead reckoning navigation. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile transceiver device of  claim 12 , wherein the interface comprises one or more of a Bluetooth link and a Universal Serial Bus link. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile transceiver device of  claim 12 , wherein the code is for using dead reckoning data sensed by the mobile transceiver device in conjunction with the dead reckoning inputs received from the automobile data system. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile transceiver device of  claim 12 , further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the code for configuring the microprocessor is further to receive an output from the accelerometer and use that accelerometer output for estimating the current position of the mobile transceiver device. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile transceiver device of  claim 12 , wherein the code for configuring the microprocessor is further to receive dead reckoning inputs comprising heading information and speed information. 
     
     
         20 . A computer readable medium storing computer executable code comprising code for programming a microprocessor located in a mobile transceiver device to
 dynamically switch from GPS-based navigation to dead reckoning navigation, during times when a position of the mobile transceiver device is not sufficiently determinable based on received GPS signals;   perform the dead reckoning navigation based at least on one or more inputs received from a data system of an automobile with which the mobile transceiver device is moving; and   dynamically switch from dead reckoning based navigation to GPS-based navigation upon availability of an updated GPS-based position fix.   
     
     
         21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more inputs comprises speed information for the automobile. 
     
     
         22 . A method for providing navigation outputs from a mobile transceiver device, comprising:
 outputting, from a user interface of the mobile transceiver device, navigation information determined based on using a position determined using received GPS signals, when GPS signals are available; and   outputting, from the user interface of the mobile transceiver device, navigation information determined based on one or more dead reckoning inputs received from a data system of an automobile, in which the mobile transceiver device is located, when GPS signals are unavailable.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the received dead reckoning inputs comprise data relating to one or more of a instantaneous sensed speeds, an average over an interval of time, and acceleration.