APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING POSITION OF MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20100176986A1
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pantech & Curitel Communications Incorporated (Pantech Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pantech & Curitel Communications Incorporated (Pantech Incorporated)
• Inventors: KWON, Do-young
• Application Number:
  US12/546,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20100176986A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.640
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver

Abstract

An apparatus that calculates a mobile terminal position includes storage, an updater to receive global positioning system (GPS) satellite signals, and a position calculation unit. The apparatus stores GPS reference information, which is updated if an information update event occurs. Then, if a position calculation event occurs, the apparatus receives synchronization signals from the GPS satellite signals and calculates the position of the mobile terminal using the synchronization signals and the stored GPS reference information. A method for calculating a position of a mobile terminal includes calculating a transmission time period of each GPS satellite signal using synchronization signals, calculating a distance between each GPS satellite and the mobile terminal, calculating positions of the GPS satellites using GPS reference information, and calculating the position of the mobile terminal using GPS satellite positions and distances between the GPS satellites and mobile terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus to calculate a position of a mobile terminal, comprising:

a storage to store global positioning system (GPS) reference information corresponding to at least three GPS satellites;

an updater to receive GPS satellite signals from the at least three GPS satellites, and to update the GPS reference information if an information update event occurs; and

a position calculation unit to detect synchronization signals of the GPS satellite signals, and to calculate a position of the mobile terminal using the synchronization signals and the GPS reference information stored in the storage if a position calculation event occurs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position calculation unit comprises:

a transmission time obtainer to obtain transmission times of the GPS satellite signals from the synchronization signals of the GPS satellite signals;

a distance calculator to calculate transmission time periods of the GPS satellite signals, and to calculate distances between the at least three GPS satellites and the mobile terminal;

a satellite position calculator to calculate positions of the at least three GPS satellites using the GPS reference information stored in the storage; and

a mobile terminal position calculator to calculate the position of the mobile terminal using the distances between the at least three GPS satellites and the mobile terminal, and the positions of the at least three GPS satellites.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the GPS reference information includes:

orbit information of a GPS satellite;

GPS satellite signal delay information;

universal time coordinated (UTC) information; and

approximate orbit information of all of the GPS satellites.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the synchronization signals comprise handover word data included in headers of the GPS satellite signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a transmission time period of a GPS satellite signal is determined by subtracting a transmission time of the GPS satellite signal obtained by the transmission time obtainer from a reception time of the GPS satellite signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a distance between a GPS satellite and the mobile terminal is obtained by multiplying a transmission time period of a GPS satellite signal by a GPS satellite signal velocity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information update event occurs upon cell movement or elapse of a predetermined time.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position calculation event occurs in response to a user input.

9. A method for calculating a position of a mobile terminal, comprising:

a transmission time acquisition step of obtaining, at the mobile terminal, transmission times of global positioning system (GPS) satellite signals received from at least three GPS satellites if a position calculation event occurs, the transmission times obtained from synchronization signals of the GPS satellite signals;

a transmission time period calculation step of calculating transmission time periods of the GPS satellite signals;

a distance calculation step of calculating distances between the at least three GPS satellites and the mobile terminal;

a satellite position calculation step of calculating positions of the at least three GPS satellites using GPS reference information about the at least three GPS satellites stored in advance of the position calculation event; and

a mobile terminal position calculation step of calculating a position of the mobile terminal using the distances between the at least three GPS satellites and the mobile terminal, and the positions of the at least three GPS satellites.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the GPS reference information about the at least three GPS satellites is updated with information included in the GPS satellite signals if an information update event occurs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information update event occurs upon cell movement or elapse of a predetermined time.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the position calculation event occurs in response to a user input.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating a transmission time period of a GPS satellite signal comprises subtracting a transmission time of the GPS satellite signal obtained in the transmission time acquisition step from a reception time of the GPS satellite signal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating a distance between a GPS satellite and the mobile terminal comprises multiplying a transmission time period of the GPS satellite signal calculated in the transmission time period calculation step by a GPS satellite signal velocity.