Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for establishing time at a first basestation, and synchronizing the first basestation with other basestations in a cellular network. The method may be performed using a mobile (cellular communication) station that includes a satellite position system receiver. One method comprises determining a location of the mobile station, determining a time indicator that represents a time-of-day at the mobile station, wherein the time indicator is determined relative to a signal available at the first basestation, transmitting at least one of the position information and location, and transmitting the time indicator from the mobile station. The time indicator and at least one of the position information and the location are used to establish a time at the first basestation such that the first basestation is synchronized to other basestations in the cellular communication system. Other methods and apparatuses are also described for synchronizing basestations in a cellular network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for setting coarse GPS time in a GPS receiver in a mobile station (MS) that is communicating with a base station and a position determining entity (PDE). The MS requests an assistance message from the PDE that includes a sequence of predicted navigation bits, including a predicted time indicator field, which is then located and decoded. Coarse time is set responsive to the time indicator value. A Pattern Match Algorithm may be performed to provide more precise GPS time. In order to better set coarse time, an expected error in the Time of Week may be determined, by for example using the expected network latency. The system describe herein enables the use of IS-801 protocol by an MS in asynchronous networks by improving the coarse time setting process.

Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) receiver has first circuitry for receiving and processing pseudorandom sequences transmitted by a number of GPS satellites. The first circuitry is configured to perform conventional correlation operations on the received pseudorandom sequences to determine pseudoranges from the GPS receiver to the GPS satellites. The GPS receiver also includes second circuitry coupled to the first circuitry. The second circuitry is configured to receive and process the pseudorandom sequences during blockage conditions. The second circuitry processes the pseudorandom sequences by digitizing and storing a predetermined record length of the received sequences and then performing fast convolution operations on the stored data to determine the pseudoranges. The GPS receiver may have a common circuitry for receiving GPS signals from in view satellites and downconverting the RF frequency of the received GPS signals to an intermediate frequency (IF).

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to obtain an ordered set of satellite positioning system (SPS) satellites, in view of a mobile SPS receiver, via one or two-way communication with the mobile SPS receiver. The mobile SPS receiver receives, in one embodiment, an ordered set of SPS satellites from a cellular transmission site. The ordered set of satellites are those in view of the mobile SPS receiver at a given time; such that the mobile SPS receiver may search for the SPS satellites according to an order of the ordered set of SPS satellites. The order of the ordered set may be obtained by various methods one of which is by minimizing the geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) Satellite; health data may be included in the transmission.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for measurement processing of Satellite Positioning System (SPS) signals. A plurality of SPS signals from a corresponding plurality of SPS satellites are received in an SPS receiver. The signal environment corresponding to the location in which the SPS receiver is located is characterized to produce signal environment data. In one exemplary embodiment, an information source, such as a cellular network based database, is searched to retrieve the signal environment data given an approximate location of the GPS receiver. This approximate location may be specified by a location of a cell site which is in cellular radio communication with a cellular communication device which is co-located with the GPS receiver. One or more parameters related to signal characteristics of the satellite signals are defined. Threshold values for the parameters are determined using the signal environment data.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for synchronizing basestations in a cellular network. One exemplary method performs time synchronization between at least two basestations, a first basestation and a second basestation, of a cellular communication system. In this exemplary method, a first time-of-day and a first geographical location of a first mobile cellular receiver station (MS) are determined from a first satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver which is co-located with the first MS, and the first time-of-day and first location are transmitted by the first MS to a first basestation which determines a time-of-day of the first basestation from the first time-of-day and first location and from a known location of the first basestation.