Method and system for a data interface for aiding a satellite positioning system receiver

• US 20050134503A1
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Colley, Jaime B., Boeryd, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.580
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/26 involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

The invention described herein relates to aiding a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receiver of a platform with a data interface to the platform data. The platform, for example, could be a vehicle, ship, aircraft, or a pedestrian. The SPS receiver would be used to track the location of the platform. The data interface would facilitate access by the SPS receiver to the data of the platform, and the SPS receiver in turn could provide SPS data (such as position, speed, and heading) to the platform. A further aspect of the invention includes hardware or software used by the data interface and the SPS receiver to provide, format, time-stamp, synchronize, and match platform data or SPS receiver data.

Claims

1. A method for providing data to a receiver for aiding in platform location, comprising:

maintaining platform data on a platform data bus;

collecting the platform data from the platform data bus by means of a data interface;

formatting the collected platform data into a message; and

providing the message to a receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver is an SPS receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform data is from a plurality of sources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform data is of a format diverse to the format of the message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform data is collected over a predetermined cycle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is in a format synchronous to the format of the data of the receiver.

7. A method for synchronizing platform data with SPS data for aiding in platform location, comprising:

receiving SPS data in a SPS receiver;

tracking the time at which the SPS data is received;

receiving platform data in the SPS receiver;

tracking the time at which the platform data is received in the SPS receiver; and

matching the SPS data with the platform data based on time.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing location calculations with the matched SPS and platform data.

9. A system for a platform, said system comprising:

a SPS receiver;

SPS data;

a platform data bus;

platform data; and

a data interface providing access between the platform data bus and the SPS receiver.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the SPS receiver receives platform data from the platform data bus via the data interface.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the platform data bus receives SPS data from the SPS receiver via the data interface.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the SPS receiver combines platform data with the SPS data to determine a location of the platform.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a dead reckoning system.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the platform is a mobile platform.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the platform data is serial data.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the platform data is signal data.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the platform data is comprised of serial data and signal data.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the data interface is a wire.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the data interface provides wireless access.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the data interface comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein the data interface comprises a WiFi transceiver.

22. The system of claim 9, wherein the data interface comprises an infrared transceiver.

23. The system of claim 9, wherein the platform data is vehicle data and the platform is a vehicle.

24. The system of claim 11, wherein the SPS data is distributed throughout the platform by the platform data bus.

25. A system of a platform, said system comprising a SPS receiver, a data interface, platform data, and a platform network, wherein the SPS receiver and the platform network exchange data via the data interface.

26. A system of a platform, said system comprising a SPS receiver and a platform network, wherein the SPS receiver and the platform network are in communication.

27. A computerized method for providing platform data from a platform data network to a SPS receiver, comprising:

establishing communication between a platform data network and a SPS receiver;

obtaining platform data from the platform data network; and

providing the platform data to the SPS receiver.

28. A method for providing platform data from a platform data network to a SPS receiver, comprising:

establishing communication between a platform data network and a SPS receiver;

obtaining platform data from the platform data network; and

providing the platform data to the SPS receiver.

29. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

maintaining a database of platform data;

collecting the platform data with a data interface; and

providing the platform data to a SPS receiver with the data interface.

30. A location system for a platform, comprising:

a means for maintaining a database of platform data;

a means for collecting platform data; and

a means for providing the platform data to a SPS receiver.

31. A location system for a platform, comprising:

a data interface, having an input and an output;

a data bus containing platform data and having an input and an output, the output of the data bus connected to the input of the data interface; and

a SPS receiver having an input and an output, the input of the SPS receiver connected to the output of the data bus.

32. The location system of claim 31, wherein the data interface is comprised of hardware.

33. The location system of claim 31, wherein the data interface is comprised of software.

34. The location system of claim 31, wherein the data interface is comprised of hardware and software.

35. The location system of claim 31, wherein the output of the database is a serial data port.

36. The location system of claim 31, wherein the input of the SPS receiver is a serial data port.

37. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure for a message comprising:

a first field containing data representing a message header;

a second field containing data representing the number of valid data sets in the message;

a third field containing data representing the type of data in the message; and

a fourth field containing data representing values for desired vehicle sensor characteristics of interest to a SPS receiver.