Patent ID: 8193978
Filing Date: 2012-06-05
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for performing position determination using global positioning system (GPS) signals, the apparatus comprising: a GPS receiver for receiving GPS information from a plurality of GPS satellites; a wireless communication module, communicatively coupled to said GPS receiver, the wireless communication module for receiving a plurality of GPS differential data from a plurality of access points comprising a first access point and a second access point, the wireless communication module for communicating with the first access point in a first communication protocol and for communicating with the second access point in a second different communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol is for a shorter range communication than the second communication protocol; and a processor, communicatively coupled to said wireless communication module and said GPS receiver, the processor for: computing a combined GPS differential data from a weighted average of said plurality of GPS differential data, the weighted average based on communication protocols the apparatus uses to receive GPS differential data from said plurality of access points, wherein GPS differential data received using the first communication protocol that is for the shorter range communication gets a higher weight than GPS differential data received using the second communication protocol; computing a distance from the apparatus to each of said plurality of GPS satellites based on the GPS information received from said plurality of GPS satellites; compensating an error in the computed distance from the apparatus to at least one satellite of the plurality of satellites using said combined GPS differential data; and computing a position of the apparatus based on said distance from the apparatus to each of said plurality of satellites.