Radioterminals and associated operating methods that alternate transmission of wireless communications and processing of global positioning system signals

• US 20060232465A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D., Levin, Lon C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.640
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

A radioterminal includes a wireless communications transmitter, a wireless communications receiver and a GPS receiver. A controller is configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications, and to disable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications. Related methods also are described.

Claims

1. A radioterminal comprising:

a wireless communications transmitter;

a wireless communications receiver;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; and

a controller that is configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications and to disable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications.

2. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to disable the wireless communications transmitter and enable the GPS receiver when the GPS receiver has been disabled for a predetermined time.

3. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications to determine a position of the radioterminal and to disable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications to transmit the position of the radioterminal.

4. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the GPS receiver includes a GPS radio frequency (RF) system and a GPS signal processing system and wherein the controller is configured to disable the GPS receiver by disabling the GPS RF system and/or the GPS signal processing system.

5. A radioterminal according to claim 2 wherein the wireless communications transmitter comprises a wireless communications transmitter RF system and a wireless communications transmitter signal processing system and wherein the controller is configured to disable the wireless communications transmitter by disabling the wireless communications transmitter RF system and/or the wireless communications transmitter signal processing system.

6. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is not transmitting wireless communications and the wireless communications receiver is not receiving wireless communications.

7. A radioterminal comprising:

a wireless communications transmitter;

a wireless communications receiver;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; and

a controller that is configured to switch the radioterminal between a first mode, wherein the GPS receiver is disabled and the wireless communications transmitter is enabled, and a second mode, wherein the GPS receiver is enabled and the wireless communications transmitter is disabled.

8. A radioterminal according to claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to enable the wireless communications receiver in the first and/or second modes.

9. A radioterminal according to claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to switch the radioterminal to the second mode when the radioterminal has been in the first mode for a predetermined time.

10. A radioterminal according to claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to switch the radioterminal between the second mode to determine a position of the radioterminal and the first mode to transmit the position of the radioterminal.

11. A radioterminal according to claim 7 wherein the GPS receiver includes a GPS radio frequency (RF) system and a GPS signal processing system and wherein the controller is configured to switch the radioterminal to the first mode by disabling the GPS RF system and/or the GPS signal processing system.

12. A radioterminal according to claim 11 wherein the wireless communications transmitter comprises a wireless communications transmitter RF system and a wireless communications transmitter signal processing system and wherein the controller is configured to switch the radioterminal to the second mode by disabling the wireless communications transmitter RF system and/or the wireless communications transmitter signal processing system.

13. A method of operating a radioterminal that includes a wireless communications transmitter, a wireless communications receiver, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the method comprising:

enabling the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications; and

disabling the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising:

disabling the wireless communications transmitter and enabling the GPS receiver when the GPS receiver has been disabled for a predetermined time.

15. A method according to claim 13:

wherein enabling the GPS receiver comprises enabling the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications to determine a position of the radioterminal; and

wherein disabling the GPS receiver comprises disabling the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications to transmit the position of the radioterminal.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein the GPS receiver includes a GPS radio frequency (RF) system and a GPS signal processing system and wherein disabling the GPS receiver comprises disabling the GPS RF system and/or the GPS signal processing system.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein the wireless communications transmitter comprises a wireless communications transmitter RF system and a wireless communications transmitter signal processing system and wherein disabling the wireless communications transmitter comprises disabling the wireless communications transmitter RF system and/or the wireless communications transmitter signal processing system.

18. A method according to claim 14 further comprising:

enabling the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is not transmitting wireless communications and the wireless communications receiver is not receiving wireless communications.

19. A method of operating a radioterminal that includes a wireless communications transmitter, a wireless communications receiver, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the method comprising:

switching the radioterminal between a first mode, wherein the GPS receiver is disabled and the wireless communications transmitter is enabled, and a second mode, wherein the GPS receiver is enabled and the wireless communications transmitter is disabled.

20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

enabling the wireless communications receiver in the first and/or second modes.

21. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

switching the radioterminal to the second mode when the radioterminal has been in the first mode for a predetermined time.

22. A method according to claim 19 wherein switching further comprises switching the radioterminal between the second mode to determine a position of the radioterminal, and the first mode to transmit the position of the radioterminal.

23. A method according to claim 19 wherein the GPS receiver includes a GPS radio frequency (RF) system and a GPS signal processing system and wherein switching the radioterminal to the first mode comprises disabling the GPS RF system and/or the GPS signal processing system.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the wireless communications transmitter comprises a wireless communications transmitter RF system and a wireless communications transmitter signal processing system and wherein switching the radioterminal to the second mode comprises disabling the wireless communications transmitter RF system and/or the wireless communications transmitter signal processing system.

25. A radioterminal comprising:

a wireless communications transmitter;

a wireless communications receiver; and

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

wherein the GPS receiver is configured to preferentially conduct GPS signal processing responsive to an interval of time during which the wireless communications transmitter is not substantially transmitting a communications signal to thereby reduce or eliminate a GPS signal degradation.

26. A radioterminal comprising a controller configured to derive a measure of position of the radioterminal and to transmit the measure of position of the radioterminal to at least one other predetermined radioterminal.

27. A radioterminal according to claim 26 wherein the at least one other predetermined radioterminal is determined by an identity of the radioterminal and/or by a user of the radioterminal.

28. A radioterminal according to claim 26 wherein the measure of position of the radioterminal is derived by the radioterminal by processing of GPS signals received at the radioterminal when the radioterminal is substantially not transmitting.

29. A radioterminal according to claim 26 wherein the measure of position of the radioterminal is transmitted to the at least one other predetermined radioterminal periodically, non-periodically and/or responsive to a user command.