Location tagging using post-processing

• US 20060208943A1
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SIRF Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIRF Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gronemeyer, Steven A.
• Application Number:
  US11/084,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.270
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A system is provided for storing positional data received from GPS signals in response to an event, and then processing that positional data at a later time to obtain detailed location information of the system at the time of the event. The received GPS signals may be decimated to a desired sampling rate and then stored for later correlation. In one embodiment, the system is a digital camera having an antenna, an RF front end, and a non-volatile memory device. The event which triggers the storage of the positional data is a photo capture by the digital camera. The positional data, in decimated but uncorrelated form, is stored with the image data in the non-volatile memory device. The positional data can then be transferred with the image data to a separate device, such as a personal computer, for post-processing.

Claims

1. A method of processing a satellite positioning signal, comprising:

receiving a satellite positioning signal using a host system;

upon occurrence of a predetermined event, storing data corresponding to the satellite positioning signal in uncorrelated form in a non-volatile memory of the host system; and

transferring the uncorrelated data from the host system to a post-processing system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the post-processing system to correlate the satellite positioning signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the host system comprises an image capture module for capturing an image; and

the predetermined event comprises an image capture by the host system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

processing the uncorrelated satellite positioning signal using the post-processing system to determine a location of the host system during the predetermined event; and

displaying the captured image while providing information regarding the determined location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

said displaying the captured image comprises displaying the captured image with a map indicating the determined location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving ephemeris data using the post-processing system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

said retrieving ephemeris data using the post-processing system comprises retrieving ephemeris data from a server over a wide-area network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decimating the uncorrelated satellite positioning signal prior to storage in the non-volatile memory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the host system is battery-powered.

10. A system for capturing global positioning system (GPS) information associated with an event, comprising:

a host system, comprising;

a nonvolatile memory; and

a GPS subsystem, comprising;

an antenna for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals from a plurality of GPS satellites;

an RF processing module for generating uncorrelated data corresponding to an RF signal received by the antenna; and

control logic coupled to the RF processing module for causing the RF processing module to store to the uncorrelated data in the nonvolatile memory in response to detecting a predetermined stimulus.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the RF processing module is configured to generate decimated data corresponding to the RF signal received by the antenna.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a post-processing system comprising;

an interface for receiving the uncorrelated data from the nonvolatile memory in the host system; and

a processing module for processing the uncorrelated data to determine a location of the host system at the time of the predetermined stimulus.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the processing module is configured to retrieve ephemeris data corresponding to the uncorrelated data to determine the location of the host system at the time of the predetermined stimulus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said retrieving ephemeris data using the processing module comprises retrieving ephemeris data from a server over a wide-area network.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the host system further comprises an image capture module for capturing an image; and

the predetermined stimulus corresponds to an image capture.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

processing the uncorrelated satellite positioning signal using the post-processing system to determine a location of the host system during the predetermined stimulus; and

displaying the captured image while providing information regarding the determined location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

said displaying the captured image comprises displaying the captured image with a map indicating the determined location.

18. A system for processing satellite position information, comprising:

a host system comprising a radio frequency (RF) signal processing subsystem, wherein the RF signal processing subsystem comprises;

a means for processing an RF signal received by an antenna, said processing means generating uncorrelated data corresponding to the RF signal received by the antenna; and

control means coupled to the processing means for causing the processing means to store to the uncorrelated data in the nonvolatile memory in response to detecting a predetermined stimulus.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the processing means is configured to generate decimated data corresponding to the RF signal.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a post-processing system comprising;

an interface for receiving the uncorrelated data from the nonvolatile memory in the host system; and

a processing module for processing the uncorrelated data to determine a location of the host system at the time of the predetermined stimulus.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the processing module is configured to retrieve ephemeris data corresponding to the uncorrelated data to determine the location of the host system at the time of the predetermined stimulus.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the host system further comprises an image capture module for capturing an image; and

the predetermined stimulus corresponds to an image capture.