Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for downloading navigation data to a satellite receiver under weak signal conditions. In an embodiment, the receiver uses a tracking algorithm to estimate the Doppler frequency and rate of change of the Doppler frequency to compensate the phases of the I/Q samples from the received signal to reduce the effect of the Doppler frequency. In an embodiment, differential detection based data bit decoding is provided. In another embodiment, phase compensation based data bit decoding is provided, in which the phase of samples are rotated to compensate for phase error. In an embodiment, a multiple frame strategy is provided to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and improve sensitivity, in which similar placed samples in consecutive frames are coherently summed over the consecutive frames. In an embodiment, the samples are weighted to reduce the impact of noise in the multiple frame strategy.

Abstract: The positioning apparatus and position apparatus control method are able to efficiently receive useful signals without special circuitry.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for use in devices enabled to perform waveform correlation processing of satellite positioning system (SPS) signals, including peak reconstruction.

Abstract: A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver provided according to an aspect of the present invention contains a buffer to store less than a number of samples spanning a code period of a received GNSS signal, with the samples being used by a correlator and a processor to perform various searches in the receiver. Due to the use of such smaller memory space in the buffer, the overall size of receivers may be reduced. According to another aspect of the present invention, the amount of storage provided for storing local code and carrier samples (used during correlation) is also reduced by dynamically generating the local code and carrier sample as required for generating partial correlation results.

Abstract: A method of processing signals from a satellite positioning system. The method comprises using a processing method dependent on one or more parameters of a first trigger signal in addition to its timing. The processing method may comprise controlling how data is captured and stored and/or how data is subsequently processed.

Abstract: A method for tracking a satellite signal by a GPS includes the following steps. Data is continuously received from one of satellites by using tracking frequencies updated one by one based on an average phase difference of received data. Phase inversion points in the plurality of received data are interpreted. A time difference between each two adjacent phase inversion points among the phase inversion points is calculated. It is determined whether each time difference is an integral multiple of 20 ms. When each time difference is an integral multiple of 20 ms, 1-bit data is retrieved for every 20 ms from the satellite signal by taking a first phase inversion point among the plurality of phase inversion points as a starting point. Thus, a positioning speed is increased and a required positioning time is reduced by finding out a precise tracking frequency and a correct phase inversion point.

Abstract: A GNSS system includes a receiver connected to an external mass storage device. Applications for the system, including GNSS data processing methods are also disclosed. The external storage device can comprise a flash (thumb) drive, which can be connected to the receiver via a USB interconnection.

Abstract: An advanced multiple-beam GPS receiving system is achieved that is capable of simultaneously tracking multiple GPS satellites independently, detecting multiple interference signals individually, and suppressing directional gain in the antenna pattern of each beam in the interference directions. The GPS receiving system can be used for both planar and non-planar receiving arrays, including arrays that are conformally applied to the surface of a platform such as an aircraft. The GPS receiver combines spatial filtering and acquisition code correlation for enhanced rejection of interfering sources. Enhanced gain in the direction of GPS satellites and the ability to shape the beam patterns to suppress gain in the direction of interfering sources make the GPS receiving system largely insensitive to interfering and jamming signals that plague conventional GPS receivers.

Abstract: A signal processing system for demodulating navigation bits from a satellite signal is disclosed herein. The signal processing system includes a digital baseband processor for determining a boundary between two navigation bits in the navigation bits according to a first plurality of coarse acquisition (C/A) codes captured from the satellite signals, storing the first plurality of C/A codes, and demodulating a second plurality of C/A codes captured after determining the boundary to recover a first series of the navigation bits. The signal processing system further includes a complementary demodulating unit coupled to the digital baseband processor for demodulating the first plurality of C/A codes to recover a second series of the navigation bits.

Abstract: A camera includes a satellite positioning system. The camera comprises a camera lens (32) having a focal axis (36), a satellite receiver for receiving data samples of satellite broadcast and a satellite system antenna (38). The satellite system antenna (38) has a gain in the direction of the lens axis which is greater than the gain in all directions perpendicular to the lens axis.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and systems related to an improved golf data collecting and golf club notification system. The system reminds golfers when a club has been mistakenly left behind on the golf course and notifies the golfer when a golf club or clubs are in or out of the golf bag. The system can notify a golfer if a club or golf bag has been removed without authorization. In one preferred embodiment an apparatus that attaches to a golf club includes dual light sensors—one light sensor configured as a switch and one light sensor configured as a light meter. Algorithms make use of the light sensor data to determine whether a golf club is in or out of a golf bag.

Abstract: A method of processing received satellite radio signals is disclosed in which signals are received the signals from plural satellites through a common antenna. The received signals are digitised to produce a time-series of digitised signal samples and a plurality of replicas representing the signals of each of the plurality of satellites are obtained. At least one sample is selected from each of the replicas and the elements of a register are set equal to the selected replica samples. Thereafter, in turn, for each one of said digitised signal samples, the value of the digitised signal sample is combined with each of the values of the elements of the register to produce corresponding modified values; and the modified values corresponding to each of said register elements are accumulated.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein to dynamically vary supply voltages and clock frequencies, also known as dynamic voltage scaling (DVS), in GPS receivers to minimize receiver power consumption while meeting performance requirements. For the baseband circuitry performing satellite acquisition and tracking, supply voltages and clock frequencies to the baseband circuitry are dynamically adjusted as a function of signal processing requirements and operating conditions for reducing baseband power consumption. Similarly, the supply voltage and clock frequency to the processor running navigation software and event processing are dynamically adjusted as a function of navigation performance requirements and event occurrences to reduce processor power consumption.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus for positioning a current position based on satellite signals from positioning satellites includes: satellite signal receiving means, correlation information generating means, tentative code peak position information generating means, statistical processing range information generating means, statistical information generating means for generating statistical information by performing a statistical processing of the correlation values within the statistical processing range for each partial range specified as a limited range rather than the statistical processing range, beginning position information generating means, and direct wave code peak corresponding position information generating means for generating direct wave code peak corresponding position information which indicates a direct wave code peak corresponding position corresponding to a direct wave code peak, which is the maximum correlation value between the direct wave and the replica satellite signal, based on the beginning

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method to improve the performance of a GNSS receiver using antenna switching. The system has a plurality of antennas and at least one radio frequency RF chain. There are fewer RF chain(s) than antennas. A receiver processes a plurality of signals sent by a plurality of transmitters. The system also includes antenna switches and switch controller. The method includes processing signals from a plurality of satellite vehicles SVs using an antenna selected from a plurality of antennas.

Abstract: A navigation system comprises a radio receiver for the data acquisition of navigation satellite signals, a memory in which to store samples of those signals, and a post-processing unit to replay and signal-process the data in the memory to extract an original position fix for the radio receiver when it acquired the original navigation satellite signals.

Abstract: The method of determination of the position of a mobile receiver using at least four satellites of which at least one first satellite transmits a first signal on one frequency, the broadcasting of the first signal being single-frequency, and of which at least one second satellite transmits second and third signals respectively on a first and a second frequency, the broadcasting of the signals being two-frequency, the receiver including means for reception of at least two frequencies, makes it possible to determine the position by a calculation of at least four pseudo-distances corresponding to the distances between each satellite and the receiver. The calculation of a pseudo-distance at the first frequency includes a step of estimation of the inter-frequency bias between the first and second frequencies.

Abstract: A multi-function device with a positioning function and a real time positioning engine is disclosed. The device contains also a shared processor used by the positioning function and other functions of the device, such as a mobile radio-communication function. The positioning engine performs in real time the most computational intensive calculations of the positioning function, such as downsampling, Doppler mixing and correlation calculations. Since the received signal need not be stored, the memory requirements of the positioning function are significantly reduced if aiding data is available.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mobile geodetic GNSS measuring station (1) for use in a relative satellite-supported positioning system (Global Navigation Satellite System—GNSS) for performing precise measurement tasks. The GNSS measuring station (1) has a housing (10) in which at least one planar, particularly circular disc-shaped GNSS antenna (20) for receiving circularly polarized GNSS satellite signals, a GNSS satellite receiver disposed below the GNSS antenna and having a signal connection to the GNSS antenna (20) and a first broadband radio antenna (30) for receiving and/or transmitting radio signal waves having GNSS correction information in a first frequency band in the frequency range of 400 MHz to 470 MHz are integrated. According to the invention, the first radio antenna (30) is disposed substantially at the height of the GNSS antenna (20) and at least partially encompasses the GNSS antenna (20) in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A method for determining the attitude of a stabilized platform having three or more antennae includes, for each antenna, front-end processing a GPS signal received, the front-end processing including down-converting a GPS source signal by heterodyning and direct sampling, then sampling the down-converted signal. For each antenna the GPS signal is acquired by faster-than-real-time correlating the down-converted signal with each of a number of stored codes and correlating with each of a number of Doppler frequencies. The correlation is repeated for a smaller range of Doppler frequencies, and for smaller intervals of code phases. The down converted signal is then stripped of its codes, and the phases of the resulting signals from each antenna are subtracted, providing the phase differences between antennas, which are converted into attitude angles.