US 12,287,412 B2
Accounting for atmospheric and terrestrial obstacles in geographic positioning
Fred P. Pighin, Sausalito, CA (US); Daniel J. Filip, San Jose, CA (US); Scott Ettinger, San Carlos, CA (US); Bryan Klingner, Austin, TX (US); and David Martin, Oakland, CA (US)
Assigned to Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/968,398.
Application 17/968,398 is a division of application No. 17/085,187, filed on Oct. 30, 2020, granted, now 11,506,795.
Application 17/085,187 is a division of application No. 15/843,002, filed on Dec. 15, 2017, granted, now 10,852,444, issued on Dec. 1, 2020.
Application 15/843,002 is a division of application No. 13/826,699, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, granted, now 9,885,789, issued on Feb. 6, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0040113 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 19/40 (2010.01); G01S 19/07 (2010.01); G01S 19/05 (2010.01); G01S 19/42 (2010.01)
CPC G01S 19/40 (2013.01) [G01S 19/07 (2013.01); G01S 19/073 (2019.08); G01S 19/05 (2013.01); G01S 19/42 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-based method for improved geopositioning of a receiver that receives positioning signals from signal sources, the method comprising:
evaluating at least one candidate position fix that identifies a geographic location, wherein evaluating the at least one candidate position fix includes:
for a first signal source generating a first candidate position fix using the positioning signals that correspond to the first signal source,
using imagery of a geographic area associated with the geographic location, determining whether the first signal source has an unobstructed line-of-sight to the geographic location when the first candidate position fix was generated, and
wherein if the first signal source has an obstructed line-of-sight to the geographic location, selecting a second signal source that does not have an obstructed line-of-sight based on the evaluating; and
generating a position fix using one or more candidate position fixes for the first signal source if the first signal source had an unobstructed line-of-sight to a respective geographic location or the second signal source if the first signal source has an obstructed line-of-sight to the respective geographic location.