Generic satellite positioning system receivers with selectable inputs and outputs

• US 20030234739A1
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIRF Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Norman, Charles P., Brodie, Keith Jacob, Orler, Anthony James
• Granted Patent: US 6,738,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.75
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236

Abstract

Generic SATPS receivers and methods for configuring generic SATPS receivers that include a plurality of outputs are provided. These configurable SATPS receivers are adapted to be utilized in at least one of a plurality of particular SATPS receiver applications, and can also include a plurality of input paths, and a means for generating selected ones of the plurality of possible outputs. Selected ones of the plurality of outputs are enabled/disabled based on at least one requirement of the particular receiver application to configure or program the generic SATPS receiver to function as a SATPS receiver used for a particular SATPS receiver application or operating environment. The selected ones of the plurality of outputs can be defined by and can be those utilized by the particular SATPS receiver application or operating environment. Thus, SATPS receivers are provided that can be used in multiple applications, that can accept multiple types of assistance data, and that have multiple types of outputs depending on the application and/or desires of the user. The SATPS receiver can be implemented in SATPS systems that include at least one satellite that provides SATPS information, a generic SATPS receiver, and a remote computer.

Claims

1. A generic SATPS receiver adapted to be programmed for use in selected ones of a plurality of SATPS applications, comprising:

a plurality of SATPS input paths; and

a plurality of possible outputs, wherein at least one of the plurality of possible outputs is activated based on requirements of a particular SATPS application.

2. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 1, wherein the particular generic SATPS receiver application is selected from at least one of the group comprising:

a wireless communicator application, a laptop computer application, a location services application, a cellular telephone application, and a vehicle navigation application.

3. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 1, wherein selected ones of the plurality of the possible outputs are activated via software.

4. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 1, wherein selected ones of the plurality of the possible outputs are activated via hardware.

5. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 1, wherein selected ones of the plurality of the possible outputs are activated via firmware.

6. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 1, wherein the generic SATPS receiver is configurable for use with a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network.

7. A generic SATPS receiver adapted to be configured for use in any of a plurality of particular SATPS receiver applications, wherein the generic SATPS receiver includes a plurality of input paths and a plurality of possible outputs, wherein the input paths and outputs are enabled based on requirements of a particular SATPS receiver application.

8. A generic SATPS receiver according to claim 7, wherein the generic SATPS receiver includes a plurality of input paths and a plurality of possible outputs that are enabled based on a particular receiver application.

9. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 7, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit that generates RF outputs based on the plurality of inputs; and

a baseband unit that extracts data from selected ones of the RF outputs and other inputs, wherein the baseband unit generates desired outputs utilized by the particular receiver application, and the desired outputs are selected from the plurality of possible outputs.

10. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 7, wherein the baseband unit extracts data from selected ones of the RF outputs and other inputs.

11. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 7, wherein the particular SATPS receiver application is selected from at least one of the group comprising:

a wireless communicator application, a laptop computer application, a location services application, a cellular telephone application, and a vehicle navigation application.

12. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 7, wherein selected ones of the plurality of the possible outputs are activated via software.

13. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 7, wherein selected ones of the plurality of the possible outputs are activated via hardware.

14. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 7, wherein selected ones of the plurality of the possible outputs are activated via firmware.

15. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 7, wherein the generic SATPS receiver is configurable for use with a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network.

16. A generic SATPS receiver, comprising:

an input path for SATPS satellite signals;

at least one input path other than the input path for SATPS satellite signals;

an output path for outputting position; and

at least one additional output path, wherein signals on the at least one additional output path being returned to the input paths, and wherein a specific configuration of input paths and output paths used by a given SATPS receiver is selected based on testing of the input paths and the output paths.

17. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 16, wherein the testing of the input paths and the output paths identifies ones of the input paths and ones of the output paths that are inoperable.

18. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 17, wherein the given SATPS receiver is removed from consideration for use in a particular application when one of the input paths or output paths that is inoperable is one of the input paths or output paths that is needed for the particular application.

19. The generic SATPS receiver of claim 16, wherein the generic SATPS receiver is configurable for use with a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network.