CA2667775A1

Gps receiver and method for producing gps signals

Abstract

A GPS receiver in one embodiment includes an antenna which receives GPS signals at an RF frequency from in view satellites; a downconverter coupled to the antenna for reducing the RF frequency of the received GPS signals to an intermediate frequency (IF); a digitizer coupled to the downconverter and sampling the IF GPS signals at a predetermined rate to produce sampled IF GPS signals; a memory coupled to the digitizer storing the sampled IF GPS signals (a snapshot of GPS signals); and a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the memory and operating under stored instructions thereby performing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) operations on t he sampled IF GPS signals to provide pseudorange information. These operations typically also include preprocessing and postprocessing of the GPS signals. After a snapshot of data is taken, the receiver front end is powered down. The GPS receiver in one embodiment also includes other power management features and includes, i n another embodiment the capability to correct for errors in its local oscillator which is used to sample the GPS signals. The calculation speed of pseudoranges, and sensitivity of operation, is enhanced by the transmission of the Doppler frequency shift s of in view satellites to the receiver from an external source, suchas a basestation in one embodiment of the invention.

CA2667775A1, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 13

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 8 October 2016, 10 years ago.

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33 claims: 4 independent, 29 dependent

  1. 1
    CA 02667775 2009-06-03 -43The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:1. A method for determining a position of a mobile satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver, the method comprising: receiving at the mobile SPS receiver information representing an epoch of data in an SPS message being transmitted from an SPS satellite from a source other than the SPS satellite;and acquiring SPS signals from the SPS satellite in the mobile SPS receiver to determine a pseudorange to the SPS satellite, wherein the epoch is used to acquire the SPS signals.
  2. 8
    A method for assisting in the determination of a position of a mobile satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver, the method comprising:transmitting, from a non-SPS satellite source, an epoch of data in an SPS message being transmitted from an SPS satellite, wherein the epoch is used to acquire SPS signals in a mobile SPS receiver.
  3. 17
    A method as in Claim 1, wherein the epoch is received for at least one SPS satellite in view of the mobile SPS receiver.
  4. 18
    A method as in Claim 1 wherein the mobile SPS receiver determines a plurality of pseudoranges, including the pseudorange, and wherein the plurality of pseudoranges is used for determination of a location of the mobile SPS receiver.
  5. 19
    A method as in Claim 8 wherein the epoch is for at least one SPS satellite in view of the SPS receiver.
  6. 20
    A method as in Claim 8 further comprising:determining a plurality of pseudoranges and determining a position of the mobile SPS receiver based on the plurality of pseudoranges.
  7. 21
    A mobile apparatus, comprising:a cellular communication system which receives information representative of an epoch of data in an SPS message being transmitted from an SPS CA 02667775 2009-06-03 -46satellite, the data representative of the epoch being transmitted from a wireless cell site;and a mobile satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver coupled to the cellular communication system, the mobile SPS receiver acquiring SPS signals from the SPS satellite to determine a pseudorange to the SPS satellite, wherein the epoch is used to acquire the SPS signals.
  8. 28
    A mobile apparatus as in Claim 21 wherein the epoch is received for at least one SPS satellite in view of the mobile SPS receiver. «·4· CA 02667775 2009-06-03
  9. 29
    A mobile apparatus as in Claim 21 wherein the mobile SPS receiver determines a plurality of pseudoranges, including the pseudorange, and wherein the plurality of pseudoranges is used for determination of a location of the mobile SPS receiver.
  10. 30
    A basestation apparatus comprising:a GPS receiver for receiving satellite positioning system (SPS) signals and determining epochs of data in SPS signals being transmitted from an SPS satellite;and a transmitter, coupled to the GPS receiver, the transmitter transmitting the epochs for use by a remote mobile SPS receiver in acquiring SPS signals in the mobile SPS receiver.
  11. 33
    A basestation apparatus as in Claim 30 wherein the GPS receiver is remotely located relative to the transmitter.