Method and apparatus for receiving a global positioning system signal using a cellular acquisition signal

• US 20060119505A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Locate Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/324,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119505A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.440
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• 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 19/29 carrier including Doppler, related G01S19/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a GPS device that uses at least one cellular acquisition signal is described. More particularly, a GPS device is configured to receive at least one cellular acquisition signal for obtaining benefits associated with AGPS with only a small subset of AGPS circuitry to interact with a cell phone network. This facilitates use of GPS devices without subscription to a cell phone service provider, thus avoiding cellular subscription fees.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal, comprising:

obtaining from a wireless network without having to have a subscription to the wireless network a frequency-correction burst;

determining, responsive to the frequency-correction burst, a frequency offset; and

determining, responsive to the frequency offset, a window of frequency search for receiving the GPS signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a frequency-correction burst comprises receiving from the wireless network at a receiver of a global-positioning-system receiver a broadcast of the frequency-correction burst.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the window of frequency search to process satellite trajectory data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein using the window of frequency search to process satellite trajectory data comprises determining at least one of a satellite position and a satellite velocity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, responsive to the frequency offset, a window of delay search for receiving the GPS signal.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising computing a position of the global-positioning-system receiver responsive to the windows of frequency search and delay search.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the windows of frequency search and delay search comprise a plurality of search bins, and wherein determining the windows of frequency search and delay search comprise using the frequency offset to limit the windows of frequency search and delay search to a subset of the plurality of search bins.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the window of frequency search comprises a plurality of search bins, and wherein determining a window of frequency search comprises using the frequency offset to limit the window of frequency search to a subset of the plurality of search bins.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein using the frequency offset to limit the window of frequency search comprises using the frequency offset to reduce a frequency uncertainty of a reference oscillator of the global positioning system receiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein using the frequency offset to reduce a frequency uncertainty comprises using the frequency offset to adjust the reference oscillator.

11. A method for receiving a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal, comprising:

obtaining a frequency-correction burst from a wireless network without having to transmit a signal to the wireless network;

determining, responsive to the frequency-correction burst, a frequency offset; and

determining, responsive to the frequency offset, a window of frequency search for receiving the GPS signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein obtaining from a wireless network a frequency-correction burst comprises receiving from the wireless network at a receiver of a global-positioning-system receiver a broadcast of the frequency-correction burst.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using the window of frequency search to process satellite trajectory data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein using the window of frequency search to process satellite trajectory data comprises determining at least one of a satellite position and a satellite velocity.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, responsive to the frequency offset, a window of delay search for receiving the GPS signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

computing a position of the global-positioning-system receiver responsive to the windows of frequency search and delay search.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein windows of frequency search and delay search comprises a plurality of search bins, and wherein determining a window of frequency search and a window of delay search comprises using the frequency offset to limit the windows of frequency search and delay search to a subset of the plurality of search bins.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein window of frequency search comprises a plurality of search bins, and wherein determining a window of frequency search comprises using the frequency offset to limit the window of frequency search to a subset of the plurality of search bins.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein using the frequency offset to limit the window of frequency search comprises using the frequency offset to reduce a frequency uncertainty of a reference oscillator of a global-positioning-system receiver.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein using the frequency offset to reduce a frequency uncertainty of a reference oscillator comprises using the frequency offset to adjust the reference oscillator.