Method and apparatus for selecting optimal satellites in global positioning system

• US 20030231132A1
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: How, Jonathan P., Park, Chan-Woo
• Granted Patent: US 6,727,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.25
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

An apparatus and method for selecting optimal GPS satellites to locate an object. A satellite list including the coordinates of satellites is made, the redundancies of the satellites are calculated, at least one satellite having a maximum redundancy is eliminated from the satellite list, and channels of a GPS receiver are assigned to an intended number of satellites if the intended number of satellites remain in the satellite list.

Claims

1. A method of selecting GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites to locate an object using a GPS receiver, comprising:

making a satellite list including the coordinates of satellites visible in the GPS receiver;

calculating redundancies indicating respectively the degree that the satellites are overlapped with other satellites included in the satellite list using the coordinates of satellites and eliminating one satellite having a maximum redundancy from the satellite list; and

assigning channels of the GPS receiver to an intended number of satellites if the intended number of satellites remain in the satellite list and, if not, repeating the calculating step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating and eliminating step comprises:

updating the satellite list by eliminating one satellite having a maximum redundancy from the satellite list; and

repeating the satellite list updating step until the intended number of satellites remain in the satellite list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the redundancies are calculated by

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the redundancies are calculated by

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating step comprises:

generating a redundancy matrix having cosine values of angles between each of the satellites in the satellite list;

calculating the redundancies of the satellites by squaring each of elements in each column or row of the redundancy matrix and summing the squares;

comparing the calculated redundancies;

updating the redundancy matrix by eliminating a column and a row corresponding to a maximum redundancy from the redundancy matrix;

repeating the redundancy calculating step, the redundancy comparing step, and the redundancy matrix updating step until an intended number of satellites remain in the redundancy matrix; and

updating the satellite list to have an intended number of satellites if the intended number of satellites remain.

6. A method of selecting GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites to locate an object using a GPS receiver, comprising:

making a satellite list including the coordinates of satellites visible in the GPS receiver;

calculating redundancies indicating respectively the degree that the satellite are overlapped with other satellites included in the satellite list using the coordinates of satellites;

updating the satellite list by eliminating from the satellite list one satellite having a maximum redundancy;

repeating the redundancy calculating step and the satellite list updating step for the satellite list until an intended number of satellites remain in the satellite list; and

assigning channels of the GPS receiver to the intended number of satellites.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the redundancies are calculated by

8. An apparatus for selecting GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites to locate an object using a GPS receiver, comprising:

an RF (Radio Frequency) unit for receiving RF signals on channels assigned to GPS satellites;

a digital unit for processing the received RF signals;

a processor unit for selecting satellites to which the channels are assigned and calculating a navigational solution using the processed signals; and

a memory for storing an operating program executed in the processor unit,

wherein the processor unit makes a satellite list including the coordinates of satellites visible in the GPS receiver, calculates redundancies indicating respectively the degree that the satellites are overlapped with other satellites included in the satellite list using the coordinate of satellite and, eliminates one satellite having a maximum redundancy from the satellite list, and assigns the channels of the GPS receiver to an intended number of satellites if the intended number of satellites remain in the satellite list.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor unit calculates the redundancies of the satellites in the satellite list, updates the satellite list by eliminating one satellite having a maximum redundancy from the satellite list, repeats redundancy calculation and satellite list updating for the satellite list until the intended number of satellites remain in the satellite list.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the redundancies are calculated by

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the redundancies are calculated by