GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM

• US 20070275658A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Fischer, Sven, Gaal, Peter, Edge, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,768,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/33 Multimode operation in different systems which transmit time stamped messages, e.g. GPS/GLONASS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/425 by combining or switching between signals derived from different satellite radio beacon positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type

Abstract

Each of a first and a second navigation satellite system (NSS) are adapted to operate according to a first and a second specification, respectively, and each includes a first and a second plurality of satellite vehicles (SV), respectively. Each of the first and the second plurality of SVs are adapted to be identified by a first and a second plurality of unique corresponding identifications (IDs), respectively. A processor is adapted to receive and identify a first plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the first plurality of SVs in response to the first plurality of unique corresponding IDs. The processor is adapted to receive and identify a second plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the second plurality of SVs in response to the second plurality of unique corresponding IDs. The processor is adapted to determine position location information in response to receiving and identifying the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first global navigation satellite system (GNSS), adapted to operate according to a first specification, and including a first plurality of satellite vehicles (SV), wherein the first plurality of SVs are adapted to be identified by a first plurality of unique corresponding identifications (IDs); and

a second GNSS, different from the first GNSS, adapted to operate according to a second specification, different from the first specification, and including a second plurality of SVs, different from the first plurality of SVs, wherein the second plurality of SVs are adapted to be identified by a second plurality of unique corresponding identifications (IDs), different from the first plurality of unique corresponding IDs;

a processor adapted to receive and identify a first plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the first plurality of SVs in response to the first plurality of unique corresponding IDs, adapted to receive and identify a second plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the second plurality of SVs in response to the second plurality of unique corresponding IDs, and adapted to determine position location information in response to receiving and identifying the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals.

2. A communication system, according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mobile station adapted to communicate with the processor and adapted to identify a position of the mobile station in response to receiving the position location information.

3. A communication system, according to claim 2, wherein the processor is located in at least one of the mobile station and a location server.

4. A communication system, according to claim 3, further comprising:

a measure position request message transmitted from the location server to the mobile station.

5. A communication system, according to claim 4, wherein the measure position request message, further comprises:

first information representing positioning methods for the first GNSS; and

second information representing positioning methods for the second GNSS and corresponding to the positioning methods for the first GNSS.

6. A communication system, according to claim 5, wherein the measure position request message, further comprises:

first information representing assistance data for the first GNSS; and

second information representing assistance data for the second GNSS and corresponding to the assistance data for the first GNSS.

7. A communication system according to claim 6, wherein each of the first information representing assistance data for the first GNSS and the second information representing assistance data for the second GNSS, further comprises one or more of the following elements:

differential corrections, navigation model, almanac, acquisition assistance, and real-time integrity.

8. A communication system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a measure position response message transmitted from the mobile station to the location server.

9. A communication system according to claim 8, wherein the measure position response message, further comprises:

first information representing measurement information for the first GNSS; and

second information representing measurement information for the second GNSS and corresponding to the measurement information for the first GNSS.

10. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein each of the first information representing measurement information for the first GNSS and the second information representing measurement information for the second GNSS, further comprise one or more of the following elements:

a frame number, global positioning satellite (GPS) time of week (TOW), and measurement parameters.

11. A communication system according to claim 10, wherein the measurement parameters further comprise one or more of the following elements:

an SV ID, C/N_o, Doppler, whole chips, fractional chips, a multi-path indicator, and a RMS pseudo-range error.

12. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first GNSS and the second GNSS further comprise:

a global position satellite (GPS) system and a Galileo satellite system, respectively.

13. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals each further comprise:

time dependent assistance data, wherein the time dependent assistance data for the second plurality of corresponding signals are adapted to be translated to the time dependent assistance data for the first plurality of corresponding signals.

14. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals each further comprise:

time dependent assistance data, wherein the time dependent assistance data for the second plurality of corresponding signals are combined with an offset representing a conversion from the time dependent assistance data for the first plurality of corresponding signals to the time dependent assistance data for the second plurality of corresponding signals.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor adapted to;

receive and identify a first plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from a first plurality of satellite vehicles (SV), associated with a first navigation satellite system (NSS) adapted to operate according to a first specification, in response to a first plurality of unique corresponding IDs, associated with the first plurality of SVs,

receive and identify a second plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the second plurality of SVs), associated with a second navigation NSS adapted to operate according to a second specification, in response to the second plurality of unique corresponding IDs, associated with the second plurality of SVs, and

determine position location information in response to receiving and identifying the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals.

16. An apparatus, according to claim 15, wherein the processor is located in at least one of a mobile station and a location server.

17. An apparatus, according to claim 16, further comprising:

a measure position request message transmitted from the location server to the mobile station.

18. An apparatus, according to claim 17, wherein the measure position request message, further comprises:

first information representing positioning methods for the first NSS; and

second information representing positioning methods for the second NSS and corresponding to the positioning methods for the first NSS.

19. An apparatus, according to claim 17, wherein the measure position request message, further comprises:

first information representing assistance data for the first NSS; and

second information representing assistance data for the second NSS and corresponding to the assistance data for the first NSS.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein each of the first information representing assistance data for the first NSS and the second information representing assistance data for the second NSS, further comprises one or more of the following elements:

differential corrections, navigation model, almanac, acquisition assistance, and real-time integrity.

21. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a measure position response message transmitted from the mobile station to the location server.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the measure position response message, further comprises:

first information representing measurement information for the first NSS; and

second information representing measurement information for the second NSS and corresponding to the measurement information for the first NSS.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein each of the first information representing measurement information for the first NSS and the second information representing measurement information for the second NSS, further comprise one or more of the following elements:

a frame number, global positioning satellite (GPS) time of week (TOW), and measurement parameters.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the measurement parameters further comprise one or more of the following elements:

an SV ID, C/N_o, Doppler, whole chips, fractional chips, a multi-path indicator, and a RMS pseudo-range error.

25. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first NSS and the second NSS further comprise:

a global position satellite (GPS) system and a Galileo satellite system, respectively.

26. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals each further comprise:

time dependent assistance data, wherein the time dependent assistance data for the second plurality of corresponding signals are adapted to be translated to the time dependent assistance data for the first plurality of corresponding signals.

27. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals each further comprise:

time dependent assistance data, wherein the time dependent assistance data for the second plurality of corresponding signals are combined with an offset representing a conversion from the time dependent assistance data for the first plurality of corresponding signals to the time dependent assistance data for the second plurality of corresponding signals.

28. A method comprising:

receiving and identifying a first plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from a first plurality of satellite vehicles (SV), associated with a first navigation satellite system (NSS) adapted to operate according to a first specification, in response to a first plurality of unique corresponding IDs, associated with the first plurality of SVs,

receiving and identifying a second plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the second plurality of SVs), associated with a second navigation NSS adapted to operate according to a second specification, in response to the second plurality of unique corresponding IDs, associated with the second plurality of SVs, and

determining position location information in response to receiving and identifying the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals.

29. A signal interface protocol, communicated between a location server and a mobile station in a communication system, comprising:

a measure position request message, transmitted from the location server to the mobile station, further comprising;

first method information representing positioning methods for a first navigation satellite system (NSS);

second method information representing positioning methods for a second NSS and corresponding to the positioning methods for the first NSS;

first assistance information representing assistance data for the first NSS; and

second assistance information representing assistance data for the second NSS and corresponding to the assistance data for the first NSS.

30. A signal interface protocol, according to claim 29, further comprising:

a measure position response message, transmitted from the mobile station to the location server, further comprising;

first measurement information representing measurement information for the first NSS; and

second measurement information representing measurement information for the second NSS and corresponding to the measurement information for the first NSS.

31. A signal interface protocol, according to claim 29, wherein each of the first assistance information representing assistance data for the first NSS and the second assistance information representing assistance data for the second NSS, further comprises one or more of the following elements:

differential corrections, navigation model, almanac, acquisition assistance, and real-time integrity.

32. A signal interface protocol, according to claim 30, wherein each of the first measurement information representing measurement information for the first NSS and the second measurement information representing measurement information for the second NSS, further comprise one or more of the following elements:

a frame number, global positioning satellite (GPS) time of week (TOW), and measurement parameters.

33. A signal interface protocol, according to claim 32, wherein the measurement parameters further comprise one or more of the following elements:

an SV ID, C/N_o, Doppler, whole chips, fractional chips, a multi-path indicator, and a RMS pseudo-range error.

34. A signal interface protocol, according to claim 29, wherein the first NSS and the second NSS further comprise:

a global position satellite (GPS) system and a Galileo satellite system, respectively.

35. A signal interface protocol, according to claim 29, further comprising:

a time offset representing a conversion from time dependent assistance data for the first NSS to time dependent assistance data for the second NSS.

36. A signal interface protocol, communicated between a location server and a mobile station in a communication system, comprising:

a measure position response message, transmitted from the mobile station to the location server, further comprising;

first measurement information representing measurement information for the first NSS; and

second measurement information representing measurement information for the second NSS and corresponding to the measurement information for the first NSS.

37. A signal interface protocol, according to claim 36, further comprising:

a measure position request message, transmitted from the location server to the mobile station, further comprising;

first method information representing positioning methods for a first navigation satellite system (NSS);

second method information representing positioning methods for a second NSS and corresponding to the positioning methods for the first NSS;

first assistance information representing assistance data for the first NSS; and

second assistance information representing assistance data for the second NSS and corresponding to the assistance data for the first NSS.