Patent Publication Number: US-2013231889-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for an inertial navigation system

Description:
FIELD OF DISCLOSURE 
     The disclosure relates to an apparatus, method and system for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Service providers and device manufacturers (e.g., wireless, cellular, etc.) are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers by, for example, providing compelling network services. One area of interest involves determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. Many mobile devices are equipped with global positioning system (GPS) receivers that can triangulate with satellites to estimate a device&#39;s position in longitude and latitude coordinates. GPS signals, however, are often unavailable, or too weak, to infer useful information. In the absence of this information, an alternative method of inferring position, or distance traveled, is needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, there is a need for an approach for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. 
     According to one embodiment, a method comprises causing, at least in part, a position of a device to be defined as a first position. The method also comprises determining accelerometer data associated with the device during a movement of the device from the first position to a second position. The method further comprises processing the accelerometer data to determine a step rate of a user of the device during the movement of the device from the first position to the second position. The method additionally comprises determining a step length of the user based, at least in part, on a user profile associated with the user. The method also comprises determining a direction of movement of the device during the movement from the first position to the second position. The method further comprises processing the step rate, the step length, and the direction of movement of the device to determine a location of the second position with respect to the first position. 
     According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more computer programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause, at least in part, the apparatus to cause, at least in part, a position of a device to be defined as a first position. The apparatus is also caused to determine accelerometer data associated with the device during a movement of the device from the first position to a second position. The apparatus is further caused to process the accelerometer data to determine a step rate of a user of the device during the movement of the device from the first position to the second position. The apparatus is additionally caused to determine a step length of the user based, at least in part, on a user profile associated with the user. The apparatus is also caused to determine a direction of movement of the device during the movement from the first position to the second position. The apparatus is further caused to process the step rate, the step length, and the direction of movement of the device to determine a location of the second position with respect to the first position. 
     According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carries one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause, at least in part, an apparatus to cause, at least in part, a position of a device to be defined as a first position. The apparatus is also caused to determine accelerometer data associated with the device during a movement of the device from the first position to a second position. The apparatus is further caused to process the accelerometer data to determine a step rate of a user of the device during the movement of the device from the first position to the second position. The apparatus is additionally caused to determine a step length of the user based, at least in part, on a user profile associated with the user. The apparatus is also caused to determine a direction of movement of the device during the movement from the first position to the second position. The apparatus is further caused to process the step rate, the step length, and the direction of movement of the device to determine a location of the second position with respect to the first position. 
     Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a system capable of determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of the components of a navigation management platform, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a process for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of a user interface associated with determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating the collection and processing of sensor data, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram an illustration that infers a direction of movement according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram of hardware that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram of a chip set that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram of a mobile terminal (e.g., handset) that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS 
     Examples of a method, apparatus, and computer program for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation are disclosed. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of a system capable of determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation, according to one embodiment. 
     Conventional smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Android, Nokia, Blackberry, etc.) are equipped with global positioning system (GPS) receivers that can triangulate with satellites to estimate one&#39;s position based on estimated longitude and latitude coordinates of the smartphone or other device. Knowing one&#39;s absolute position is extremely valuable in many situations, from navigation and path planning to situational awareness of both manned and unmanned agents, for example. In many cases, however, GPS signals are unavailable or too weak to infer useful information. For example, if the device is in a location such as a room with metallic (shielded) walls, a city with tall buildings that scatter and/or fade signals, or dense underground areas (e.g., caves, underwater, etc.), GPS signals may be unavailable or weak. In the absence of available GPS information, an alternative method of inferring position, or distance traveled, is needed. 
     Conventional methods to determine the position and/or travel path of a device independent of GPS triangulation, for example, are very prone to error. For example, personal dead reckoning is a method of inferring an object&#39;s location using sensors mounted on its body. Many methods use an accelerometer device that is part of the device or object to calculate location, but also use a GPS signal to determine accurate positioning and/or to correct any measurements. The most common method for estimating how far a person has travelled (without a GPS) is first counting the steps a user associated with a device takes during a movement by counting zero-crossings in an accelerometer signal generated by the accelerometer associated with the device. For example, such a method may use a pedometer associated with the device. In addition to counting steps, the user&#39;s stride length must also be determined. For determining a user&#39;s stride length, empirical formulas have been developed to show the relationship between statistics of the acceleration signal and the determined stride length. In conventional systems, the determined stride length is usually proportional to some unknown constant which must be calibrated for each user every time the conventional system is used. Problems arise in conventional systems if the number of steps or step length is miscalculated. That error can accumulate throughout the use of the conventional system, which can result in a large resultant location error. 
     To address this problem, a system  100  of  FIG. 1  introduces the capability to determine the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, GPS triangulation. The system  100  may be applicable for any number of uses such as, but not limited to, military applications for tracking a user&#39;s position during a mission, for example, in locations where conventional GPS systems may be limited, as discussed above, for recreational uses such as spelunking, hunting, etc., as well as any number of other personal uses such as determining a pedestrian&#39;s position in a big city so that he does not get lost, etc. Additionally, the system  100  may be configured to present the user&#39;s location by way of the UE  101  or to share the user&#39;s location to others having access to the system  100 , for example. 
     Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. often have various sensors such as an accelerometers, gyroscopes and/or compasses incorporated into the device, or associated with the device. In one or more embodiments, a position of a device and/or a travel path or distance travelled by the device may be determined using data collected by these sensors, and processing this data using a unique algorithm. Accordingly, a user&#39;s position may be inferred based on his association with the device. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  100  comprises a user equipment (UE)  101  having connectivity to a navigation management platform  103 , user profile management service  109 , and a memory  111  via a communication network  105 . Alternatively, in one or more embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  may be on board the UE  101 . Additionally, the UE  101  may have accessibility to a navigation API  107  that may be affiliated with the navigation management platform  103  to determine a position and/or travel path of the UE  101 , and for displaying such information by way of the UE  101 , for example. 
     In one or more embodiments, the UE  101  may have various sensors such as, but not limited to, an accelerometer  113 , a gyroscope  115 , and/or a compass  117  built-into the UE  101 , or associated with the UE  101 . As discussed above, a position of a device, such as UE  101 , relative to a starting location (x0,y0), for example, and/or a travel path or distance travelled by the UE  101  from the starting location (x0,y0) may be determined using data collected by these sensors, and processing this data using a unique algorithm A user&#39;s position relative to the starting location (x0,y0) may accordingly be inferred based on his association with the UE  101 . 
     In one or more embodiments, the starting location (x0,y0) may be fixed or variable. For example, from the moment a user starts using the navigation API  107 , the system  100  may fix the starting position and continually determine the user&#39;s position based on continual collection of data from the sensors  113 ,  115 , and  117 , for example. In other words, the position of the UE  101  may always be known. Alternatively, the starting location (x0,y0) may change, for instance if its location services are deactivated and reactivated at a later time, or if the navigation API  107  is caused to start tracking a position of the of the UE  101  from a particular moment or location. The starting position may also be considered to change and caused to reset each time a direction of movement changes, for example. 
     According to various embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  may use data collected by the accelerometer  113  and apply a unique algorithm to determine a position and/or a distance travelled by a user carrying the UE  101 . By placing the UE  101  in a user&#39;s pocket, bag, backpack, hand, satchel, belt clip, etc., for example, while the user walks or runs, the navigation management platform  103  may determine the natural rhythm with which the UE  101  accelerates as the user moves based on the data provided by the accelerometer  113 . The navigation management platform  103  may analyze the accelerometer data using a frequency-domain based estimation technique to determine the user&#39;s current speed, or frequency of steps. In one or more embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  may perform a Fast Fourier Transform of the accelerometer data to determine the instantaneous speed (or frequency of steps) of the UE  101 . The system  100  provides a more robust approach to inferring a person&#39;s location by determining a position of the UE  101  compared to conventional methods. Rather than counting steps directly such as that done by conventional systems, the navigation management platform  103 &#39;s performance of the Fast Fourier Transform of the accelerometer data provides the instantaneous speed of the UE  101  during a movement rather than a conventional estimated value. The Fast Fourier Transform indicates dominant frequencies of user steps to appropriately infer an accurate estimation of a user&#39;s step rate compared to conventional methods. Experimental data indicates that the accuracy may be within a tolerance of plus or minus two steps for every 500 steps. 
     In one or more embodiments, to determine a distance travelled, a user&#39;s step length may also be part of a calculation performed by the navigation management platform  103 . For example, the user&#39;s step length may be determined during a training session in which data provided by the accelerometer  113  and/or gyroscope  115  is processed to determine the user&#39;s step length. The determined user step length may be personal to a particular user, and a personal model that indicates a particular user&#39;s walking style may be generated. In one or more embodiments, the personal model that indicates a user&#39;s step length and/or walking style may be stored as part of a user profile for later recall and use, or stored in a memory associated with the UE  101 , for example. The user profile that associates a determined step length with a particular user may be managed by the user profile management service  109  and stored in the memory  111  for later recollection by the UE  101  when the navigation management platform  103  needs the user&#39;s step length to calculate a distance travelled by the UE  101 . The training session that is used to determine a user&#39;s specific step length, because it is stored by the user profile management service  109 , or stored on the UE  101 , may be performed by the user only once (rather than every time a distance travelled is determined like conventional systems). 
     In one or more embodiments, the user profile management service  109  may store additional user information in the user profile such as multiple step lengths that are based on a user&#39;s determined speed. For example, a user may have different step lengths when walking, long distance running, sprinting etc. Accordingly, the navigation API  107  may have an option for indicating what the user of the UE  101  is doing before embarking on a journey such as a walk or run, or the navigation management platform  103  may infer what the user is doing based on data collected from the accelerometer  113 . For example, if the data collected from the accelerometer, when processed, indicates that the user is running, the navigation management platform  103  may apply the user&#39;s step length that is associated with running. However, should the accelerometer data indicate that the user has slowed down to a walk, or sped up to a sprint, the navigation management platform  103  may accordingly apply the appropriate step length associated with that action as it is available in the user profile. 
     In one or more embodiments, the user of the UE  101  may train the step length to be a particular length in the training session and have that step length stored in the user profile for later recollection. If only one step length is available the navigation management platform  103  may apply that step length regardless of an inferred activity. Or, if multiple step lengths are available, the navigation management platform  103  may apply an optimal step length that makes sense for that particular determined action. For example, if step lengths are available for a walk and for a run, but the user is determined to be running faster than the training session&#39;s determined step length for a run, the navigation management platform  103  will apply the step length that is appropriately applicable (i.e. a step length that is for the determined speed or greater, for example). Optionally, the navigation management platform  103  may be preconfigured to adjust a determined step length a predefined amount based on the determined speed, as well as other parameters that may be included in the user profile such as user age, height, weight, etc. if varying step lengths are limited or unavailable. 
     In one or more embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  may be caused to determine a direction of travel of the UE  101  during a movement. The direction of travel, combined with the determined speed and step length recalled from the user profile, may be used to determine a position of the UE  101  relative to a starting position, for example. Additionally, a travel path may be determined based on any determined change in direction and distance travelled by the UE  101  during a movement of the UE  101  from the starting position to any final position. 
     The direction of movement may be determined any number of ways. According to various embodiments, as discussed above, the UE  101  may include or be affiliated with a compass  117 . The direction of movement may be indicated by the compass  117  and communicated to the navigation management platform  103 . 
     Alternatively, or in addition to the indicated direction of movement provided by the compass  117 , the navigation management platform  103  may receive data from the gyroscope  115 , or any other sensor that may be used to indicate an angular velocity of the UE  101  during a movement from a starting position to another position. In one or more embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  may process the angular velocity data and integrate this data with respect to time. Such a processing of integrating the angular velocity signal from the gyroscope  115 , for example, infers direction of movement. 
     According to various embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  processes the determined speed or frequency of steps, the recalled user step length and the determined direction of movement to calculated a location of, and a path taken to, another position. In one or more embodiments, the another position may be determined relative to the starting position. According to various embodiments, the another position, any final position, and/or the travel path may be presented to the user by way of the UE  101 , stored in the user profile by way of the user profile management service  109 , or presented to, or shared with, others that may use or have access to the system  100  by way of another UE  101 , or by way of the user profile management service  109 , which may be a social networking or system oversight service, for example. 
     By way of example, the communication network  105  of system  100  includes one or more networks such as a data network, a wireless network, a telephony network, or any combination thereof. It is contemplated that the data network may be any local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), a public data network (e.g., the Internet), short range wireless network, or any other suitable packet-switched network, such as a commercially owned, proprietary packet-switched network, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-optic network, and the like, or any combination thereof. In addition, the wireless network may be, for example, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), wireless LAN (WLAN), Bluetooth®, Internet Protocol (IP) data casting, satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like, or any combination thereof. 
     The UE  101  is any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or portable terminal including a mobile handset, station, unit, device, multimedia computer, multimedia tablet, Internet node, communicator, desktop computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, netbook computer, tablet computer, personal communication system (PCS) device, personal navigation device, personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio/video player, digital camera/camcorder, positioning device, television receiver, radio broadcast receiver, electronic book device, game device, or any combination thereof, including the accessories and peripherals of these devices, or any combination thereof. It is also contemplated that the UE  101  can support any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable” circuitry, etc.). 
     By way of example, the UE  101 , the navigation management platform  103 , and the user profile management service  109  communicate with each other and other components of the communication network  105  using well known, new or still developing protocols. In this context, a protocol includes a set of rules defining how the network nodes within the communication network  105  interact with each other based on information sent over the communication links. The protocols are effective at different layers of operation within each node, from generating and receiving physical signals of various types, to selecting a link for transferring those signals, to the format of information indicated by those signals, to identifying which software application executing on a computer system sends or receives the information. The conceptually different layers of protocols for exchanging information over a network are described in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model. 
     Communications between the network nodes are typically effected by exchanging discrete packets of data. Each packet typically comprises (1) header information associated with a particular protocol, and (2) payload information that follows the header information and contains information that may be processed independently of that particular protocol. In some protocols, the packet includes (3) trailer information following the payload and indicating the end of the payload information. The header includes information such as the source of the packet, its destination, the length of the payload, and other properties used by the protocol. Often, the data in the payload for the particular protocol includes a header and payload for a different protocol associated with a different, higher layer of the OSI Reference Model. The header for a particular protocol typically indicates a type for the next protocol contained in its payload. The higher layer protocol is said to be encapsulated in the lower layer protocol. The headers included in a packet traversing multiple heterogeneous networks, such as the Internet, typically include a physical (layer 1) header, a data-link (layer 2) header, an internetwork (layer 3) header and a transport (layer 4) header, and various application (layer 5, layer 6 and layer 7) headers as defined by the OSI Reference Model. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram of the components of the navigation management platform  103 , according to one embodiment. By way of example, the navigation management platform  103  includes one or more components for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. It is contemplated that the functions of these components may be combined in one or more components or performed by other components of equivalent functionality. In this embodiment, the navigation management platform  103  includes a control logic  201 , a communication module  203 , a speed/direction determination module  205 , a position determination module  207 , and a presentation module  209 . 
     In one or more embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  receives an indication of a movement by the UE  101  from the navigation API  107  by way of the communication module  203 . The indication of the movement may be based, for example, on data associated with the accelerometer  113 , the gyroscope  115  and/or the compass  117 . The navigation API  107 , as discussed above, may continually be active, or may be activated on demand. As such, the indication of movement may be sent any time the UE  101  moves, or it may be sent only when the navigation API  107  is activated. 
     According to various embodiments, the indication of movement may simply be a message that asks for permission from the navigation management platform  103  to allow transmission of data associated with the movement, or it may itself be a packet that includes data associated with the movement. For example, the data associated with the movement may include, but not be limited to, accelerometer data provided by the accelerometer  113 , gyroscope data provided by the gyroscope  115 , compass data provided by the compass  117 , or data associated with any other sensor. 
     In one or more embodiments, the control logic  201 , causes the speed/direction determination module  205  to process the accelerometer data, the gyroscope data and/or the compass data to determine a speed or frequency of steps and a direction of movement of the UE  101 . As discussed above, the accelerometer data may be processed using a Fast Fourier Transform to determine the instantaneous speed of the UE  101  during the movement. Additionally, the direction, if determined based on the gyroscope data, may be determined by integrating the gyroscope data (or other data) that indicates the angular velocity of the UE  101  with respect to time to infer the direction of movement of the UE  101 . 
     In one embodiment, the navigation API  107  may be in a training mode. In the training mode, the control logic  201  causes the speed/direction determination module  205  to determine a user&#39;s step length. As discussed above, the user&#39;s step length may be unique to a particular user and stored in a user profile by way of the user profile management service  109  or on the UE  101 . 
     According to various embodiments, the control logic  201  causes the position determination module  207  to recall the user profile information having the user&#39;s determined step length, and combine this data with the determined speed (or frequency of steps) of the UE  101  and the determined direction of movement of the UE  101  to determine a position of the UE  101  relative to a starting position by calculating the distance travelled by the UE  101  based on the number of steps and length of user step in the determined direction. 
     In one or more embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  may be configured, for example, to set a starting position as (x0, y0), for example. The UE  101  may move in a first direction, 30 degrees from a normal position associated with the starting position, for example, from the starting position to a second position. The navigation management platform  103  may determine the distance travelled from the starting position to the second position and determine the location of the second position. Then, if the user changes directions, for example to 45 degrees from the normal position associated with the starting position, the navigation management platform  103  may cause, for distance and angular calculation purposes, the starting position to be reassigned to the location of the second position so that it can determine a distance of movement from the second position to a third position, for example at the end of the movement 45 degrees from the normal position associated with the starting position. The navigation management platform  103  may accordingly determine the location of the third position relative to the second position, which is relative to the starting position and the path travelled therebetween. 
     In one or more embodiments, the series of movements may be linked together so that they may be caused to be illustrated as a travel path on a display by the presentation module  209 , for example. Additionally, any of the starting position, second position, third position, or any number of determined positions therefrom may be caused to be illustrated, and/or linked to display where the UE  101  is, or has been, and how it got to any determined position, by the presentation module  209 . The control logic  201  may then cause the presentation module  209  to communicate the illustrated location of the determined position and/or the determined travel path to the navigation API  107 , other UE  101 , and/or the user profile management service  109  by way of the communication module  203 . 
     It should be noted, that while the above example discusses movement from a first position, to a second position and ultimately to a third position, any number of positions and directional changes may be determined by the navigation management platform  103  to infer a position of the UE  101  and/or plot a travel path of the UE  101  from the assigned starting position to any determined position. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a process for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the navigation management platform  103  performs the process  300  and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in  FIG. 8 . In step  301 , navigation management platform  103  causes, at least in part, a position of a device such as the UE  101  to be defined as a first position. The first position, at discussed above, may be set at a position (x0, y0), or (x0, y0, z0), for example. The first position may also be determined as any set of coordinates available to the UE  101  for associating that determined position or a particular coordinate set such as latitude and longitude, for example, if available to the UE  101 . The process continues to step  303  in which the navigation management platform  103  determines accelerometer data provided by way of an accelerometer associated with the UE  101  during a movement of the UE  101  from the first position to a second position. The second position is undefined until the movement is determined to stop (at which point its location is determined by the process  300 ), for example, or it may be determined based on a particular moment in time, for example. In one or more embodiments, for example, the moment in time may be 30 seconds (although any moment in time may be applicable) after the movement from the first position begins. As such, while the UE  101  is still in motion, a snapshot may be taken of the information available to the navigation management platform  103  so that the location of the UE  101  may be determined at any moment. Such a determination may be useful if the movement of the UE  101  is being tracked, for instance, if a user&#39;s whereabouts are wanted to be known without stopping, and/or so that the movement of the UE  101  may be animated as the UE  101  moves from the first position to any subsequent position, for example. 
     In step  303 , the navigation management platform  103  processes the accelerometer data using a Fast Fourier Transform to determine a step rate of a user of the UE  101  during the movement of the UE  101  from the first position to the second position. In one or more embodiments, the accelerometer data indicates a rhythm with which the device accelerates during the movement of the UE  101  from the first position to the second position. 
     Then, in step  305 , the navigation management platform  103  determines a step length of the user based, at least in part, on a user profile associated with the user. The user profile, as discussed above, may be established by way of a training session so that the user profile management service  109  may store information related to any particular user associated with the device. The training session may be caused by the navigation management platform  103  to occur so that the user profile is generated for later use in determining the position and/or travel path of the UE  101 . Accordingly, once generated, any user may use any number of UE  101 &#39;s, whether the UE  101  is his own or that of another user, and once logged-in to the UE  101 , or appropriately associated with the UE  101 , and have his user profile applied to provide accurate step length information for position and/or travel path determination. 
     The process continues to step  307  in which the navigation management platform  103  determines a direction of movement of the UE  101  during the movement from the first position to the second position. The direction of movement may be determined by way of any sensor such as a compass  117  associated with the UE  101  or a gyroscope  115 , for example. If the gyroscope  115  is used, the navigation management platform  103  processes the gyroscope data, which may provide an angular velocity of the UE  101  during the movement of the UE  101  from the first position to the second position, by integrating the angular velocity with respect to time to infer the direction of movement of the UE  101  from the first position to the second position. 
     Then, in step  309 , the navigation management platform  103  processes the step rate, the step length, and the direction of movement (regardless of how it is determined) of the UE  101  to determine a location of the second position with respect to the first position. The location of the second position may be provided as (x, y) coordinates, latitude/longitude coordinates, (x, y, z) coordinates, etc. 
     Next, in step  311 , the navigation management platform  103  determines whether the UE  101  changes direction at any moment during a movement. If the navigation management platform  103  determines a change in the direction of movement of the UE  101  from the initial direction of movement of the UE  101  from the first position to the second position to another direction of movement of the UE  101 , the process continues to step  313  in which the navigation management platform  103  causes, at least in part, the second position to be defined as another first position. In other words, for distance and direction calculation purposes, the first position is reset so that a new second position can be determined relative to the initial second position which has been redefined as the new first position. Then, the process accordingly repeats so that the navigation management platform determines additional accelerometer data associated with the UE  101  during a movement of the UE  101  from the another first position to another second position. 
     The navigation management platform also processes the additional accelerometer data to determine another step rate of the user of the UE  101  during the movement of the UE  101  from the another first position to the another second position. For instance, once the user changes directions, the user may pick up pace or slow down. Then, the navigation management platform  103 , after it determines the change in direction to the another direction, determines the another direction of movement of the UE  101  during the movement of the UE  101  from the another first position to the another second position. Next, the navigation management platform  103  processes the another step rate, the step length, and the another direction of movement of the device from the another first position to the another second position to determine a location of the another second position with respect to the another first position. 
     The process returns to step  311  and if the navigation management platform  103  determines another change in direction, the process accordingly repeats, but if the navigation management platform determines that no change in direction has occurred since the movement began, or since the last determined change in direction, the navigation management platform may, in step  315 , determine an overall travel path based, at least in part, on a compilation of one or more individual travel paths generated based on the movement from the first position to the second position, the movement from the another first position to the another second position, one or more other movements from one or more other first positions to one or more respective other second positions, or any combination thereof. For example, the navigation management platform  103  may link all of the determined movements of the UE  101  together to compile an overall travel path from the first position to a final position which may be the second position, or any number of second positions that later result from continual changes in direction until the UE  101  stops, or a time sampling is taken. 
     The process continues to step  317  in which the navigation management platform  103  causes, at least in part, one or more of the first position, the second position, the another first position, the another second position, the one or more other first positions, the one or more respective other second positions, individual travel paths, the overall travel path, or any combination thereof to be displayed. The displaying may be by way of the UE  101 , another UE  101 , the user profile management service  109 , or any other device affiliated with the system  100  to the user and/or other users. 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram of a user interface  401  associated with the navigation API  107 , or other means for viewing a compiled travel path  403 . 
     In this example, a user of a UE  101  moves from a first position  405  to a second position  407 . The travel path  403  may be plotted based on the determination of respective locations of multiple positions  407 ,  409 ,  411 ,  413 ,  415 ,  417 ,  419 ,  421 ,  423  and  425 , for example. The position  407  may be determined, for example, based on accelerometer data, step length (which may be based on accelerometer data and/or user profile data) and directional data processed by the navigation management platform  103 . If the navigation management platform  103  determines a change in direction, the first position  405  is accordingly plotted, the position  407  is accordingly plotted, and the movement progresses from the position  407  to the position  409 , at which point the navigation management platform  103 , in this example, determines another change in direction, and causes the position  409  to be plotted. The determination of movement distance, movement direction, and direction changes continues until position  411 , etc. all the way to position  425  until movement of the UE  101  is ceased, or a movement snapshot in time is taken, for example. 
     In one or more embodiments, the travel path  403  may be compiled and plotted, or any of the first, second or any other position may be plotted individually. For example, what is illustrated may only show the first position  405  and the end position  425  and no connection between them, it may show the travel path  403  taken to get to the position  425  from the first position  405 , or it may show each of the start and stop positions  405  and  425 , and/or each of the positions associated with each change in direction (positions  407 - 423 ) with or without the travel path  403  being illustrated. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the collection of accelerometer and gyroscope data associated with the UE  101  to approximate step-rate and step-length for forming a joint estimation of distance travelled and direction of movement of a device to determine the device&#39;s location relative to a starting position. 
     According to various embodiments, the UE  101  has various sensors as discussed above. The sensors may include an accelerometer  113  that provides accelerometer data  503  to the navigation management platform  103 . The UE  101  may also comprise a gyroscope  115  that provides gyroscope data  505  to the navigation management platform  103 . 
     The accelerometer data  503 , for example, is illustrated as being an up/down motion that may be used to by the navigation management platform  103  to determine a frequency and step length of a user as the UE  101  moves from a first position to a second position. While the accelerometer data  503  is illustrated as being up and down, the accelerometer data  503  may be in any direction that may cause a rhythm of movement to be inferred. The navigation management platform  103 , as discussed above, processes the accelerometer data  503  by performing a Fast Fourier Transform at step  507  to estimate the speed at which the user is moving or taking his steps. The navigation management platform  103  may also determine a step length from the accelerometer data  503  during a training session so that it may be combined with the processed accelerometer data to determine a distance travelled by the UE  101  during a movement from the first position to the second position. 
     The gyroscope  115 , as discussed above, provides gyroscope data  505  to the navigation management platform  103 . This gyroscope data indicates an angular velocity of the UE  101  and is integrated with respect to time to infer a direction of movement at step  511 . The direction of movement of the UE  101  is determined at step  513 . Both the determined direction of movement and the distance travelled, as discussed above, may be used by the navigation management platform  103  to determine a position of the UE  101  relative to a starting position. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a process of filtering and integrating of the angular velocity data of the UE  101  provided by the gyroscope  115 , for example. The gyroscope data  505  discussed above provides angular velocity  601  as a rotation-signal. The angular velocity  601  is integrated at  603  by the navigation management platform  103  with respect to time to produce radians  605  which may be used to infer a direction of travel. For example, when the angular velocity  601  is measured in radians/second and plotted versus time, the graph  607  is generated and looks like a variable signal. Then, when the angular velocity  601  is integrated at  603  and radians  605  are produced, the radians  605  when plotted versus time generates a graph  609 . Graph  609  infers a direction of travel for a particular period of time, and any directional change that may occur during movement of the UE  101 . For example, each time the graph jumps to a different radian value, this change indicates a change of direction of movement of the UE  101 . In one or more embodiments, the navigation management platform  103  may be configured filter out slight changes in direction that may not be considered to greatly affect the overall direction of movement of the UE  101 . For example, in the graph  609 , between major radian lines that are generally horizontal on the graph may be used to calculate the direction of movement, while the portions of the graph that are not dominant directions (i.e. those that are slanted or curved) may be filtered out of any direction/location determination calculation. 
     The processes described herein for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation may be advantageously implemented via software, hardware, firmware or a combination of software and/or firmware and/or hardware. For example, the processes described herein, may be advantageously implemented via processor(s), Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc. Such exemplary hardware for performing the described functions is detailed below. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a computer system  700  upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Although computer system  700  is depicted with respect to a particular device or equipment, it is contemplated that other devices or equipment (e.g., network elements, servers, etc.) within  FIG. 7  can deploy the illustrated hardware and components of system  700 . Computer system  700  is programmed (e.g., via computer program code or instructions) to for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation as described herein and includes a communication mechanism such as a bus  710  for passing information between other internal and external components of the computer system  700 . Information (also called data) is represented as a physical expression of a measurable phenomenon, typically electric voltages, but including, in other embodiments, such phenomena as magnetic, electromagnetic, pressure, chemical, biological, molecular, atomic, sub-atomic and quantum interactions. For example, north and south magnetic fields, or a zero and non-zero electric voltage, represent two states (0, 1) of a binary digit (bit). Other phenomena can represent digits of a higher base. A superposition of multiple simultaneous quantum states before measurement represents a quantum bit (qubit). A sequence of one or more digits constitutes digital data that is used to represent a number or code for a character. In some embodiments, information called analog data is represented by a near continuum of measurable values within a particular range. Computer system  700 , or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. 
     A bus  710  includes one or more parallel conductors of information so that information is transferred quickly among devices coupled to the bus  710 . One or more processors  702  for processing information are coupled with the bus  710 . 
     A processor (or multiple processors)  702  performs a set of operations on information as specified by computer program code related to determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. The computer program code is a set of instructions or statements providing instructions for the operation of the processor and/or the computer system to perform specified functions. The code, for example, may be written in a computer programming language that is compiled into a native instruction set of the processor. The code may also be written directly using the native instruction set (e.g., machine language). The set of operations include bringing information in from the bus  710  and placing information on the bus  710 . The set of operations also typically include comparing two or more units of information, shifting positions of units of information, and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition or multiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), and AND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed by the processor is represented to the processor by information called instructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. A sequence of operations to be executed by the processor  702 , such as a sequence of operation codes, constitute processor instructions, also called computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions. Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical or quantum components, among others, alone or in combination. 
     Computer system  700  also includes a memory  704  coupled to bus  710 . The memory  704 , such as a random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device, stores information including processor instructions for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to be changed by the computer system  700 . RAM allows a unit of information stored at a location called a memory address to be stored and retrieved independently of information at neighboring addresses. The memory  704  is also used by the processor  702  to store temporary values during execution of processor instructions. The computer system  700  also includes a read only memory (ROM)  706  or any other static storage device coupled to the bus  710  for storing static information, including instructions, that is not changed by the computer system  700 . Some memory is composed of volatile storage that loses the information stored thereon when power is lost. Also coupled to bus  710  is a non-volatile (persistent) storage device  708 , such as a magnetic disk, optical disk or flash card, for storing information, including instructions, that persists even when the computer system  700  is turned off or otherwise loses power. 
     Information, including instructions for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation, is provided to the bus  710  for use by the processor from an external input device  712 , such as a keyboard containing alphanumeric keys operated by a human user, a microphone, an Infrared (IR) remote control, a joystick, a game pad, a stylus pen, a touch screen, or a sensor. A sensor detects conditions in its vicinity and transforms those detections into physical expression compatible with the measurable phenomenon used to represent information in computer system  700 . Other external devices coupled to bus  710 , used primarily for interacting with humans, include a display device  714 , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a plasma screen, or a printer for presenting text or images, and a pointing device  716 , such as a mouse, a trackball, cursor direction keys, or a motion sensor, for controlling a position of a small cursor image presented on the display  714  and issuing commands associated with graphical elements presented on the display  714 . In some embodiments, for example, in embodiments in which the computer system  700  performs all functions automatically without human input, one or more of external input device  712 , display device  714  and pointing device  716  is omitted. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, special purpose hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)  720 , is coupled to bus  710 . The special purpose hardware is configured to perform operations not performed by processor  702  quickly enough for special purposes. Examples of ASICs include graphics accelerator cards for generating images for display  714 , cryptographic boards for encrypting and decrypting messages sent over a network, speech recognition, and interfaces to special external devices, such as robotic arms and medical scanning equipment that repeatedly perform some complex sequence of operations that are more efficiently implemented in hardware. 
     Computer system  700  also includes one or more instances of a communications interface  770  coupled to bus  710 . Communication interface  770  provides a one-way or two-way communication coupling to a variety of external devices that operate with their own processors, such as printers, scanners and external disks. In general the coupling is with a network link  778  that is connected to a local network  780  to which a variety of external devices with their own processors are connected. For example, communication interface  770  may be a parallel port or a serial port or a universal serial bus (USB) port on a personal computer. In some embodiments, communications interface  770  is an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or a telephone modem that provides an information communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. In some embodiments, a communication interface  770  is a cable modem that converts signals on bus  710  into signals for a communication connection over a coaxial cable or into optical signals for a communication connection over a fiber optic cable. As another example, communications interface  770  may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN, such as Ethernet. Wireless links may also be implemented. For wireless links, the communications interface  770  sends or receives or both sends and receives electrical, acoustic or electromagnetic signals, including infrared and optical signals, that carry information streams, such as digital data. For example, in wireless handheld devices, such as mobile telephones like cell phones, the communications interface  770  includes a radio band electromagnetic transmitter and receiver called a radio transceiver. In certain embodiments, the communications interface  770  enables connection to the communication network  105  for determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation to the UE  101 . 
     The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing information to processor  702 , including instructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to computer-readable storage medium (e.g., non-volatile media, volatile media), and transmission media. Non-transitory media, such as non-volatile media, include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device  708 . Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memory  704 . Transmission media include, for example, twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, and carrier waves that travel through space without wires or cables, such as acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves, including radio, optical and infrared waves. Signals include man-made transient variations in amplitude, frequency, phase, polarization or other physical properties transmitted through the transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read. The term computer-readable storage medium is used herein to refer to any computer-readable medium except transmission media. 
     Logic encoded in one or more tangible media includes one or both of processor instructions on a computer-readable storage media and special purpose hardware, such as ASIC  720 . 
     Network link  778  typically provides information communication using transmission media through one or more networks to other devices that use or process the information. For example, network link  778  may provide a connection through local network  780  to a host computer  782  or to equipment  784  operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP equipment  784  in turn provides data communication services through the public, world-wide packet-switching communication network of networks now commonly referred to as the Internet  790 . 
     A computer called a server host  792  connected to the Internet hosts a process that provides a service in response to information received over the Internet. For example, server host  792  hosts a process that provides information representing video data for presentation at display  714 . It is contemplated that the components of system  700  can be deployed in various configurations within other computer systems, e.g., host  782  and server  792 . 
     At least some embodiments of the invention are related to the use of computer system  700  for implementing some or all of the techniques described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, those techniques are performed by computer system  700  in response to processor  702  executing one or more sequences of one or more processor instructions contained in memory  704 . Such instructions, also called computer instructions, software and program code, may be read into memory  704  from another computer-readable medium such as storage device  708  or network link  778 . Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in memory  704  causes processor  702  to perform one or more of the method steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardware, such as ASIC  720 , may be used in place of or in combination with software to implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software, unless otherwise explicitly stated herein. 
     The signals transmitted over network link  778  and other networks through communications interface  770 , carry information to and from computer system  700 . Computer system  700  can send and receive information, including program code, through the networks  780 ,  790  among others, through network link  778  and communications interface  770 . In an example using the Internet  790 , a server host  792  transmits program code for a particular application, requested by a message sent from computer  700 , through Internet  790 , ISP equipment  784 , local network  780  and communications interface  770 . The received code may be executed by processor  702  as it is received, or may be stored in memory  704  or in storage device  708  or any other non-volatile storage for later execution, or both. In this manner, computer system  700  may obtain application program code in the form of signals on a carrier wave. 
     Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequence of instructions or data or both to processor  702  for execution. For example, instructions and data may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer such as host  782 . The remote computer loads the instructions and data into its dynamic memory and sends the instructions and data over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system  700  receives the instructions and data on a telephone line and uses an infra-red transmitter to convert the instructions and data to a signal on an infra-red carrier wave serving as the network link  778 . An infrared detector serving as communications interface  770  receives the instructions and data carried in the infrared signal and places information representing the instructions and data onto bus  710 . Bus  710  carries the information to memory  704  from which processor  702  retrieves and executes the instructions using some of the data sent with the instructions. The instructions and data received in memory  704  may optionally be stored on storage device  708 , either before or after execution by the processor  702 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a chip set or chip  800  upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Chip set  800  is programmed to determine the position and/or a travel path of a device as described herein and includes, for instance, the processor and memory components described with respect to  FIG. 7  incorporated in one or more physical packages (e.g., chips). By way of example, a physical package includes an arrangement of one or more materials, components, and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard) to provide one or more characteristics such as physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction. It is contemplated that in certain embodiments the chip set  800  can be implemented in a single chip. It is further contemplated that in certain embodiments the chip set or chip  800  can be implemented as a single “system on a chip.” It is further contemplated that in certain embodiments a separate ASIC would not be used, for example, and that all relevant functions as disclosed herein would be performed by a processor or processors. Chip set or chip  800 , or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. 
     In one embodiment, the chip set or chip  800  includes a communication mechanism such as a bus  801  for passing information among the components of the chip set  800 . A processor  803  has connectivity to the bus  801  to execute instructions and process information stored in, for example, a memory  805 . The processor  803  may include one or more processing cores with each core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores. Alternatively or in addition, the processor  803  may include one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus  801  to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading. The processor  803  may also be accompanied with one or more specialized components to perform certain processing functions and tasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP)  807 , or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC)  809 . A DSP  807  typically is configured to process real-world signals (e.g., sound) in real time independently of the processor  803 . Similarly, an ASIC  809  can be configured to performed specialized functions not easily performed by a more general purpose processor. Other specialized components to aid in performing the inventive functions described herein may include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), one or more controllers, or one or more other special-purpose computer chips. 
     In one embodiment, the chip set or chip  800  includes merely one or more processors and some software and/or firmware supporting and/or relating to and/or for the one or more processors. 
     The processor  803  and accompanying components have connectivity to the memory  805  via the bus  801 . The memory  805  includes both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructions that when executed perform the inventive steps described herein to determine the position and/or a travel path of a device. The memory  805  also stores the data associated with or generated by the execution of the inventive steps. 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram of exemplary components of a mobile terminal (e.g., handset) for communications, which is capable of operating in the system of  FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, mobile terminal  901 , or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. Generally, a radio receiver is often defined in terms of front-end and back-end characteristics. The front-end of the receiver encompasses all of the Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry whereas the back-end encompasses all of the base-band processing circuitry. As used in this application, the term “circuitry” refers to both: (1) hardware-only implementations (such as implementations in only analog and/or digital circuitry), and (2) to combinations of circuitry and software (and/or firmware) (such as, if applicable to the particular context, to a combination of processor(s), including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions). This definition of “circuitry” applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application and if applicable to the particular context, the term “circuitry” would also cover an implementation of merely a processor (or multiple processors) and its (or their) accompanying software/or firmware. The term “circuitry” would also cover if applicable to the particular context, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit in a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a cellular network device or other network devices. 
     Pertinent internal components of the telephone include a Main Control Unit (MCU)  903 , a Digital Signal Processor (DSP)  905 , and a receiver/transmitter unit including a microphone gain control unit and a speaker gain control unit. A main display unit  907  provides a display to the user in support of various applications and mobile terminal functions that perform or support the steps of determining the position and/or travel path of a device independent of, or in addition to, conventional GPS triangulation. The display  907  includes display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile terminal (e.g., mobile telephone). Additionally, the display  907  and display circuitry are configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal. An audio function circuitry  909  includes a microphone  911  and microphone amplifier that amplifies the speech signal output from the microphone  911 . The amplified speech signal output from the microphone  911  is fed to a coder/decoder (CODEC)  913 . 
     A radio section  915  amplifies power and converts frequency in order to communicate with a base station, which is included in a mobile communication system, via antenna  917 . The power amplifier (PA)  919  and the transmitter/modulation circuitry are operationally responsive to the MCU  903 , with an output from the PA  919  coupled to the duplexer  921  or circulator or antenna switch, as known in the art. The PA  919  also couples to a battery interface and power control unit  920 . 
     In use, a user of mobile terminal  901  speaks into the microphone  911  and his or her voice along with any detected background noise is converted into an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then converted into a digital signal through the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)  923 . The control unit  903  routes the digital signal into the DSP  905  for processing therein, such as speech encoding, channel encoding, encrypting, and interleaving. In one embodiment, the processed voice signals are encoded, by units not separately shown, using a cellular transmission protocol such as enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, and the like, or any combination thereof. 
     The encoded signals are then routed to an equalizer  925  for compensation of any frequency-dependent impairments that occur during transmission though the air such as phase and amplitude distortion. After equalizing the bit stream, the modulator  927  combines the signal with a RF signal generated in the RF interface  929 . The modulator  927  generates a sine wave by way of frequency or phase modulation. In order to prepare the signal for transmission, an up-converter  931  combines the sine wave output from the modulator  927  with another sine wave generated by a synthesizer  933  to achieve the desired frequency of transmission. The signal is then sent through a PA  919  to increase the signal to an appropriate power level. In practical systems, the PA  919  acts as a variable gain amplifier whose gain is controlled by the DSP  905  from information received from a network base station. The signal is then filtered within the duplexer  921  and optionally sent to an antenna coupler  935  to match impedances to provide maximum power transfer. Finally, the signal is transmitted via antenna  917  to a local base station. An automatic gain control (AGC) can be supplied to control the gain of the final stages of the receiver. The signals may be forwarded from there to a remote telephone which may be another cellular telephone, any other mobile phone or a land-line connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or other telephony networks. 
     Voice signals transmitted to the mobile terminal  901  are received via antenna  917  and immediately amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA)  937 . A down-converter  939  lowers the carrier frequency while the demodulator  941  strips away the RF leaving only a digital bit stream. The signal then goes through the equalizer  925  and is processed by the DSP  905 . A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)  943  converts the signal and the resulting output is transmitted to the user through the speaker  945 , all under control of a Main Control Unit (MCU)  903  which can be implemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU). 
     The MCU  903  receives various signals including input signals from the keyboard  947 . The keyboard  947  and/or the MCU  903  in combination with other user input components (e.g., the microphone  911 ) comprise a user interface circuitry for managing user input. The MCU  903  runs a user interface software to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal  901  to determine the position and/or a travel path of a device. The MCU  903  also delivers a display command and a switch command to the display  907  and to the speech output switching controller, respectively. Further, the MCU  903  exchanges information with the DSP  905  and can access an optionally incorporated SIM card  949  and a memory  951 . In addition, the MCU  903  executes various control functions required of the terminal. The DSP  905  may, depending upon the implementation, perform any of a variety of conventional digital processing functions on the voice signals. Additionally, DSP  905  determines the background noise level of the local environment from the signals detected by microphone  911  and sets the gain of microphone  911  to a level selected to compensate for the natural tendency of the user of the mobile terminal  901 . 
     The CODEC  913  includes the ADC  923  and DAC  943 . The memory  951  stores various data including call incoming tone data and is capable of storing other data including music data received via, e.g., the global Internet. The software module could reside in RAM memory, flash memory, registers, or any other form of writable storage medium known in the art. The memory device  951  may be, but not limited to, a single memory, CD, DVD, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, optical storage, magnetic disk storage, flash memory storage, or any other non-volatile storage medium capable of storing digital data. 
     An optionally incorporated SIM card  949  carries, for instance, important information, such as the cellular phone number, the carrier supplying service, subscription details, and security information. The SIM card  949  serves primarily to identify the mobile terminal  901  on a radio network. The card  949  also contains a memory for storing a personal telephone number registry, text messages, and user specific mobile terminal settings. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited but covers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of the invention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order.