Acquisition Or Tracking Of Signals Transmitted By The System (ipc) Patents (Class 342/357.63)
  • Patent number: 8531921
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece includes a reception unit that receives satellite signals from positioning information satellites; a time information generating unit that generates an internal time; and a manual reception processing unit that activates the reception unit through operation of an operating member and executes a first or a second time correction processing to correct the internal time. The first time correction processing includes acquiring time information from a satellite signal received from one of the positioning information satellites and correcting the internal time based thereon. The second time correction processing includes acquiring time information and satellite orbit information from satellite signals from one or more of the positioning information satellites, calculating the position of the electronic timepiece, and correcting the internal time using the acquired time information and the calculated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Teruhiko Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20130229305
    Abstract: A GNSS receiver configured to detect a presence of at least one GNSS satellite signal in a received signal is provided. The GNSS receiver includes a buffer loaded with sample sets corresponding to the received signal and a Doppler derotation block configured to perform a Doppler derotation corresponding to at least one Doppler frequency on a sample set received from the buffer. The GNSS receiver further includes an accumulator block configured to perform a coherent accumulation of a plurality of sample sets upon or subsequent to the Doppler derotation corresponding to a Doppler frequency, and, a first memory configured to store the results of the coherent accumulation. A register array is configured to be loaded with the results stored in the first memory and a correlator engine is configured to generate correlation results by correlating the results in the register array with a plurality of code phases of GNSS satellites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jasbir Singh Nayyar, Jawaharlal Tangudu, Aravind Ganesan
  • Patent number: 8525727
    Abstract: A GNSS navigation system and navigation method for determining user position, user velocity, and improved uncertainty metrics for position and velocity. A measurement engine in an applications processor of the system determines pseudorange and delta range values over each time period for each received satellite signal, and also determines measurement noise variances for both pseudorange and delta range for the individual signals. The satellite-specific pseudorange and delta range measurement variances are used to determine the position and velocity uncertainties by a position engine, either by way of a least-squares linearization or by way of an enhanced Kalman filter. The uncertainties may be communicated to the system user, or used in generating an integrated position and velocity result from both the GNSS navigation function and an inertial navigation system result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: June Chul Roh, Deric Wayne Waters
  • Publication number: 20130222181
    Abstract: Enhancing search capacity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. A method for searching satellite signals in a receiver includes performing a plurality of searches sequentially. The method also includes storing a result from each search of the plurality of searches in a consecutive section of a memory. Further, the method includes detecting free sections in the memory. The method also includes concatenating the free sections in the memory to yield a concatenated free section. Moreover, the method includes allocating the concatenated free section for performing an additional search.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Texas Instruments Incorporated
  • Publication number: 20130207840
    Abstract: A system for estimating an indoor location of using a satellite signal generation device, including a reception antenna for receiving satellite signals; a central control device for calculating and renewing real-time satellite information of all existing satellites, for extracting and synchronizing satellite time from the satellite signal received from the reception antenna, and selecting at least four satellite numbers that can be used for estimating the location from the all existing satellites, based on the satellite time information; and at least one satellite signal generation device for being allocated the satellite number from the central control device and generating the satellite signal corresponding to the allocated satellite number, wherein an environment is provided for a user of an indoors satellite signal receiving terminal to estimate the location of oneself, based on the satellite signal that corresponds to the at least four satellite numbers, transmitted from the satellite signal generation d
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventors: Jung Kan Mook, Lee Woo Sup, Shin Hee Tai
  • Publication number: 20130169479
    Abstract: The present invention is related to location positioning systems, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for making accuracy improvements to a GPS receiver's navigation calculations. According to a first aspect, the invention includes extreme sensitivity GNSS tracking loops. In embodiments, the tracking loops are self-bandwidth normalizing and the loop bandwidths automatically narrow with reduced CNO.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: CSR Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Gary Lennen
  • Patent number: 8466836
    Abstract: A method and device to track navigational satellite signals, are claimed. In this invention, a combination of down-sampling and frequency domain transformation are used to track the navigational satellite signals under dynamic environment. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) with long coherent integration has been employed to determine the varying frequency components with high resolution. By representing a number of correlation values with their average value, it is possible to represent a long sequence of input values by a smaller number of values and a relatively short length FFT can reveal the low frequency components that are present in the signal during tracking operation. A large reduction in the computational load may be achieved using this down-sampling method without compromising on the frequency resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: CSR Technology Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Zhike Jia, Chi-Shin Wang
  • Publication number: 20130141279
    Abstract: A positioning signal receiver is disclosed. The receiver stores a correction table indicating a correspondence between a predetermined temperature and a drift amount of a frequency of a reference signal outputted from an oscillator unmounted in the receiver when the oscillator unmounted in the receiver has the predetermined temperature. The receiver further stores a specified frequency that is the frequency of the reference signal outputted from the oscillator incorporated into the receiver and having a specified temperature. The receiver estimates a drift amount of the frequency of the reference signal outputted from the oscillator incorporated into the receiver, based on a temperature data detected with a temperature sensor, the stored correction table and the stored specified frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Denso Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130127664
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for SPS authentication, for example for use with GPS, are disclosed. The method may include receiving a first set of Y codes from a plurality of satellites, generating authentication decisions using W code estimates extracted from the first set of Y codes for satellite channels corresponding to the plurality of satellites, and generating an authentication response according to authentication decisions generated for the satellite channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Qualcomm Incorporated
  • Publication number: 20130120189
    Abstract: A GPS receiver for tracking a GPS signal. The receiver generates a mixed GPS signal by mixing the GPS signal with an oscillator signal, generates a first correlation signal by correlating the mixed GPS signal with a reference signal, and generates a filtered GPS signal from the GPS signal. The receiver also generates a filtered reference signal from the reference signal, generates a second correlation signal by correlating the filtered GPS signal with the filtered reference signal, and a generates a combined correlation signal by combining the first correlation signal with the second correlation signal. The receiver tracks the GPS signal by adjusting the phase of the oscillator signal based on the combined correlation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: CSR Technology Inc.
    Inventor: CSR Technology Inc.
  • Patent number: 8441398
    Abstract: An electronic circuit for a satellite receiver. The electronic circuit includes a correlator circuit operable to supply a data signal including ephemeris data and a subsequent satellite time datum, and a data processor operable to infer satellite time TS from as few as one of the ephemeris data prior to the satellite time datum. Other circuits, devices, receivers, systems, processes of operation and processes of manufacture are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Sandeep Rao, Jawaharlal Tangudu, Karthik Ramasubramanian
  • Patent number: 8436771
    Abstract: Enhancing search capacity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. A method for searching satellite signals in a receiver includes performing a plurality of searches sequentially. The method also includes storing a result from each search of the plurality of searches in a consecutive section of a memory. Further, the method includes detecting free sections in the memory. The method also includes concatenating the free sections in the memory to yield a concatenated free section. Moreover, the method includes allocating the concatenated free section for performing an additional search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jasbir Singh, Jawaharlal Tangudu, Aravind Ganesan
  • Patent number: 8437772
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to determining whether a reported position of a wireless transmitter is sufficiently accurate in accordance with an accuracy metric based at least in part on a calculated range between an estimated position of a mobile station and the reported position and also based at least in part on one or more measurements taken from one or more signals transmitted by the wireless transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark Leo Moeglein, Douglas Neal Rowitch, Ashok Bhatia, Kin Fai Wong
  • Publication number: 20130088388
    Abstract: A satellite radiowave receiving device includes: a receiving unit which receives a radiowave signal; a conversion unit which converts the radiowave signal into digital data; a detection/arithmetic operation unit which detects the satellite signal; a capturing unit which searches a reception frequency; a setting unit which sets a second bit number, and the number of parallel processing in which the predetermined arithmetic operation can be executed in parallel; and a specifying unit which specifies the reception frequency of the satellite signal, and the detection/arithmetic operation unit executes the predetermined arithmetic operation in parallel for the input signal data related to reception frequencies of which number is equal to or less than a predetermined number of maximum parallel processing, and the number of parallel processing is determined so that a total bit number is equal to or less than the maximum bit number/the number of maximum processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD
    Inventor: Takehiro AIBARA
  • Publication number: 20130082872
    Abstract: A method of determining an indication of the position of an electronic device. The method comprises: obtaining (100) information relating to a radio signal received by the device, the radio signal comprising transmissions from one or more satellites of a satellite-positioning system, from which information an inference can be made about the true position of the device at the time the signal was received; obtaining (110) a plurality of hypotheses about the true position of the device; evaluating (120, 130, 140) the plurality of hypotheses, comprising assessing a degree of consistency between the information relating to the radio signal and the hypotheses; based on the outcome of the evaluations, selecting (150) one or more of the hypotheses; and outputting (160) an indication of the selected one or more hypotheses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Andrew Thomas Yule, Christopher Brian Marshall
  • Patent number: 8390511
    Abstract: A reception unit receives global positioning system signals transmitted by a plurality of satellites to obtain satellite information. A determination unit determines whether or not a state in which the reception unit receives the global positioning system signals is a predetermined reception state. A positional calculation unit calculates a current position based on ephemeris information and almanac information when the reception state is the predetermined reception state, the ephemeris information including at least six orbital elements and being obtained from satellite information of first and second satellites among satellite information of three satellites, and the almanac information including at least six orbital elements on a general orbit of a third satellite of the three satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshio Hanabusa
  • Patent number: 8391341
    Abstract: Sub-microsecond time transfer in a GPS/GNSS receiver using a weak GPS/GNSS signal is provided. The digitized complex baseband signal and the generated PN code are cross-correlated for each code period so as to output a complex correlation value at each code epoch of the generated PN code, where a sequence of the output correlation values form a data stream representing the navigation message. Bit synchronization generates bit sync pulses at bit boundaries. The location of a target segment having a known sequence at a known bit location in the navigation message is detected by searching through a plurality of sub-frames and accumulating search results for the plurality of subframes. Transmission time of the target segment is determined from the detected location of the target segment, with a certain time ambiguity. Accurate local time is determined by solving the time ambiguity using approximate time obtained from an external source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Magellan Systems Japan, Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence R. Weill
  • Patent number: 8391340
    Abstract: A low-cost GPS/GNSS receiver receives a satellite signal at an RF frequency (fRF). The GPS/GNSS receiver includes a front end section for receiving the satellite signal and generating a digital complex signal having a first bandwidth, the received satellite signal being converted into a complex signal before digitizing, a signal capturing section for searching for and acquiring the satellite signal, the signal capturing section including a capture memory, a baseband processor for tracking the acquired satellite signal, and a signal splitter coupled to the front end section. The signal splitter splits the digital complex signal into two bandwidths, by generating a narrowband digital complex signal having a second bandwidth substantially smaller than the first bandwidth. The signal splitter provides the narrowband digital signal to the capture memory and the wider first bandwidth digital complex signal to the baseband processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Magellan Systems Japan, Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence R. Weill
  • Patent number: 8384592
    Abstract: A satellite navigation receiver receives a combination of radio frequency signals from satellites in satellite navigation systems and process the radio frequency signals to calculate an approximate current location of the satellite navigation receiver. Satellite acquisition plays an important part in identifying the current location of the satellite navigation receiver. Acquisition involves identifying the satellites in the satellite navigation that can be used to provide navigation information. Fast Fourier transform based acquisition involves using FFT and subsequently inverse FFT (IFFT) to correlate a coarse acquisition (C/A) code transmitted by a satellite with a C/A code locally generated on the GPS receiver to identify and acquire a transmitting satellite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Philip Crary, Qinfang Sun
  • Patent number: 8384593
    Abstract: In a hot start mode of a navigation device, the process of obtaining pseudo-range measurements can be synchronized with the processes of tracking navigation satellites and initializing a positioning unit to compute a position, velocity, and time (PVT) solution of the navigation device. This can influence a time instant at which the pseudo-range measurements are determined and a time to first fix, depending on whether the navigation device is in a strong or weak signal environment. A measurement unit can receive a first indication that a predetermined number of navigation satellites have been acquired and that navigation signals transmitted by the acquired navigation satellites have been locked. The measurement unit can receive a second indication that the positioning unit has been initialized to compute the PVT solution. In response to receiving both indications, the measurement unit can obtain the pseudo-range measurements. Accordingly, the positioning unit can compute the PVT solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Aku-Matti T Levola, Florean Curticapean
  • Patent number: 8374624
    Abstract: Provided is a location measurement method of a mobile node using a predictive filter is provided for improving the location measurement accuracy of the mobile node. The location measurement method of a mobile node detects change of movement pattern of the mobile node, corrects weights of a location measurement period and a predictive filter depending on the change of movement pattern, and compensates a location of the mobile node using the corrected weights of the location measurement period and predictive filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, Information and Communication University
    Inventors: Jin-Serk Baik, Joon-Oo Kim, Yun-Je Oh, Joong-Soo Ma, Myoung-Hwan Seo, Myoung-In Ji, Sung-Chang Choi
  • Publication number: 20130027245
    Abstract: A global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver that includes a radio frequency (RF) receiver receiving a first GPS signal from a GPS satellite and a processor. The processor is configured to correlate the first GPS signal with a plurality of reference signals to produce a plurality of correlations, detect a transition between receiving the first GPS signal and receiving a second GPS signal from the GPS satellite based on a phase shift in the correlations, and if the transition is detected, compensate for the phase shift when computing a range to the GPS satellite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Cambridge Silicon Radio Ltd.
    Inventor: Gary Lennen
  • Patent number: 8362952
    Abstract: Radiolocalization receiver with a massively parallel array of correlators, comprising a data compression module (199) to compress the incoherent integration values accumulated into the incoherent integration memories (176). By compressing incoherent integration values, relevant memory saving can be obtained or, in alternative, loss of data by excessive prescaling can be avoided or attenuated. The invention proposes a simple compression scheme based on offset subtraction which allows save memory size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Joel Brenner
  • Patent number: 8355473
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure propose methods and systems for classifying the Doppler spread based on the output of the frequency-tracking loop (FTL) discriminator in WiMAX systems to improve the performance of the channel estimation. The Doppler spread may be classified as low, medium or high based on the statistics of the output of the discriminator in the fine-tracking mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Junqiang Li, Je Woo Kim, Madihally J. Narasimha
  • Patent number: 8339313
    Abstract: A positioning method is provided, particularly adaptable for a mobile device. Satellite signals are first received from at least one satellites. At least one first search process is performed on the satellite signals by using an adjustable integration time. A tracking process is then performed when the at least one satellite is acquired in the at least one search process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Hsin-Chung Yeh, Yuan Wen Ting
  • Patent number: 8314695
    Abstract: A tracking system includes a global positioning system (GPS) module and a modem for mobile communications both attached to a pet (or other trackee), and a virtual fence (which includes a base station sending a signal to a certain range and a receiver attached to the pet (or other trackee) and receiving the signal sent by a base station when the receiver is within the range of the base station). A portable virtual fence system includes a signal-sending base station, and a signal-receiver worn by a to-be-fenced pet or other trackee. Advantageously, the base station is portable. The size of the virtual fence can be expanded to fit any shaped geometry using signal repeater or transceiver devices. In addition, more than one pet can be tracked using a single virtual fence and base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Telepet U.S.A.
    Inventor: Stephen Jay Greenberg
  • Patent number: 8314734
    Abstract: A GPS, GLONASS or Galileo receiver for radio positioning signals wherein at least a part of the computing of position related data based on radio signals received from a plurality of space vehicles is carried out by a graphics or sound processor. The receiver thus makes use of available computing resources, thus achieving a lower bill of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Philip John Young
  • Patent number: 8314735
    Abstract: A satellite tracking antenna system with improved tracking characteristics and operating method thereof are disclosed. The system independently controls an elevation angle and an azimuth angle of an antenna according to the movement of a vehicle, controls the elevation angle of the antenna only when a satellite elevation-angle variation is equal to or higher than a reference value, so that it can improve the tracking speed and performance of the satellite. The system includes an antenna unit, a GPS receiver, an azimuth-angle gyro-sensor, a control board, a motor unit. The control board includes an elevation-angle controller and a main controller. The motor unit includes an elevation-angle motor and an azimuth-angle motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Wiworld Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chan Goo Park
  • Publication number: 20120281734
    Abstract: A high sensitivity GPS receiver includes an acquisition engine and a tracking engine. The acquisition engine processes GPS satellite data at data rate that is substantially equal to twice the coarse acquisition (CA) code chip rate. This data rate advantageously enables the acquisition engine to process GPS satellite data with relatively less hardware area than traditional GPS acquisition approaches. In one embodiment, the high efficiency acquisition engine may be over-clocked, thereby allowing different phases of a CA code to be correlated quickly. The tracking engine can advantageously process GPS satellite data at a data rate that does not have an integer relationship to the CA code chip rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.
    Inventors: Qinfang Sun, Wen-Chang Yeh, Ho-Chung Chen
  • Publication number: 20120274509
    Abstract: A method for controlling a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver operated in a first operation state includes: providing a state switching criterion; obtaining a positioning information; determining whether to switch from the first operation state to a second operation state according to the obtained positioning information and the state switching criterion, wherein the power consumption of the GNSS receiver operating under the first operation state and the second operation state is different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Chung-Yen Tsai, Kung-Shuan Huang, Ching-Lung Fu, Hung-Jen Chen
  • Patent number: 8294612
    Abstract: A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) enabled mobile device may be operable to assert one of autoblank signals when RF interference is detected in received GNSS signals for one of consecutive first time windows. The asserted autoblank signals are monitored by the GNSS enabled mobile device over time intervals corresponding to consecutive second time windows and a rate at which the autoblank signals are asserted for each of the consecutive second time windows is determined by the GNSS enabled mobile device based on the monitoring. The GNSS enabled mobile device may be operable to determine whether to blank processing of the received GNSS signals based on the determined rate. The autoblank signals may be asserted by the GNSS enabled mobile device based on a number of the received GNSS signals whose absolute signal levels exceed a signal level threshold for the first time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Abraham, Kambiz Shoarinejad, Jared Welz
  • Patent number: 8289205
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of reacquiring satellite signals quickly. A pseudorange of at least one satellite is estimated. A user's position is also estimated. Then a signal from at one or more satellites may be received. By detecting when the user is stationary, the Doppler frequency estimation can be corrected or the SNR can be boosted more both of which lead to improved performance. The embodiments allow a GNSS receiver to process signals in when the signal level would otherwise be too low—for example indoors. The embodiments can improve performance when one or more satellites are temporarily blocked but one or more satellites are still being tracked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Deric W. Waters, June Chul Roh, Sandeep Rao
  • Publication number: 20120223859
    Abstract: Updates to an AFC loop can be performed to provide high-sensitivity tracking. A 20 ms update interval and PDI=10 ms is used for every other update. A setting is used for each update between the 20 ms updates. Notably, the setting uses PDI=5 ms. The setting can include first, second, and third cross-dot pairs associated with a first bit, a second bit, and a cross-bit boundary between the first and second bits, respectively. A sum of these pairs can be scaled down when the signal strength is below a predetermined threshold. In another embodiment, the setting can include a first cross-dot pair associated with a first bit and a second cross-dot pair associated with a second bit. A sum of these pairs can also be scaled down when signal strength is below a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Hao Zhou, Hao-Jen Cheng, Qinfang Sun
  • Publication number: 20120223860
    Abstract: A power-saving GNSS includes a sensor for detecting a motion of the receiver, an RF front-end for receiving satellite signals, and a central processing unit coupled to the front-end for acquiring a set of the received satellite signals if the motion is detected. The receiver further include a signal strength evaluator for evaluating a signal strength of the acquired set of the received signals and a counter to count a time period for which the signal strength is below a predetermined value. The receiver also includes a control unit for setting the receiver into an intermittent operating mode if the signal strength exceeds the predetermined value sets the receiver into a power-saving mode if the signal strength is below the predetermined value for the time period determined by the counter. The receiver may also be set into the power-saving mode if it remains stationary for a given time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Maxime Leclercq
  • Publication number: 20120218148
    Abstract: A satellite radio receiver includes: an acquisition unit for setting one reception frequency in turn at a first frequency interval over a first frequency range, allowing a processor to acquire a signal having the reception frequency as digital data having a first bit number, and detecting the satellite signals based on a result of predetermined processes with the digital data; and a specifying unit for, in response to detection of satellite signals by the acquisition unit, concurrently setting predetermined number of reception frequencies in turn at a second frequency interval narrower than the first frequency interval, allowing the processor to acquire the respective signals having the reception frequencies as digital data having a second bit number smaller than the first bit number, and specifying reception frequencies of the satellite signals based on the result of the predetermined processes concurrently executed with the predetermined number of digital data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takehiro Aibara
  • Publication number: 20120218146
    Abstract: A GNSS receiver includes a sensing element for detecting an environmental condition, a control unit for dynamically calculating a sleep time duration in response to the environmental condition, and a digital processing unit that operates in a first mode or in a second mode based on the calculated sleep time duration and the environmental condition. The environmental condition may include a receiver signal strength indicator, a receiver velocity, the stability and precision of a local reference clock, a recent almanac, an ephemeris data, and the like. The first operation mode may include a tracking of satellite signals, and the second operation mode may include an acquisition operation, a tracking operation, or a combination of acquisition and tracking operations of satellite signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Maxime Leclercq
  • Publication number: 20120218147
    Abstract: Various techniques are provided for obtaining a precise absolute time using a satellite system. In one example, a method of transferring precise absolute time from a satellite to a device includes receiving data from a messaging channel, wherein the data has a frame structure. The method also includes using the data to identify the satellite and a position of the satellite, correcting for signal time of flight using the satellite identity and the position, and using the data as a time reference to align a receiver clock to the frame structure. The method also includes, with the receiver clock aligned to the frame structure, receiving a precision time signal from the satellite, wherein the precision time signal comprises a periodic repeating code. The method also includes determining a timing phase of the code and using the timing phase to determine a precise absolute time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: David A. Whelan, Gregory M. Gutt
  • Patent number: 8244183
    Abstract: A bank of correlator modules is used to concurrently execute a series of sync channel searches in a system in which the available frequency spectrum is larger than a channel bandwidth and in which a sync channel bandwidth is more narrow than the channel bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Steve Hannagan
  • Publication number: 20120200455
    Abstract: A system mounted to an object for detecting repetitive motion of the object. The system includes a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals while being maneuvered in a repetitive motion by the object, and a processor for detecting repetitive phase shifts in the received GPS signals. In general, the system computes the repetitive motion of the GPS receiver based on the repetitive phase shifts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Cambridge Silicon Radio Ltd.
    Inventor: Andrew Papagerogiou
  • Patent number: 8238490
    Abstract: A method for determining a Doppler shift of a first signal is provided. First, a plurality of Doppler frequency hypotheses is combined to obtain a joint Doppler signal. The first signal is the correlated according to the joint Doppler signal and a plurality of code signals with phases corresponding to a series of code phase hypotheses to obtain a series of correlation results which are then examined to determine whether the Doppler shift does lie in the Doppler hypotheses. A fine Doppler search is then performed to determine the Doppler shift when the Doppler shift lies in the Doppler hypotheses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Hsin-Chung Yeh, Kuan-I Li
  • Publication number: 20120188123
    Abstract: A solar cell, a charge state detection circuit and a voltage detection circuit as a generating state detection circuit that detects the generating state of the solar cell, and a control circuit are provided. The control circuit operates a GPS receiver circuit when a detection value detected by the voltage detection circuit is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value, and resets the threshold value if satellite signal reception by the GPS receiver circuit fails, or if the detection value detected by the voltage detection circuit remains less than the threshold value for a preset generating state detection time or longer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Norimitsu Baba
  • Publication number: 20120182183
    Abstract: A GPS receiver for tracking a GPS signal. The receiver generates a mixed GPS signal by mixing the GPS signal with an oscillator signal, generates a first correlation signal by correlating the mixed GPS signal with a reference signal, and generates a filtered GPS signal from the GPS signal. The receiver also generates a filtered reference signal from the reference signal, generates a second correlation signal by correlating the filtered GPS signal with the filtered reference signal, and a generates a combined correlation signal by combining the first correlation signal with the second correlation signal. The receiver tracks the GPS signal by adjusting the phase of the oscillator signal based on the combined correlation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: SiRF Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Nam Dieu Banh
  • Patent number: 8223070
    Abstract: A high accuracy satellite signal receiving controller and associated method is provided. The high accuracy satellite signal receiving controller includes a frequency synthesizer, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiving module and a control unit. The frequency synthesizer, coupled to an external non-temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (non-TXCO), generates an oscillating frequency signal to the GPS receiving module. The ADC converts an analog temperature signal into a digital temperature signal. The control unit, coupled to the ADC, adaptively updates temperature/frequency offset data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Mstar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Vasilyev, Andrei Bochkovskiy, Hsin-Min Peng, Tsai-Hsin Tsai, Chun-Hsien Wu, Ping-Hsin Kan, Yu Tai Chang, Steve Wiyi Yang
  • Publication number: 20120176510
    Abstract: A handheld electronic device, such as a GPS-enabled wireless communications device with an embedded camera, a GPS-enabled camera-phone or a GPS-enabled digital camera, determines whether ephemeris data needs to be obtained for geotagging digital photos taken with the device. By monitoring user activity with respect to the camera, such as activation of the camera, the device can begin pre-acquisition of a GPS position fix by obtaining needed ephemeris data before the photograph is actually taken. This GPS pre-acquisition improves the likelihood that a position fix (GPS lock) is achieved by the time the photo is taken (to enable immediate geotagging). Alternatively, the photo can be geotagged retroactively by appending the current location to the metadata tag associated with the digital photo. An optional acquisition status indicator can be displayed on a user interface of the device to indicate that a position fix is being obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Piotr Konrad TYSOWSKI, Ngoc Bich NGO, David Noel VANDEN HEUVEL
  • Patent number: 8219034
    Abstract: A method provides for identifying short radar signals in presence of interfering signals from various sources applicable to U-NII devices. The method includes collecting a set of information about received interfering signals until the End-Of-Burst (EOB) condition is identified. When the EOB is identified, the set information about the received train of interfering signals is processed. The algorithm selects the time interval between two pulses as a possible Pulse Repetition Interval (PRI) and checks if the same time interval or a multiple of it can be found between other pulses in the collected set, with some small acceptable error. Pulses matching the criteria are considered as potential radar pulses. When at least one pulse has been identified as a potential radar pulse for a number of times larger than a predefined limit, it is concluded that that pulse has been generated by a radar installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Belcea
  • Publication number: 20120169538
    Abstract: Enhancing search capacity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. A method for searching satellite signals in a receiver includes performing a plurality of searches sequentially. The method also includes storing a result from each search of the plurality of searches in a consecutive section of a memory. Further, the method includes detecting free sections in the memory. The method also includes concatenating the free sections in the memory to yield a concatenated free section. Moreover, the method includes allocating the concatenated free section for performing an additional search.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jasbir SINGH, Jawaharlal Tangudu, Aravind Ganesan
  • Publication number: 20120169537
    Abstract: Through use of the method and circuits disclosed herein, connection and disconnection of positioning system antenna to a positioning system enabled mobile device is automatically detected. Upon detection of a connection or disconnection of the active positioning antenna, a low noise amplifier is disabled (or enabled) and the gain of the receive chain is readjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Fedor Danilenko
  • Publication number: 20120162006
    Abstract: A cinematic parameter computing method of a satellite navigation system, including: receiving signals at a receiving apparatus from a plurality of satellites; processing said signals to provide received data; computing a first cinematic parameter value of said receiving apparatus according to a first computational method using said received data; computing a second cinematic parameter value of said receiving apparatus according to a second computational method using said received data and computing a distance value representing a difference between said first and second cinematic parameter values. The distance value is compared with a reference value providing a comparison result data and selecting one of first and second computational methods based on said comparison result data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Nicola Matteo Palella, Piergiorgio Capozio
  • Publication number: 20120154217
    Abstract: A navigation message acquiring unit acquires bit data per word from a received bit data row. Here, if continuous words constituting one subframe is failed to be acquired in one frame, only a word that is accurately decoded is stored. Here, final two bits in a word immediately prior to the accurately decoded word is also stored along with the accurately decoded word. If all of the words constituting the one subframe are successfully acquired in a plurality of frames, a phase match between the words is performed by using the final two bits in the word stored along with each of the words and immediately prior to the accurately decoded word, a supplemented subframe is formed by joining each of the phased matched words, and the navigation message acquiring unit outputs the supplemented subframe with time-of-week information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: FURUNO ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Takahiro Hosooka
  • Publication number: 20120154212
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to receiving one or more SPS signals at two or more physically separated antennae. In an aspect, signals from the physically separated antennae may be downconverted into complex digital signals that may undergo further processing to improve one or more performance metrics related to position estimation operations, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Emilija M. Simic, Douglas Neal Rowitch, Sundar Raman