Wireless communication and LBS provider TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) has been granted a new US patent for enhanced assisted GPS.

The Patent 7,629,926, “Culled Satellite Ephemeris Information for Quick, Accurate Assisted Locating Satellite Location Determination for Cell Site Antennas”, describes an invention that allows a mobile subscriber’s location to be determined more quickly and accurately than conventional GPS or assisted GPS (A-GPS) methods. By selecting two smaller groups of satellites (“culling”), the mobile device using this patented technology needs much less time to compute the device’s latitude and longitude.

“With the rapid growth in the number of handset models that have A-GPS capability, along with the increasing availability of location-based applications for mobile subscribers, the speed and accuracy of determining a handset’s location fix is increasingly important. TCS’ enhanced A-GPS technology gives handset vendors and mobile carriers a distinct performance advantage”, said Drew Morin, chief technology officer for TCS.

This latest A-GPS patent represents the tenth in TCS’ A-GPS patent portfolio. The company currently holds 94 patents with approximately 267 applications pending. The recently announced acquisition of Networks In Motion will bring additional patents related to GPS and location-based services in the intellectual property of the company.