METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING POWER SUPPLY FOR SPEEDY ACQUISITION OF GPS SIGNAL, AND GPS RECEIVER HAVING THE APPARATUS

• US 20080316094A1
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Seong-woon, Hong, Sun-gi, Na, In-hak, KIM, Nam-woo
• Granted Patent: US 7,812,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.06
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

Provided are a global positioning system (GPS) receiver which speedily acquires a GPS signal, and a method and apparatus for controlling power supply to the GPS receiver. The method includes when an external power is detected, supplying the external power to a GPS power supply unit and executing a GPS initial information search of a GPS module by enabling the GPS power supply unit using an external power detect signal, and when a power switch is turned on, executing a GPS information based communication of the GPS module by executing a navigation program while the GPS power supply unit is enabled.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a power supply of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the method comprising:

when an external power is detected and prior to completing booting of an operating system (OS) or execution of a navigation program for the GPS receiver, supplying the external power to a GPS power supply unit to supply power to a GPS module and executing a GPS initial information search by the GPS module by enabling the GPS power supply unit using an external power detect signal; and

when a power switch is turned on, executing a GPS information based communication of the GPS module by executing the OS and a navigation program while the GPS power supply unit is enabled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing of the GPS initial information search comprises:

converting the external power to a rated voltage and supplying the rated voltage to the GPS power supply unit;

generating a power enable signal when the external power is detected; and

supplying the rated voltage for use in the GPS initial information search executing according to the generated power enable signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS power supply unit is selectively enabled by the external power detect signal, which is detected by an input of the external power, and a power enable signal, which is generated by executing the navigation program.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the enabling of the GPS power supply unit comprises comparing the external power detect signal and the power enable signal using OR logic to determine when to selectively enable the GPS power supply unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS power supply unit is enabled and supplies the power to the GPS module prior to the execution of the navigation program.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the external power is not detected, checking whether the power switch is turned on; and

when the power switch is turned on and the external power is not detected, driving the GPS power supply unit according to a power enable signal, which is generated by loading the navigation program.

7. An apparatus for controlling a power supply of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the apparatus comprising:

a main power supply unit which supplies inputted external power at a predetermined rated voltage;

a power switch having an on state and an off state

a control unit which, when the power switch is turned from the off state to the on state, executes a navigation program according to the rated voltage supplied from the main power supply unit and generates a GPS power enable signal;

a power control logic unit which generates a power enable signal by logically combining the GPS power enable signal generated by the control unit and an external power detect signal generated when external power is supplied to the GPS receiver; and

a GPS power supply unit which supplies the rated voltage of the main power supply unit as a GPS driving voltage to drive a GPS module to initiate a GPS initial information search according to the power enable signal generated in the power control logic unit and regardless of the on or off state of the power switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power control logic unit is selectively enabled by the external power detect signal, which is detected by an input of the external power, and a power enable signal, which is generated by the control unit executing the navigation program.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power control logic unit comprises an OR logic circuit such that the power enable signal is generated when the external power signal is received or when the control unit outputs the power enable signal.

10. An apparatus for controlling a power supply of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, comprising:

a power management unit which, when an external power is detected, supplies power to the GPS receiver and executes an initial operation of the GPS receiver according to a GPS power output command; and

a controller which selectively generates the GPS power output command when the controller executes a navigation program according to the power supplied from the power management unit and when an external power detect signal is received prior to execution of the navigation program, and communicates with the GPS receiver.

11. A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, comprising:

an external power jack input unit which inputs external power and issues a power jack input signal when an external jack is plugged in;

a main power supply unit which converts the external power, received from the external power jack input unit, to a predetermined rated voltage;

a control unit which, when a power switch is turned on, selectively generates a GPS power enable signal when the control unit executes a navigation program using the rated voltage of the main power supply unit;

a power control logic unit which generates a power enable signal by logically combining the GPS power enable signal generated by the control unit and the power jack input signal issued by the external power jack input unit;

a GPS power supply unit which converts the rated voltage of the main power supply unit to a GPS driving voltage according to the power enable signal generated by the power control logic unit; and

a GPS module unit which, upon receiving the GPS driving voltage from the GPS power supply unit, searches for a GPS signal and communicates with the control unit to use the GPS signal with the executed navigation program.

12. A method of controlling power supply to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the method comprising:

prior to an operating system (OS) or a navigation program for the GPS receiver being executed, supplying an external power to a GPS module such that the GPS module initiates a search and acquisition of a GPS signal to obtain GPS information for use once the navigation program is executed; and

while the GPS module initiates the search, using the supplied external power to execute the OS and the navigation program such that the navigation program uses the searched GPS information to determine a location of the GPS receiver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the supplying the external power further comprises detecting a connection of an external power source to the GPS receiver, generating an external power detection signal when the connection is detected, and controlling the supply of the external power to the GPS module according to the generated external power detection signal prior to the OS or the navigation program for the GPS receiver being executed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the supply of the external power to the GPS module further comprises, when an input is received for a controller to execute the navigation program, controlling the supply of the external power to the controller to allow execution of the OS and the navigation program by the controller while controlling the supply of the external power to the GPS module.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

when the external power is supplied to the GPS module, searching for satellite location signals through a GPS antenna prior to the OS or the navigation program for the GPS receiver being executed, and

after the OS and navigation program are executed, determining the location of the GPS receiver using the searched satellite location signals according to calculations made by the executed navigation program.

16. A global positioning system (GPS) receiver, comprising:

a controller powered by a control voltage and which executes a navigation program using GPS information to determine a location of the GPS receiver;

a GPS module powered by a module voltage and which, prior to the controller executing the navigation program, initiates a search and acquisition of satellite location signals to obtain the GPS information used by the executed navigation program; and

a power supply unit which converts power received from an external power supply to the control voltage and the module voltage, supplies the control voltage to the controller, and supplies the module voltage to the GPS module.

17. The GPS receiver of claim 16, further comprising an external power supply port detachably connectable to the external power supply and through which power from the connected external power supply is provided to the GPS receiver.

18. The GPS receiver of claim 17, further comprising an external power supply detector which detects when the external power supply port is connected to the external power supply, and sends a signal to the controller to control the power supply unit to supply the module voltage to the GPS module prior to the controller executing the navigation program.

19. The GPS receiver of claim 18, wherein the controller comprises:

a control unit which executes the navigation program, and

a logic circuit which detects when the external power supply detector sends the signal and controls the power supply unit to supply the module voltage to the GPS module prior to the control unit executing the navigation program when the signal is received.

20. The GPS receiver of claim 19, wherein:

during execution of the navigation program, the control unit issues another signal, and

the logic circuit further detects when the control unit sends the another signal, and controls the power supply unit to supply the module voltage to the GPS module when the signal is received prior to the control unit executing the navigation program, and when the another signal is received after the control unit executes the navigation program.

21. The GPS receiver of claim 16, further comprising a switch between the power supply unit and the controller which, when in an off state, prevents the control voltage from reaching the controller such that the controller does not execute the navigation program, and when in an on state, allows the control voltage to reach the controller such that the controller executes the navigation program, wherein the GPS module is powered by the module voltage when the switch is in the on state and when the switch is in the off state.

22. The GPS receiver of claim 16, wherein, after the navigation program is executed, the GPS module continues obtaining the GPS information using the acquired GPS signal and the controller uses the navigation program to calculate the location of the GPS receiver using the searched satellite location signals.