Abstract: A roofing shingle comprising a base mat having a tab portion covered with granules and a headlap portion covered with a mask or film layer. An asphalt-based coating is applied to at least a top surface of the base mat. The film layer is adhered to the asphalt-based coating applied to the headlap portion and the granules are adhered to the asphalt-based coating applied to the tab portion. The film layer is adapted for preventing granules from adhering to the headlap portion of the base mat and, as such, the headlap portion may be substantially free from any granules adhered thereto. A method for manufacturing a roofing shingle is also provided wherein granules that are not adhered to the tab portion of one shingle may be collected and reapplied the tab portion of another shingle.

Abstract: A roofing shingle comprising a base mat having a tab portion covered with granules and a headlap portion covered with a mask or film layer. An asphalt-based coating is applied to at least a top surface of the base mat. The film layer is adhered to the asphalt-based coating applied to the headlap portion and the granules are adhered to the asphalt-based coating applied to the tab portion. The film layer is adapted for preventing granules from adhering to the headlap portion of the base mat and, as such, the headlap portion may be substantially free from any granules adhered thereto. A method for manufacturing a roofing shingle is also provided wherein granules that are not adhered to the tab portion of one shingle may be collected and reapplied the tab portion of another shingle.

Abstract: A method for eliminating or reducing interference in a receiver, for example, interference in a satellite positioning system receiver caused by a co-located TDMA transmitter, including detecting (210) the presence of a jamming signal, generating a synchronous blanking signal (220), and reducing the jamming signal by blanking (230) the receiver with a blanking signal. In one embodiment, the jamming signal is detected in the receiver, for example, at a correlator output of a satellite positioning system receiver.

Abstract: A satellite positioning system receiver programmed to determine information for a satellite using ephemeris data (710), determine information for the same satellite using almanac data (722), which may have been previously stored on the receiver, to determine an error between the satellite information determined from the ephemeris data and the satellite information determined from the stored almanac data (730), and to update the stored almanac data based upon the error (734).

Abstract: GPS assistance message and data issue identifiers for transmission to GPS enabled mobile stations in cellular communications networks and methods therefore. The GPS data issue identifiers indicate whether GPS data, for example corresponding ephemeris and almanac data, stored at the mobile station requires updating. In the exemplary 3rd generation (W-CDMA/UMTS) architecture, the GPS assistance message is a System Information Block (SIB), and the GPS ephemeris data identifier and corresponding satellite identifier is encoded in a value tag included in a Master Information Block (MIB).

Abstract: An assisted global positioning satellite (Assisted GPS) system has a GPS reference network node (260) that collects GPS satellite broadcast messages and prepares separate GPS assistance messages to be modulated by a base transceiver station (BTS) (202) on a cellular carrier signal (201) and sent to single or multiple handset (204). In a first preferred embodiment, instead of the handset (204) receiving standard ephemeris and clock correction data elements in a GPS assistance message, a compressed GPS assistance message containing XYZ information contains a GPS satellite's coordinate position modified according to the satellite clock correction. In a second preferred embodiment, there is a first type of compressed GPS assistance message containing subframe 1, 2, 3 data of a GPS satellite broadcast message and a second type of compressed GPS assistance message containing subframe 4, 5 data of a GPS satellite broadcast message.

Abstract: A method in a satellite positioning system receiver, including acquiring (210) a set of satellite positioning system satellites, determining (220) satellite subset time based on over-determined position solutions for at least two different subsets of the satellites acquired, determining (230) satellite time from at least two satellite subset times, computing (250) a position solution based on the satellite time or a refined (240) satellite time.

Abstract: A reconfigurable downconverter (10) for a multi-band positioning receiver is operable with an RF synthesizer (18) with fixed output frequency, and a fixed wideband RF input (28). The downconverter (10) includes an RF mixer (12) operable to accept a range of frequencies that encompass the GPS and Galileo frequency bands and to output a downconverted IF signal (32). A fixed frequency local oscillator signal (34) is coupled to the RF mixer (12). At least one IF processor 14 further downconverts the downconverted IF signal (32) to at least one baseband signal (22). At least one of the IF processors (14) is reconfigurable for different frequency bands.

Abstract: A method (200, 600) and an apparatus (700) for a wireless portable communication device (102) for determining coarse position information are provided. The wireless portable communication device (102) receives information about a plurality of visible satellites (106, 108, 110), and determines a coarse position of the wireless portable communication device (102) and uncertainty parameters expected at the coarse position, using the determined coarse position and uncertainties to acquire satellites.

Abstract: A satellite positioning system receiver having a battery, wherein the receiver is programmed to determine (310) whether the receiver is connected to a power supply other than its battery, to begin continuous reception (320) of satellite positioning system navigation data when the receiver is connected to a power supply other than its battery, and to store (330) the navigation data received in memory of the receiver.

Abstract: A satellite positioning system receiver programmed to operate synchronously with an expected time of arrival of information from at least one satellite of a satellite positioning system, and to receive the information from the at least one satellite when the receiver is operating during the expected time of arrival of the information. In one embodiment, the receiver operates synchronously with an expected arrival of specific subframe information from at least one satellite of a satellite positioning system, and receives the specific subframe information when the receiver is operating.

Abstract: A cellular network protocol that maintains the reliability of assisted GPS based positioning is taught. An Integrity Monitor (IM) informs mobile stations, their users, or networks of measurement quality and it warns them of failing and failed GPS satellites by isolating them from the effects of these failures. Whenever an unhealthy satellite is detected, its corresponding assistance data will be excluded for delivery or for position determination. In other words, there are two specific aspects to the Integrity Monitor (IM). For DGPS users, it predicts the reliability or quality of the DGPS corrections. For all users, it isolates the mobile position calculation from the effects of GPS satellite failures. The UDRE parameter, nominally output by a reference DGPS receiver, is used to communicate the DGPS quality information, and DGPS corrections are simply excluded for failed satellites.

Abstract: A method in a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 100 including acquiring a plurality of at least two SPS signals, estimating frequency error for each of the plurality of SPS signals, and compensating for the frequency error of each of the plurality of SPS signal based on the estimated frequency errors for all of the plurality of SPS signals.

Abstract: A method (500) and a mobile station (160) for determining a code phase are described herein. The mobile station (160) may generate a first auto correlation function (ACF) associated with correlation samples over a range of code phases corresponding to a line-of-sight signal. The mobile station (160) may generate a second ACF within the mobile station based on measured correlation samples over a range of code phases. The mobile station (160) may compare the first ACF to the second ACF to generate a code phase offset between the first and second ACFs. The mobile station (160) may adjust the first ACF to match the second ACF.

Abstract: A method for locating a satellite positioning system receiver, for example, a satellite positioning system enabled wireless communications device in cellular network, including obtaining a coarse position and/or a time estimate (210), and computing a satellite positioning system based position and/or time solution (240) that is constrained by uncertainty information associated with the coarse position and/or a time estimate. The uncertainty constraints may also be used to identify erroneous measurements used to compute the position solution.

Abstract: A method in a satellite positioning system receiver having stored almanac data including determining information for a satellite using ephemeris data (710), determining information for the same satellite using the stored almanac data (722), determining an error between the satellite information determined from the ephemeris data and the satellite information determined from the stored almanac data (730), and updating the stored almanac data based upon the error (734).

Abstract: A method for locating a satellite positioning system receiver, for example, a satellite positioning system enabled wireless communications device in cellular network, including obtaining a coarse position and/or a time estimate (210), and computing a satellite positioning system based position and/or time solution (240) that is constrained by uncertainty information associated with the coarse position and/or a time estimate. The uncertainty constraints may also be used to identify erroneous measurements used to compute the position solution.

Abstract: A method for eliminating or reducing interference in a receiver, for example, interference in a satellite positioning system receiver caused by a co-located TDMA transmitter, including detecting (210) the presence of a jamming signal, generating a synchronous blanking signal (220), and reducing the jamming signal by blanking (230) the receiver with a blanking signal. In one embodiment, the jamming signal is detected in the receiver, for example, at a correlator output of a satellite positioning system receiver.

Abstract: A method of acquiring signal code phases includes selecting a correlation sum with a greatest magnitude from a set of correlation sums after a predetermined time has elapsed. A geographic positioning receiver performing the method includes two or more memory banks (114, 116, 118, 120) alternating between storing a signal sequence and transmitting the signal sequence to parallel correlators (132, 134) to be correlated against a predetermined pattern sequence for real-time data processing.

Abstract: A method (500) and a mobile station (160) for determining a code phase are described herein. The mobile station (160) may generate a first auto correlation function (ACF) associated with correlation samples over a range of code phases corresponding to a line-of-sight signal. The mobile station (160) may generate a second ACF within the mobile station based on measured correlation samples over a range of code phases. The mobile station (160) may compare the first ACF to the second ACF to generate a code phase offset between the first and second ACFs. The mobile station (160) may adjust the first ACF to match the second ACF.