Position information generation device, timing signal generation device, electronic apparatus, and moving object

• US 10,222,482 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shimada, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US14/660,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 34235751, 34235723, 34235725, 34235746, 34235763
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/14 using atomic clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/145 using Coherent Population Trapping

Abstract

A timing signal generation device includes a GPS receiver that performs a positioning calculation based on a satellite signal; and a digital signal processor that generates position information regarding a reception point based on a value present within a range of A±σ/4 wherein A is a most frequent value or a median value of a plurality of positioning calculation results of the GPS receiver and σ is a standard deviation of the plurality of positioning calculation results. A timing signal is generated based on the satellite signal from at least one position information satellite and the position information regarding the reception point.

Claims

1. A timing signal generation device comprising:

a receiver configured to

receive satellite signals from position information satellites, and

calculate a position of a reception point multiple times based on the satellite signals; and

a processor configured to

receive the calculated positions of the reception point from the receiver,

generate an actual position of the reception point based on a value within a range of A±

σ

/4, wherein A is a most frequent value or a median value of the calculated positions of the reception point received from the receiver and σ

is a standard deviation of the calculated positions of the reception point, and

output the position of the reception point to the receiver,

wherein the receiver is further configured to generate a timing signal based on (i) a satellite signal received from at least one position information satellite of the position information satellites and (ii) the actual position of the reception point received from the processor.

2. The timing signal generation device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to select a value which is the closest to k×

A within the range of A±

σ

/4, and

k is a coefficient.

3. The timing signal generation device according to claim 2, wherein

the processor is configured to select a value which is the closest to k×

B within the range of A±

σ

/4,

B is an intermediate value between the most frequent value and the median value, and

k is a coefficient.

4. The timing signal generation device according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the coefficient k.

5. The timing signal generation device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the coefficient k based on at least two values among the most frequent value, the median value, and an average value of the calculated positions.

6. The timing signal generation device according to claim 2, wherein the coefficient k is within a range equal to or greater than 0.7 and equal to or less than 1.3.

7. The timing signal generation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an oscillator that outputs a clock signal based on a control voltage;

a divider that performs frequency division on the clock signal to output a frequency divided clock signal;

a phase comparator that compares a phase of the timing signal with the frequency divided clock to signal to output a phase difference signal; and

a loop filter configured to output the control voltage based on the phase difference signal to synchronize the clock signal with the timing signal.

8. The timing signal generation device according to claim 7, wherein the oscillator is a crystal oscillator.

9. The timing signal generation device according to claim 7, wherein the oscillator is an atomic oscillator.

10. The timing signal generation device according to claim 1, further comprising a battery.

11. The timing signal generation device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a command to the receiver to set an operation mode of the receiver to one of a first mode and a second mode; and

output the position of the reception point before the processor sends the command to set the receiver to the second mode,

wherein the receiver is further configured to (i) calculate the positions when the operation mode is set to first mode and (ii) generate the timing signal based on the actual position of the reception point when the operation mode is set to the second mode.