Portable telephone terminal with position-determining function

• US 20030104823A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ono, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US10/303,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20030104823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A portable telephone terminal supplies a high-accuracy clock signal during the position determination operation and makes it possible to conduct synchronized introduction of a clock signal into the terminal at an appropriate time. A first radio section transmits and receives a telephone signal. A second radio section receives a position determination signal from a satellite. A clock synchronizer synchronizes a clock signal for the second radio section with a clock signal for the first radio section based on a frequency obtained from the first radio section prior to start of a position determination operation. A controller may be additionally provided for controlling the operations of the first and second radio sections. The controller conducts its operation in such a way as to connect the terminal to a radio line prior to a position determination operation. The clock synchronizer conducts its synchronization operation after the terminal is connected to the radio line.

Claims

1. A portable telephone terminal with a position-determining function, comprising:

a first radio section for transmitting and receiving a telephone signal;

a second radio section for receiving a position determination signal from a satellite; and

a clock synchronizer for synchronizing a clock signal for the second radio section with a clock signal for the first radio section based on a frequency obtained from the first radio section prior to start of a position determination operation.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling the operations of the first and second radio sections;

wherein the controller conducts its operation in such a way as to connect the terminal to a radio line prior to an operation for position determination; and

wherein the clock synchronizer conducts its synchronization operation after the terminal is connected to the radio line.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller makes a judgment whether the radio line is in a state of communicating, waiting, or out-of-range, and according to result of the judgment, the position determination operation is conducted in different ways.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the clock synchronizer comprises a frequency supplier for supplying the frequency obtained from the first radio section to the second radio section.

5. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the clock synchronizer comprises

a frequency error calculator for calculating a frequency-error by comparing the frequency obtained from the first radio section with a frequency obtained from the second radio section;

and

a frequency-error elimination controller for controlling a decoder for position determination in such a way as to eliminate the frequency error.

6. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the position determination operation of the controller is of an independent type.

7. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the position determination operation of the controller is of a server-assisted type;

and wherein the portable telephone terminal is connected to the radio line prior to start of a position determination operation, auxiliary data required for calculation for position determination is received from a server by way of a portable telephone network, and thereafter, the position determination operation of the controller is conducted.

8. The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the controller registers a position of the portable telephone terminal in the server by way of the portable telephone network;

and wherein the clock synchronizer conducts its synchronization operation of the clock signal for the second radio section with the clock signal for the first radio section using a frequency corresponding to the position registered.

9. A portable telephone terminal with a position-determining function, comprising:

a first radio section for transmitting and receiving a telephone signal;

a second radio section for receiving a position determination signal from a satellite; and

a controller for controlling operations of the first and second radio sections;

wherein the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as to acquire cell information identifying or specifying a cell to which the portable telephone terminal belongs from outside by way of a portable telephone network;

and wherein if a desired position determination operation can be conducted based on the cell information acquired, the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as to conduct the desired position determination operation using the cell information without using the position determination signal from the satellite.

10. The terminal according to claim 9, wherein if a desired position determination operation cannot be conducted based on the cell information acquired, the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as to conduct the desired position determination operation using the position determination signal from the satellite.

11. The terminal according to claim 9, wherein it a desired position determination operation cannot be conducted based on the cell information acquired, the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as to synchronize a clock signal for the second radio section with a clock signal for the first radio section based on a frequency obtained from the first radio section prior to start of the desired position determination operation using the position determination signal from the satellite.

12. A portable telephone terminal with a position-determining function, comprising:

a first radio section for transmitting and receiving a telephone signal;

a second radio section for receiving a position determination signal from a satellite;

an analyzer for analyzing times of arrival of telephone signals obtained from the first radio section; and

a controller for controlling operations of the first and second radio sections;

wherein the analyzer analyzes times of arrival of the telephone signals obtained from the first radio section, thereby calculating their time differences of arrival;

and wherein the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as to conduct a position determination operation based on the time differences of arrival calculated.

13. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein if the position determination operation using the time differences of arrival of the telephone signals can be conducted, the controller conducts its control operation in such a way that a position determination operation using the position determination signal from the satellite is not conducted;

and wherein the controller conducts its control operation in such a way that a position determination using the position determination signal from the satellite is conducted if the position determination operation using the time differences of arrival is failed.

14. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein the position determination operation of the controller using the time differences of arrival is of an independent type.

15. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein the position determination operation of the controller using the time differences of arrival is of a server-assisted type;

and wherein the portable telephone terminal is connected to a radio line prior to start of the position determination operation using the time differences of arrival, the terminal receives auxiliary data required for calculation for position determination from a server by way of a potable telephone network, and thereafter, the position determination operation using the time differences of arrival is conducted.

16. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein the position determination operation of the controller using the time differences of arrival is of a server-driven type;

and wherein the portable telephone terminal is connected to a radio line prior to start of the position determination operation using the time differences of arrival, the terminal receives auxiliary data required for calculation for position determination from a server by way of a portable telephone network, and thereafter, calculations necessary for the position determination are conducted in the server.

17. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein if the position determination operation of the controller using the time differences of arrival can be conducted, the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as that necessary calculations for the position determination are conducted in the server.

18. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as to synchronize a clock signal for the second radio section with a clock signal for the first radio section based on a frequency obtained from the first radio section prior to start of a desired position determination operation using the position determination signal from the satellite.

19. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein the controller conducts its control operation in such a way as to conduct a position determination operation using the position determination signal from the satellite after a position determination operation using the time differences of arrival is completed.