TWI631359B - Electronic devices and methods for providing location information - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for providing location information, the method comprising: generating a sensor reading corresponding to the motion sensed by the electronic device; determining the reference position information; calculating the GPS fusion based on the reference position information, the sensor reading Location information; changes in location information based on GPS convergence, generating events required by GPS; generating unwanted events for GPS in response to reference location information; receiving location information for GPS convergence and events required for GPS or GPS not required One of the events; operating the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode in response to an event required to receive the GPS, the GPS receiver generating a geographic location reading during the location information acquisition mode; in response to receiving an event not required by the GPS, in the province In the electrical mode, the GPS receiver is operated, and during the power saving mode, the GPS receiver is deactivated.

Description

Electronic device and method for providing location information

The present invention relates to the use of an absolute positioning and relative positioning technique for use in a mobile device.

Absolute positioning techniques (eg, Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, and proximity tags) provide reliable and accurate location information, but updating such information at the highest possible rate consumes considerable power and is not guaranteed Complete coverage. A relative positioning technique (eg, pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR)) is to estimate the current position of the user device using the inertial sensor of the user device based on the previously determined position, which may even be in absolute position information. Unusable in the environment, however, there is a cumulative error in the current position estimated by this technique.

It is worth noting that mobile devices are often equipped with embedded sensors (eg, accelerometers, gyro sensors, and magnetometers) that can be used to perform relative positioning techniques. The central processing unit (CPU) of the mobile device can collect samples generated by the sensors and perform some processing based on the samples. For example, the CPU can calculate the movement and orientation of the mobile device or calculate the number of steps the user of the mobile device has traveled.

Since the sensor continuously generates samples, the CPU must continuously receive and analyze the samples. Therefore, the CPU must be in its full operating mode for a long time, which consumes power and shortens the battery life of the mobile device.

In view of this, the present invention provides an electronic device and a method for providing location information.

The present invention provides an electronic device including a GPS receiver, an inertial sensor main control unit (MCU), and an application processor. The GPS receiver has a receiver circuit configured to switch between a location information acquisition mode and a power save mode, the GPS receiver generating a geographic location reading during the location information acquisition mode, during the power save mode The GPS receiver is deactivated. The inertial sensor has a sensor circuit configured to generate a sensor reading corresponding to the motion sensed by the electronic device. The MCU has a control circuit configured to determine reference position information, calculate location information of the GPS fusion based on the reference position information and the sensor reading, and generate GPS required based on the change of the position information of the GPS fusion An event, and in response to determining the reference location information, generating an event that is not required by the GPS. An application processor having processor circuitry configured to receive location information of the GPS convergence and an event required by the GPS or the GPS does not need One of the events, in response to receiving an event required by the GPS, operating the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode to generate the geographic location reading, and responsive to receiving the GPS An event in which the GPS receiver is operated in the power saving mode, and during the power saving mode, the GPS receiver is deactivated.

The present invention provides a method for providing location information, suitable for an electronic device, the method comprising: generating a sensor reading corresponding to the motion sensed by the electronic device; determining reference position information; based on the reference position information and the sensor reading Calculating the location information of the GPS fusion; generating the events required by the GPS based on the change of the location information of the GPS fusion; generating the events not required by the GPS in response to determining the reference location information; receiving the location information of the GPS fusion and the GPS required One of an event or an event not required by the GPS; operating the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode in response to receiving the event required by the GPS, the GPS receiver generating a geographic location reading during the location information acquisition mode; and responsive to Receiving an event not required by GPS, operating the GPS receiver in the power saving mode.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

100‧‧‧Electronic equipment

110‧‧‧Absolute positioning circuit

120‧‧‧ Relative positioning circuit

130‧‧‧Sensor hub

140‧‧‧ memory

150‧‧‧ processor

160‧‧‧ data bus

200A‧‧‧Application layer

200B‧‧‧Application Architecture Layer

200C‧‧‧ hardware abstraction layer

200D‧‧‧ core layer

201‧‧‧Location Service App

203‧‧‧Location Manager

204‧‧‧Sensor Manager

205‧‧‧The best location provider

207‧‧‧GPS location provider

209‧‧‧Network Location Provider

211‧‧‧GPS interface

212‧‧‧sensor interface

213‧‧‧GPS hardware abstraction layer

214‧‧‧GPS shared memory hardware abstraction layer

215‧‧‧Sensor hardware abstraction layer

216‧‧‧ memory block MB

217‧‧‧Global Navigation Satellite System Driver

218‧‧‧Sensor Driver

S302, S304, S306, S308, S310a, S310b, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, 570, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, 710, 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, 772, 774, 776, 778, 780, 790‧ ‧ blocks

500, 600, 700 ‧ ‧ methods

400‧‧‧Electronic devices

402, 802‧‧‧ GPS Receiver

404, 406, 804, 806‧‧‧ inertial sensors

408, 808‧‧‧ main control unit

410, 810‧‧‧ application processor

800‧‧‧Electronic devices

812‧‧‧buffer

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram showing a hybrid positioning method proposed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a diagram showing a method for providing a hybrid location information service in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method that can be implemented by the electronic device 400 of FIG. 4, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flow chart showing a method that can be implemented by an AP in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating methods in response to requesting location information for GPS fusion by an AP, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The components of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These examples are only a part of the invention and do not disclose all of the embodiments of the invention. Rather, these embodiments are merely examples of methods and apparatus within the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

While absolute positioning technology provides reliable and accurate location information, updating such information at the highest possible rate consumes considerable power and does not guarantee complete coverage. The relative positioning technique estimates the current position of the user device using the inertial sensor of the user device based on the previously determined position, which may even It is used in an environment where absolute position information cannot be obtained. However, there is a cumulative error in the current position estimated by this technique. Advantages of the methods presented below may include, but are not limited to, optimization of positioning accuracy and coverage with minimum power consumption while integrating through the two aforementioned techniques.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. All of the components of the electronic device and their configuration are first described in FIG. 1, and the detailed functionality of the components will be disclosed in conjunction with FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1 , for exemplary purposes, the electronic device 100 includes at least an absolute positioning circuit 110 , a relative positioning circuit 120 , a sensor hub 130 , a memory 140 , a processor 150 , and a data bus 160 . Herein, the sensor hub 130 can be coupled to the relative positioning circuit 120, the memory 140, and the processor 150 via a data bus 160. The processor 150 can be coupled to the absolute positioning circuit 110, the sensor hub 130, and the memory 140 via a data bus 160. The electronic device 100 may be a standalone device such as a smart phone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart watch, and the like. The elements of the electronic device 100 can also be individually arranged and wirelessly connected to each other. For example, at least one of the absolute positioning circuit 110 and the relative positioning circuit 120 can be mounted on a wearable device, and the processor 150 can be located in a remote monitor such as a smart phone. The electronic device 100 can also be a built-in device of the vehicle.

Absolute positioning circuit 110 may sample a position reading that includes readings from a GPS receiver that receives GPS satellite radio signals from a GPS satellite constellation via an antenna. Absolute positioning circuit 110 can pass position readings to processor 150, causing The processor 150 can report the current location information based on the location reading. The absolute positioning circuit 110 can also pass location information directly back to the processor 150 based on the sampled position readings. The absolute positioning circuit 110 can dynamically change the sampling rate of the position reading under the control of the processor 150. The absolute positioning circuit 110 can provide a position reading that includes readings from the communication module that can wirelessly indicate current location information of the electronic device 100 over the network.

The relative positioning circuit 120 can include an inertial sensor that detects an event or change in its position and provides a corresponding output relative to the base. In this embodiment, for exemplary purposes, the relative positioning circuit 120 can be provided to include from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a pedometer, a barometer, a light sensor, a sound pressure sensor, or a coupling A sensor reading of a reading of at least one of the radio receivers of the sampling device. The sampling device samples the intensity of the radio RF signal of the signal source detectable at a portion of the transmission system. The signal source can be a community platform of a cellular communication network, a wireless access point, or a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon. The sensor readings may include information regarding the rate of acceleration and deceleration, the speed of motion, the change in direction, and/or the rate of change in direction of the electronic device 100. For example, in response to any detection that the electronic device 100 suddenly moves when an external force is encountered, the three-axis accelerometer will output acceleration data corresponding to each axis. The gyroscope will detect the rotational movement of the electronic device 100 that rotates around a particular axis in space and output data representing the rotational movement. The combination of the accelerometer and the gyroscope can result in a more accurate measurement of the overall movement and orientation of the electronic device 100.

The sensor hub 130 may be composed of a microcontroller, the micro control The device has a programmable microcontroller core, a memory and an interface for connecting itself to the processor 150 and another interface for connecting itself to the relative positioning circuit 120, for example, a serial peripheral interface bus (serial peripheral interface, SPI) or internal integrated circuit (I2C). The sensor hub 130 can also be constructed from a microcontroller having external memory and interface circuitry. The sensor hub 130 is configured to integrate and process real-time data with relatively low power consumption. The sensor hub 130 can monitor sensor readings dynamically and periodically and provide relative position information, which can include the estimated travel distance and the estimated angle of rotation. The estimated distance of movement may refer to a step size, and the estimated angle of rotation may refer to an angle between the current heading of the electronic device 100 and the previous heading. Based on the relative position information generated from the relative positioning circuitry 120 and the geographic location previously obtained by the processor 150, the sensor hub 130 can report the estimated location information, which may include an estimate of the electronic device 100. Location and estimated heading position information.

The memory 140 can include different forms of non-transitory, volatile, and non-volatile memory, such as static or mobile random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM). One or a combination of flash memory memory, hard disk drive or other similar device or interface. The memory 140 can store operating systems and applications to operate the electronic device 100 and the instant data collected from the relative positioning circuitry 120.

The processor 150 is configured to integrate and process the data obtained from the absolute positioning circuit 110 and the sensor hub 130 to perform a hybrid positioning method. Processor 150 Location information indicating the last known location may be obtained from a location provider such as absolute positioning circuit 110 or sensor hub 130. For each successive step periodically reported by the sensor hub 130, the processor 150 may develop a travel trajectory based on the last known location and the plurality of estimated locations and/or estimated headings. The processor 150 may include one or more of the following: a north bridge, a south bridge, a field programmable array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a dedicated integrated circuit (application) Specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other similar device or combination thereof. The processor 150 may further include a central processing unit (CPU), a programmable general purpose or special purpose microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application processor, a baseband processor, and a wireless processor. , an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other similar device or a combination thereof.

2 is a functional block diagram showing a hybrid positioning method proposed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. For exemplary purposes, it will be described in Google Maps in the Android OS.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 simultaneously, the software operating system architecture mainly includes an application layer 200A, an application architecture layer 200B, a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) 200C, and a core layer 200D.

The application layer 200A can include different applications and at least one location service application 201. Here, Google Maps 201 can be an exemplary application. Program. In addition, when at least one location service application 201 has been launched, an additional location service application can be launched to request location information. The launched location service application will request location information from the location manager 203 of the application architecture layer 200B.

Application developers typically use the application architecture layer 200B to enter an architectural application programming interface (API) and manage the basic functionality of the electronic device 100 to execute Android. The application architecture layer 200B can include different managers including a location manager 203 that provides location information (e.g., location fix) to at least one location service program. The application architecture layer 200B can include a plurality of location providers that can receive location readings and determine location information for the electronic device 100. The location manager 203 can select the best location provider 205 between the two primary location providers in Android (the GPS location provider 207 and the network location provider 209). The selection may be based on availability, battery power consumption, user settings, commands generated from other layers of the software operating system architecture, and the like. The location manager 203 can calculate location information based on location profiles provided by one of the GPS location provider 207 and the network location provider 209. The location data may include information regarding the latitude, longitude, accuracy, and the like of the electronic device 100. The location information calculated based on the location data obtained from the GPS location provider 207 or the network location provider 209 may be passed from the GPS location to the HAL 200C via the GPS interface 211. The location manager 203 can record the update rate, and the GPS location provider 207 and the network location provider 209 can report the location profile at the update rate. Update rate can be based It is determined from the request of the sensor hub 130 or at least one location service application launched in the location service application 201. If the sensor hub 130 does not enable the hybrid positioning method or the PDR algorithm to update the estimated location information, then at least one location service application launched in the location service application 201 can record the update rate of the rules. On the other hand, when the full update rate is higher than the rule update rate, if the hybrid positioning method is performed, the location manager 203 can record the full update rate. The full update rate can also be the fastest rate that the GPS location provider 207 can support. The location manager 203 can calculate a travel trajectory based on a plurality of estimated locations and/or estimated headings that can be managed by the sensors of the application architecture layer 200B for each successive step. The device 204 provides.

The application architecture layer 200B can include a sensor manager 204. The sensor manager 204 can be coupled to the sensor hub 130 via the sensor interface 212, the HAL 200C, and the subsequent core 200D. The sensor manager can receive control messages from the sensor hub 130. Based on the control message, the sensor manager 204 can pass a pause command to the location manager 203. In response to the pause command, the location manager 203 can reduce the location data generated from the location provider and/or the update frequency of the location readings generated from the absolute positioning circuitry 110. In particular, in response to the pause command, the location manager 203 can instruct the GPS location provider to stop listening for position readings when the absolute positioning circuitry is not switched. The sensor manager 204 can also generate a sleep mode command based on the control message. In response to the sleep mode command, the processor 150 can enter a sleep mode.

The HAL 200C includes a plurality of libraries and defines a standard interface for hardware vendors to implement Android and allows Android to be unaware of the previously described low-order driver implementations. After the location information is passed to the GPS HAL 213, the pre-registered GPS shared memory HAL 214 can collect information on latitude, longitude, and accuracy and store the information in the memory block MB 216 of the memory 140.

Moreover, processor 150 can enable sensor manager 204 to extract sensor readings from relative positioning circuitry 120. The sensor readings can be extracted from the sensor HAL 215 through the sensor interface 212 in the application architecture layer 200B.

The GPS HAL 213 can extract position readings from the absolute positioning circuit 110. The extracted position reading may be raw GPS data including GPS measurements. The GPS HAL 213 can compile the position readings and can then transmit the position readings to the GPS location provider 207. The GPS location provider 207 can calculate and report location data based on the transmitted location readings, while the location data is processed by the location manager 203 to determine location information. The location information can be fed back to the GPS HAL 213.

The GPS shared memory HAL 214 can be considered as a bridge between the GPS HAL 213 and the sensor HAL 215. The GPS shared memory HAL 214 can access the location information fed back to the GPS HAL 213 and store the location information in the memory block MB 216. In addition, the GPS shared memory HAL 214 can extract the stored location information from the memory block MB 216 and pass the location information to the sensor HAL 215 in response to a request generated from the sensor HAL 215. The GPS shared memory HAL can compile the extracted location data so that the sensor HAL 215 can read and edit Post-translation location information.

A core layer 200D including personal device drivers (eg, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) driver 217 and sensor driver 218) is used to interact with various hardware components of electronic device 100. The core layer 200D can obtain location information through the sensor HAL 215 and pass the location information to the sensor hub 130 as a system message.

The sensor hub 130 can determine whether the electronic device satisfies the location update condition. The location update condition may be associated with the travel distance of the electronic device 100 from the location at which the absolute positioning device 110 was previously enabled, the increasing time that the electronic device 100 has not traveled, the direction of movement of the electronic device 100, and the like. The location update condition can be determined based on sensor readings generated from the relative positioning circuitry 120.

If the location update condition is not met, the sensor hub 130 can continually estimate the current estimated location information based on the PDR algorithm. On the other hand, when the sensor hub 130 determines that the location update condition is met, the sensor hub 130 can request the location manager 203 to update the location information at the full update rate. Therefore, the location manager 203 can request location information from one of the GPS location provider 207 and the network location provider 209.

The sensor hub 130 can determine whether the updated location information satisfies the deactivation condition, and the deactivation condition is determined based on the reliability of the updated location information. If the plurality of updated location information calculated and obtained by the location manager 203 in a particular time range corresponds to a set of near/converged geographic locations, indicating that the updated location information is reliable and the absolute positioning circuitry 110 is stable . In compliance with the bar After the device, the sensor hub 130 can transmit a control message to the location manager 203 via the sensor HAL 215 and the sensor manager 204, wherein the control message indicates whether to suspend the GPS service. If the location profile satisfies the deactivation condition, the location manager 203 can turn off the GPS service for power saving purposes.

3 is a flow chart showing a method for providing a hybrid location information service in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The steps of FIG. 3 may be implemented by the proposed electronic device 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 in conjunction with FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 simultaneously, after the hybrid positioning method starts, the location manager 203 may first report the absolute location information of the electronic device 100 based on the position reading of the absolute positioning circuit 110 (step S302). The absolute location information may include the geographic location and geographic heading of the electronic device 100. In step 304, the processor 150 may store the absolute location information in a memory block of the memory 140 accessible by the sensor hub 130 through a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) composed of interface functions. The location manager 203 will instruct the absolute positioning circuitry 110 to continuously report the position readings at a full update rate. The location manager 203 can monitor and calculate the reported position readings and obtain a sequence of geographic locations over a period of time. The geographic location of the sequence can be stored in the memory block MB 216. In step 306, the sensor hub 130 can obtain absolute position information extracted from the memory block.

In step 308, the processor 150 may determine whether the absolute location information satisfies the deactivation condition, which is determined based on the reliability of the absolute location information. The sensor hub 130 can determine a sequence stored in the memory block MB 216 Whether the geographical locations are close to each other or tend to converge. If a set of geographical locations that are close/convergent are determined, the sensor hub 130 can infer that the location information is reliable and report the last of a sequence of geographic locations as the current location. After determining the current location, the sensor hub 130 can determine that the absolute location information satisfies the deactivation condition and sends a control message to disable the GPS service (step 310a). If any of the acquired geographic locations are away from other geographic locations obtained during a certain time, the geographic location may be an error that is affected by temporary interference or noise and will not be considered a stable geographic location measurement. Accordingly, the sensor hub 130 can determine that the absolute position information does not satisfy the deactivation condition and send a control message indicating that the GPS service is not deactivated (step 310b).

If the sensor hub 130 determines that the absolute position information satisfies the deactivation condition, the control message transmitted by the sensor hub 130 may also include a sleep reference message. The sleep reference message indicates that the processor 150 can enter a sleep mode or a low power mode. In other embodiments, processor 150 may also stop the request or reduce the frequency at which the position readings generated from absolute positioning circuit 110 are sampled after the processor receives the deactivation control message.

It should be noted that after the processor 150 deactivates the absolute positioning circuit 110, the sensor hub 130 or processor 150 may calculate the estimated position information to develop a travel trajectory of the electronic device 100 based on the PDR algorithm. The PDR algorithm involves calculating the currently estimated position information based on the relative position information obtained from the relative positioning circuit 120 and the previous absolute position information. Therefore, a relatively low power consumption can be achieved.

Other features and/or combinations of features will now be described with respect to several additional embodiments. It should be noted that one or more of the features described below can be incorporated into other embodiments (eg, the previously described embodiments) as an alternate feature and/or additional feature.

In this regard, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic device 400 (eg, mobile device) has a GPS receiver 402, an inertial sensor (eg, sensors 404, 406), a main control unit (MCU) 408, and an application. An application processor (AP) 410. The GPS receiver 402 includes a receiver circuit and is configured to switch between a location information acquisition mode and a power save mode during which the GPS receiver generates a geographic location reading, while during the power saving mode, the GPS The receiver is deactivated. Each of the inertial sensors includes a sensor circuit and is configured to generate a sensor reading corresponding to the sensed motion of the electronic device.

MCU 408 includes control circuitry and is configured to perform several functions. Specifically, the MCU 408 is configured to: determine reference location information; calculate GPS-fused location information based on reference location information and sensor readings; generate GPS-required events based on changes in GPS-fused location information; and respond An event that is not required for GPS is generated by judging the reference position information. In some embodiments, the MCU is further configured to generate event package material including GPS-fused location information and one of an event required by the GPS or an event not required by the GPS. In some of these embodiments, after the MCU adds the events required by the GPS to the event package material, the associated AP can be configured to inject a sequence of geographic readings into the MCU at the fastest rate specified by the AP. It should be noted that the associated GPS receiver can Can support a higher rate than the fastest rate specified by the AP. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the functionality associated with the MCU can be embedded within an element (eg, a semiconductor wafer) for providing a CPU.

The AP 410 includes processor circuitry and is also configured to perform several functions. Specifically, the AP 410 is configured to: receive location information of the GPS convergence and one of an event required by the GPS or an event not required by the GPS; and operate the GPS reception in the location information acquisition mode in response to an event required to receive the GPS To generate a geographic location reading; and to operate the GPS receiver in a power saving mode in response to receiving an event not required by the GPS. In some embodiments, the AP 410 is further configured to: selectively request one of GPS-fused location information or GPS location information (eg, by requesting event package material); and based on GPS extracted from the event package material The location service process is performed to receive the GPS receiver between the power saving mode and the location information acquisition mode by the received event and the received one of the GPS unwanted events. In particular, if an event required by the GPS is extracted from the event package material, in some embodiments, the AP 410 can obtain a geographic location reading from the GPS receiver. It is worth noting that the geographic location readings can be incorporated into one or more of latitude readings, longitude readings, and precision readings.

In response to receiving the location information of the GPS convergence, the AP 410 may perform a sensor service procedure to notify the MCU to calculate location information of the GPS convergence and to generate an associated first ID of the location information generated by the GPS convergence. Thereafter, the AP 410 can obtain location information of the GPS convergence and a selected one of the events required by the GPS and the events not required by the GPS. Instead, in response to receiving GPS location information, AP 410 A location service process can be performed to obtain geographic location readings from the GPS receiver to generate GPS location information at a dynamic rate. The AP 410 can then select one of the GPS fused location information and the GPS location information as the location output.

Regarding the sensor service process, if an event required by the GPS is extracted from the event package material, some embodiments are configured to: notify the location service process to operate the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode to generate the geography at the fastest rate Position reading. Thereafter, the AP can communicate the geographic location readings to the MCU so that the MCU can generate reference location information based on the geographic location readings and add events not required by the GPS to the event package data. However, if an event not required by the GPS is extracted from the event package material, the sensor service process can be configured to operate the GPS receiver in the power save mode.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method that can be implemented by the electronic device 400 of FIG. 4, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, method 500 can be considered to begin at block 510 where a sensor reading corresponding to the sensed motion of the electronic device is generated. In particular, the sensor readings can be generated by an inertial sensor carried by the electronic device. In block 520, reference location information is determined. In some embodiments, the reference location information can be determined by the MCU based on the geographic location readings provided by the GPS receiver. By way of example, in some embodiments, a variance between a plurality of processed GPS locations (eg, 5 locations) may be calculated, and if the calculated variance is less than a threshold, the nearest GPS location may be employed as Refer to the reference location of the location information. As another example, the MCU can be configured to determine reference location information in response to determining that the geographic location readings tend to converge.

In block 530, the location information of the GPS fusion can be calculated by the MCU based on the reference location information and the sensor readings. In some embodiments, this may involve using the PDR algorithm to calculate the current estimated position information based on the previous absolute position information (reference position information) and relative position information (based on sensor readings). Subsequently, as depicted in block 540, a GPS event (which may act as a control message for determining the mode of operation of the GPS receiver) is generated by the MCU. In some embodiments, the GPS event may include a GPS required event based on a change in GPS fusion based location information, and an event not required by the GPS generated in response to determining the reference location information.

In block 550, the GPS-fused location information and one of the events required by the GPS or the events not required by the GPS are received by the AP. If an event required by the GPS is received, the process proceeds to block 560 where the GPS receiver operates in the location information acquisition mode and generates a geographic location reading. In some embodiments, this may involve generating a geographic location reading at a dynamic rate (eg, the fastest rate specified by the AP). If an event not required by the GPS is received, the process proceeds to block 570 where the GPS receiver operates in a power save mode (ie, the GPS receiver is deactivated).

6 is a flow chart showing a method that can be implemented by an AP in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, method 600 can be considered to begin at block 610, where one of the GPS-fused location information or GPS location information is selectively requested by the AP. The AP selectively requests one of GPS-fused location information or GPS location information based on different types of applications launched by the user. For example, when launching a map app (similar to a GOOGLE® map), you can request a GPS bit. Set information. When the hybrid location tracking application is launched by the user, the location information of the GPS fusion can be requested. Subsequently, in block 620, it is determined whether location information requesting GPS fusion or GPS location information is requested. If location information for GPS convergence is requested, the process proceeds to block 630 where a sensor service procedure is performed by the AP to inform the MCU to calculate location information for the GPS fusion.

In block 630, a first ID associated with the identification of GPS-fused location information is assigned to the MCU by a sensor service procedure. The foregoing has explained event package information that may be provided by the associated MCU with GPS-fused location information and one of the events required by the GPS or the events not required by the GPS. In response to the assignment of the first ID, the MCU may add the first ID to the event package material. Therefore, the AP can identify the location information of the GPS fusion.

After block 630, a location service procedure is performed to switch the associated GPS receiver between the power save mode and the location information acquisition mode (block 640). Depending on the content extracted from the event package data received from the MCU, the handover can be performed by the AP based on an event required by the GPS or an event not required by the GPS. In some embodiments, the AP performs a sensor service process to extract one of an event required by the GPS or an event not required by the GPS from the event package material. In response, executing the sensor service process can include notifying the location service process to operate the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode if the event required by the GPS is extracted from the event package material. This can be done to generate a geo-location reading at the fastest rate, after which the AP can be configured to pass geo-location readings to the MCU, which enables the MCU to give geo-location readings to generate reference location information and add events not required by the GPS to the event. Package information. In addition Or alternatively, performing the sensor service process may include operating the GPS receiver in the power save mode if an event not required by the GPS is extracted from the event package material.

Subsequently, as depicted in block 650, the location information of the GPS fusion extracted from the event package material and the selected one of the events required by the GPS and the events not required by the GPS will be obtained.

However, if it is determined in block 620 that the GPS location information is requested (i.e., the location information for the GPS fusion is not requested), then the process may proceed from block 620 to block 660 where a location service procedure is performed to acquire the geography from the GPS receiver. Position readings to generate GPS position information at a dynamic rate. Subsequently, after block 650 or block 660, one of the GPS fused location information and GPS location information is selected for location output (block 670).

7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating methods in response to requesting location information for GPS fusion by an AP, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 7A and 7B, method 700 can be considered to begin at block 710 where initial location information is obtained. In block 720, initial movement information is calculated based on sensor readings (eg, reading from sensors generated by one or more of the inertial sensors). In block 730, the estimated location information is calculated based on the initial motion information and the initial location information, and then it is determined whether the location update condition is met (block 740). If the location update condition is not met, the process proceeds to block 750 where the estimated location information is set to GPS-fused location information. If the location update condition is met, it is determined (in block 760) whether the estimated location information will be calibrated. If the estimated location information is not calibrated, the process can proceed to block 790 (described below).

If the estimated position information is to be calibrated, the process described in blocks 770-780 is performed as follows: the AP is notified to obtain a geographic location reading (block 770); the reference location information is generated based on the acquired geographic location readings, after which the MCU will GPS Unneeded events are added to the event package data, causing the application processor to switch the GPS receiver to the power save mode (block 772); comparing the estimated location information to the reference location information to obtain the offset information (block 774) Calculating the calibrated movement information based on the estimated position information and deviation information (block 776); calculating the calibrated position information based on the deviation information, the calibrated movement information, and the estimated position information (block 778) And setting the calibrated location information to GPS fused location information (block 780). Thereafter, as depicted, for example, in block 790, event package material including location information for GPS fusion is generated.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, an electronic device 800 (eg, a mobile device) incorporates a GPS receiver 802, an inertial sensor (eg, sensors 804, 806), a main control unit (MCU) 808. An application processor (AP) 810 and a buffer 812. The GPS receiver 802 includes a receiver circuit and is configured to switch between a location information acquisition mode and a power save mode, during which the GPS receiver generates a geographic location reading, during the power saving mode, the GPS reception The device is disabled. Each of the inertial sensors includes a sensor circuit and is configured to generate a sensor reading corresponding to the sensed motion of the electronic device.

MCU 808 includes control circuitry and is configured to perform several functions. Specifically, the MCU 808 is configured to: determine reference location information; based on the reference location The information of the GPS fusion is calculated by the information and the sensor reading; the event required by the GPS is generated based on the change of the position information of the GPS fusion; and the event not required by the GPS is generated in response to determining the reference position information.

The AP 810 includes processor circuitry and is also configured to perform several functions. In particular, the AP 810 is configured to: receive GPS-fused location information and one of an event required by the GPS or an event not required by the GPS; operate the GPS reception in the location information acquisition mode in response to an event required to receive the GPS To generate a geographic location reading; and to operate the GPS receiver in a power saving mode in response to receiving an event not required by the GPS. In some embodiments, the buffer 812 in communication with the AP 810 is external to the AP 810.

As described above, the AP may selectively request one of GPS-fused location information or GPS location information. In this embodiment, after requesting GPS-fused location information, the AP 810 will switch between the sleep mode and the awake mode. In particular, when the AP 810 is operating in the sleep mode, the MCU 808 continually stores a sequence of GPS fused location information in the buffer 812 until the MCU sets an interrupt event. This interrupt event can be associated with any of the following: a batch timeout event; a buffer full alert event; and the generation of events required by the GPS. It is worth noting that in response to the interrupt event, the AP 810 switches to the awake mode to extract a stored sequence of GPS fused location information from the buffer 812.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention It is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application attached.

Claims (20)

An electronic device comprising: a GPS receiver having a receiver circuit configured to switch between a location information acquisition mode and a power save mode, wherein the GPS receiver generates a geographic location reading during the location information acquisition mode, During the power saving mode, the GPS receiver is deactivated; an inertial sensor having a sensor circuit configured to generate a sensor reading corresponding to motion sensed by the electronic device; a control unit (MCU) having a control circuit configured to: determine reference position information; calculate a position information of the GPS fusion using a relative positioning technique based on the reference position information and the sensor reading; based on the GPS fusion a change in location information to generate an event required by the GPS; and in response to determining the reference location information, generating an event not required by the GPS; and an application processor having a processor circuit configured to: receive the GPS fusion Location information and one of the events required by the GPS or the events not required by the GPS; in response to receiving an event required by the GPS, Said location information acquisition operation mode of the GPS receiver to generate said reading location; and The GPS receiver is operated in the power saving mode in response to receiving an event not required by the GPS. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the GPS receiver is configured to generate the geographic location reading at a dynamic rate when in the location information acquisition mode. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the GPS receiver is configured to generate the geographic location reading at a fastest rate specified by the application processor when in the location information acquisition mode . The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the MCU is configured to determine the reference location information in response to the geographic location reading tending to converge. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the MCU is further configured to generate event package data, the event package data including location information of the GPS fusion, and an event required by the GPS or the One of the events that GPS does not need. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the application processor is further configured to: selectively request one of the GPS-fused location information or GPS location information; perform a location service process based on Switching the GPS reception between the power saving mode and the location information acquisition mode from one of the events required by the GPS and the one of the GPS unnecessary events extracted from the event package data Device For requesting location information of the GPS fusion, performing a sensor service process to notify the MCU to calculate location information of the GPS convergence, wherein the application processor is further configured to obtain location information of the GPS convergence and a selected one of an event required by the GPS and an event not required by the GPS extracted from the event package material; for the requested GPS location information, performing the location service process to The GPS receiver acquires the geographic location reading to generate the GPS location information at a dynamic rate; and selects one of the GPS fused location information and the GPS location information as a location output. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the sensor service process is further configured to notify the location service process when an event required by the GPS is extracted from the event package material Operating the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode to generate the geographic location reading at the fastest rate, after which the application processor passes the geographic location reading to the MCU and the MCU Generating the reference location information based on the geographic location readings, and adding an event not required by the GPS to the event package material; and when extracting an event not required by the GPS from the event package material, The GPS receiver is operated in the power saving mode. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the MCU is configured to: in response to requesting location information of the GPS fusion: Obtaining initial position information; calculating initial movement information based on the sensor reading; calculating the estimated position information based on the initial movement information and the initial position information; determining whether the position update condition is met; Position update condition, the estimated location information is set as the location information of the GPS convergence; when the estimated location information is to be calibrated: the application processor is notified if the location update condition is met Obtaining a geographic location reading; generating reference location information based on the acquired geographic location readings, wherein the MCU thereafter adds an event not required by the GPS to the event package material, such that the application processor is Transmitting the GPS receiver to the power saving mode; comparing the estimated location information with the reference location information to obtain offset information; calculating a calibration based on the estimated location information and the deviation information Mobile information; calculating a school based on the deviation information, the calibrated movement information, and the estimated position information After location; and the location of the calibration set for the location information of said GPS fusion; and The event package data including the location information of the GPS fusion is generated. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein: when extracting an event required by the GPS from the event package material, the application processor acquires the geographic location from the GPS receiver Readings, wherein the geographic location readings include latitude readings, longitude readings, and precision readings. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein when the MCU adds an event required by the GPS to the event package material, the application processor is configured to at the fastest rate A sequence of geographic readings is injected into the MCU. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein: the electronic device further comprises a buffer external to the application processor; after requesting the GPS-fused location information, the application processor Switching between a sleep mode and an awake mode such that when the application processor is operating in the sleep mode, the MCU continuously stores a sequence of the GPS fused location information in the buffer, Until the MCU sets an interrupt event in response to any of the following: a batch timeout event, a buffer full alarm event, and an event required to generate the GPS, and the application processor switches to the wake mode to Extracting a stored sequence of the GPS fused location information. A method for providing location information is applicable to an electronic device having a GPS receiver, an inertial sensor, a main control unit (MCU), and an application processor (AP), the method comprising: Generating a sensor reading corresponding to the motion sensed by the electronic device by the inertial sensor; determining reference position information by the MCU; and based on the reference position information and the sensor reading The MCU calculates the location information of the GPS fusion using the relative positioning technology; generates an event required by the GPS through the MCU based on the change of the location information of the GPS fusion; and generates the information through the MCU in response to determining the reference location information An event that is not required by the GPS; receiving, by the AP, location information of the GPS convergence and one of an event required by the GPS or an event not required by the GPS; in response to receiving the GPS through the AP An event of operating the GPS receiver in a location information acquisition mode, the GPS receiver generating a geographic location reading during the location information acquisition mode; and responsive to receiving an event not required by the GPS by the AP The GPS receiver is operated in a power saving mode during which the GPS receiver is deactivated. The method of claim 12, wherein operating the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode comprises generating the geographic location reading at a dynamic rate. The method of claim 12, wherein operating the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode comprises generating the geographic location reading at a fastest rate specified by the AP. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the reference location information is performed in response to the geographic location reading tending to converge. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating event package data by using the MCU, the event package data including location information of the GPS fusion and an event required by the GPS or the GPS does not need One of the events. The method of claim 16, further comprising: selectively requesting, by the AP, one of location information or GPS location information of the GPS convergence; performing a location service process by using the AP to perform a location service process Switching the GPS receiver between the power saving mode and the location information acquisition mode by the event required by the GPS extracted in the event package data and the received one of the GPS unnecessary events; For location information requesting the GPS convergence: performing a sensor service process by the AP to notify the MCU to calculate location information of the GPS convergence; and obtaining location information of the GPS convergence and from the event package The selected one of the GPS required events and the selected one of the GPS undesired events extracted from the data; for requesting the GPS location information: Performing the location service process to acquire the geographic location reading from the GPS receiver to generate the GPS location information at a dynamic rate; and selecting one of the GPS fused location information and the GPS location information as Position output. The method of claim 17, wherein the performing the sensor service process further comprises: when the event required by the GPS is extracted from the event package material, notifying the location service process Operating the GPS receiver in the location information acquisition mode to generate the geographic location reading at the fastest rate, after which the application processor passes the geographic location reading to the MCU and the MCU Generating the reference location information based on the geographic location readings, and adding an event not required by the GPS to the event package material; and when extracting an event not required by the GPS from the event package material, The GPS receiver is operated in the power saving mode. The method of claim 17, further comprising: when extracting an event required by the GPS from the event package material, acquiring the geographic location reading from the GPS receiver through the AP, The geographic location readings include latitude readings, longitude readings, and precision readings. The method of claim 17, further comprising: after the MCU adds an event required by the GPS to the event package data, to perform a sequence of geography at the fastest rate by the AP A reading is injected into the MCU.