System and method for receiving digital satellite radio and GPS

• US 20040072575A1
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIRF Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Young, James P., Gronemeyer, Steven A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/12 wherein the cooperating elements are telecommunication base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

A combined Global Position System (“GPS”) and radio system for receiving GPS signals and radio signals is disclosed. The combined GPS and radio system includes a controller that controls a switchable frequency source and a mixer in signal communication with the switchable frequency source. The mixer is capable of receiving both GPS signals and radio signals and producing corresponding intermediate frequency (“IF”) signals in response to receiving a frequency reference signal from the switchable frequency source that has a first switch state of operation that corresponds to the mixer receiving GPS signals and a second switch state of operation the corresponds to the mixer receiving radio signals.

Claims

1. A combined Global Position System (“

GPS”

) and radio system for receiving GPS signals and radio signals, the combined GPS and radio system comprising;

a controller that controls a switchable frequency source; and

a mixer in signal communication with the switchable frequency source, the mixer is capable of receiving both GPS signals and radio signals and producing corresponding intermediate frequency (“

IF”

) signals in response to receiving a frequency reference signal from the switchable frequency source that has a first switch state of operation that corresponds to the mixer receiving GPS signals and a second switch state of operation the corresponds to the mixer receiving radio signals.

2. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the switchable frequency source is a voltage controlled oscillator.

3. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 2, wherein the voltage-controlled oscillator is part of a frequency synthesizer.

4. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 3, wherein the frequency synthesizer is a fractional N frequency synthesizer.

5. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 3, wherein the frequency synthesizer is part of a pseudo-random noise type frequency synthesizer.

6. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 3, further including a second frequency reference source in signal communication with the frequency synthesizer.

7. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 6, wherein the second frequency reference source is an oscillator.

8. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 6, wherein the second frequency reference source is an external frequency source.

9. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein both GPS signals and radio signals have corresponding duty cycles.

10. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 9, wherein the controller limits the reception of GPS signals by the mixer to a low duty cycle.

11. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 9, wherein the controller limits the reception of radio signals by the mixer to a low duty cycle.

12. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmable.

13. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a micro-controller.

14. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a computer.

15. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 12, wherein the controller is capable of executing logic instructions that are encoded in software form.

16. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the mixer is a direct conversion type of mixer.

17. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, further including a radio frequency (“

RF”

) front-end module in signal communication with the mixer, where the RF front-end module is capable of receiving either GPS signals or radio signals and passing the received GPS signals or radio signals to the mixer.

18. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the radio signals are of a type selected from the group consisting of amplitude modulation (“

AM”

), frequency modulation (“

FM”

), phase modulated (“

PM”

), short-wave (“

SW”

) and single-side band (“

SSB”

).

19. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the radio signals are digital encoded signals.

20. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 19, wherein the digital encoded signals are digital satellite radio (“

DSR”

) signals.

21. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 19, wherein the digital encoded signals are digital audio broadcasting (“

DAB”

) signals.

22. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 1, wherein the mixer produces in-phase (“

I”

) channel IF signals and quadrature (“

Q”

) channel IF signals.

23. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 22, further including an I channel receiver path and a Q channel receiver path, wherein the mixer sends the I channel signals to the I channel receiver path and the Q channel IF signals to the Q channel receiver path.

24. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 23, wherein the I channel receiver path includes an IF amplifier, IF filter and Quantizer.

25. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 23, wherein the Q channel receiver path includes an IF amplifier, IF filter and Quantizer.

26. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 23, wherein the mixer is capable of being sampled at four times an IF frequency.

27. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 26, wherein the controller is capable of

disabling the Q channel receiver path, and

sampling either GPS signals or radio signals on the I channel receiver path at four times the IF frequency.

28. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 22, wherein the mixer sends the I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals to a combiner.

29. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 28, further including an common receiver path, wherein the combiner sends the combined I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals to the common receiver path.

30. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 29, wherein the common receiver path includes an IF amplifier, IF filter and Quantizer.

66. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 22, further including an I channel receiver path and a Q channel receiver path, wherein the receiver means sends the I channel IF signals to the I channel receiver path and the Q channel IF signals to the Q channel receiver path.

67. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 66, wherein the I channel receiver path includes an IF amplifier, IF filter and Quantizer.

68. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 66, wherein the Q channel receiver path includes an IF amplifier, IF filter and Quantizer.

69. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 66, wherein the receiver means is capable of being sampled at four times an IF frequency.

70. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 26, wherein the controlling means is capable of

disabling the Q channel receiver path, and

sampling either GPS signals or radio signals on the I channel receiver path at four times the IF frequency.

32. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 31, wherein the combiner is an image rejection combiner.

33. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 30, wherein the receiver path is sampled at four times an IF frequency.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the frequency reference signal is produced by the switchable frequency source that is part of a frequency synthesizer.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein producing the frequency reference signal includes utilizing a fractional N frequency synthesizer.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein producing the frequency reference signal includes utilizing a pseudo-random noise type frequency synthesizer.

37. The method of claim 34, further including utilizing a second frequency reference source in signal communication with the frequency synthesizer.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the controller is programmable.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein producing IF signals includes utilizing a direct conversion process.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the radio signals are of a type selected from the group consisting of amplitude modulation (“

AM”

), frequency modulation (“

FM”

), phase modulated (“

PM”

), short-wave (“

SW”

) and single-side band (“

SSB”

).

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the radio signals are digital encoded signals.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the digital encoded signals are digital satellite radio (“

DSR”

) signals.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the digital encoded signals are digital audio broadcasting (“

DAB”

) signals.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein producing the IF signals further includes producing in-phase (“

I”

) channel IF signals and quadrature (“

Q”

) channel IF signals.

45. The method of claim 44, further including sending the I channel IF signals to an I channel receiver path and the Q channel IF signals to a Q channel receiver path.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein producing the IF signals further includes sampling either GPS signals or radio signals at four times the IF frequency.

47. The method of claim 46, further including

disabling the Q channel receiver path, and

instructing the I channel receiver path to sample either GPS signals or radio signals at four times the IF frequency.

48. The method of claim 44, further including sending the I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals from a mixer to a combiner.

49. The method of claim 48, further including sending the combined I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals to the common receiver path.

50. The method of claim 33, wherein both GPS signals and radio signals have corresponding duty cycles.

51. The method of claim 50, further including limiting the reception of GPS signals by the mixer to a low duty cycle.

52. The method of claim 50, further including limiting the reception of radio signals by the mixer to a low duty cycle.

89. The signal-bearing medium of claim 50, further including logic for limiting the reception of GPS signals by the mixer to a low duty cycle.

90. The signal-bearing medium of claim 50, further including logic for limiting the reception of radio signals by the mixer to a low duty cycle.

33-1. A method for receiving Global Position System (“

GPS”

) signals and radio signals in a combined GPS and radio system, the method comprising;

receiving either GPS signals or the radio signals;

receiving a frequency reference signal from a switchable frequency source having a first state of operation corresponding to GPS signals and a second state of operation corresponding to radio signals, where the switchable frequency source is controlled by a controller; and

producing an intermediate frequency (“

IF”

) signals in response to receiving GPS signals, radio signals and frequency reference signal.

53. A combined Global Position System (“

GPS”

) and radio system for receiving GPS signals and radio signals, the combined GPS and radio system comprising;

means for controlling a switchable frequency source; and

means for receiving both GPS signals and radio signals and producing corresponding intermediate frequency (“

IF”

) signals in response to receiving a frequency reference signal from the switchable frequency source that has a first switch state of operation that corresponds to the receiving means receiving GPS signals and a second switch state of operation the corresponds to the receiving means receiving radio signals.

54. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein both GPS signals and radio signals have corresponding duty cycles.

55. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 54, wherein the controlling means limits the reception of GPS signals by the receiving means to a low duty cycle.

56. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 54, wherein the controlling means limits the reception of radio signals by the receiving means to a low duty cycle.

57. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein the controlling means is programmable.

58. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein the controlling means is a micro-controller.

59. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein the controlling means is a computer.

60. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 57, wherein the controlling means is capable of executing logic instructions that are encoded in software form.

61. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein the receiving means is a direct conversion type of mixer.

62. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, further including a radio frequency (“

RF”

) front-end module in signal communication with the receiving means, where the RF front-end module is capable of receiving either GPS signals or radio signals and passing the received GPS signals or radio signals to the receiving means.

63. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein the radio signals are of a type selected from the group consisting of amplitude modulation (“

AM”

), frequency modulation (“

FM”

), phase modulated (“

PM”

), short-wave (“

SW”

) and single-side band (“

SSB”

).

64. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein the radio signals are digital encoded signals.

65. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 53, wherein the receiver means produces in-phase (“

I”

) channel IF signals and quadrature (“

Q”

) channel IF signals.

71. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 65, wherein the receiver means sends the I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals to a means for combining.

72. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 71, further including an common receiver path, wherein the combining means sends the combined I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals to the common receiver path.

73. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 71, wherein the common receiver path includes an IF amplifier, IF filter and Quantizer.

74. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 73, wherein the receiver path is sampled at four times an IF frequency.

75. The combined GPS and radio system of claim 71, wherein the combining means is an image rejection combiner.

76. A signal-bearing medium having software for receiving Global Position System (“

GPS”

) signals and radio signals in a combined GPS and radio system, the signal-bearing medium comprising;

logic for receiving either GPS signals or the radio signals;

logic for receiving a frequency reference signal from a switchable frequency source having a first state of operation corresponding to GPS signals and a second state of operation corresponding to radio signals, where the switchable frequency source is controlled by a controller; and

logic for producing an intermediate frequency (“

IF”

) signals in response to receiving GPS signals, radio signals and frequency reference signal.

77. The signal-bearing medium of claim 76, wherein the logic for producing IF signals includes logic for utilizing a direct conversion process.

78. The signal-bearing medium of claim 76, wherein the radio signals are of a type selected from the group consisting of amplitude modulation (“

AM”

), frequency modulation (“

FM”

), phase modulated (“

PM”

), short-wave (“

SW”

) and single-side band (“

SSB”

).

79. The signal-bearing medium of claim 76, wherein the radio signals are digital encoded signals.

80. The signal-bearing medium of claim 79, wherein the digital encoded signals are digital satellite radio (“

DSR”

) signals.

81. The signal-bearing medium of claim 79, wherein the digital encoded signals are digital audio broadcasting (“

DAB”

) signals.

82. The signal-bearing medium of claim 76, wherein the logic for producing the IF signals further includes logic for producing in-phase (‘

T’

) channel IF signals and quadrature (“

Q”

) channel IF signals.

83. The signal-bearing medium of claim 82, further including logic for sending the I channel IF signals to an I channel receiver path and the Q channel IF signals to a Q channel receiver path.

84. The signal-bearing medium of claim 83, wherein the logic for producing the IF signals further includes logic for sampling either GPS signals or radio signals at four times the IF frequency.

85. The signal-bearing medium of claim 84, further including

logic for disabling the Q channel receiver path, and

logic for instructing the I channel receiver path to sample either GPS signals or radio signals at four times the IF frequency.

86. The signal-bearing medium of claim 82, further including logic for sending the I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals from a mixer to a combiner.

87. The signal-bearing medium of claim 86, further including logic for sending the combined I channel IF signals and Q channel IF signals to the common receiver path.

88. The signal-bearing medium of claim 76, wherein both GPS signals and radio signals have corresponding duty cycles.