DYNAMIC SWITCHING TO BIT-SYNCHRONOUS INTEGRATION TO IMPROVE GPS SIGNAL DETECTION

• US 20120319899A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Tangudu, Jawaharlal, Chomal, Sunil, Puthanveetil, Pradeep Pappinissiri
• Application Number:
  US13/161,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319899A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.69
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/246 involving long acquisition integration times, extended snapshots of signals or methods specifically directed towards weak signal acquisition

Abstract

A method includes determining a bit edge associated with information transmitted through a satellite during a detection operation of a receiver through a processor associated therewith. The method also includes dynamically switching, through the processor, a mode of a signal acquisition of the receiver from a current integration mode of operation of a measurement to a bit-synchronous integration mode of operation of the measurement using a processor when the bit edge is determined.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a bit edge associated with information transmitted from a satellite during a detection operation of a receiver through a processor associated therewith; and

dynamically switching, through the processor, a mode of a signal acquisition of the receiver from a current integration mode of operation of a measurement to a bit-synchronous integration mode of operation of the measurement using the processor when the bit edge is determined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is activated in a separate detection mode of operation to one in which the bit edge is determined, the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation being a variant of the current integration mode of operation,

the variant of the current integration mode of operation accumulates a correlation result by aligning a time period of an accumulation operation with a time period between consequent bit edge associated with the information transmitted from the satellite and aligning a start of the accumulation operation with the start of the bit edge,

the information transmitted from the satellite is in a form of one of a navigation message, and

the current integration mode of operation is at least one of a coherent integration, a predetection integration and a non-coherent integration operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection operation is a high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation in which the satellite is identified, wherein the high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation is a search operation, and wherein the satellite is obstructed from view with respect to a satellite receiver when interference is caused in a surrounding environment, and wherein the satellite is part of a space-based global navigation satellite system providing at least one of a positioning service, a navigation service, and a timing service to worldwide users on a continuous basis at any location when the receiver has a view of at least four satellites.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

applying the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation during the high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation; and

increasing a sensitivity of the receiver through the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

aligning the receiver generated signal with a satellite generated signal through the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation;

associating the receiver with the satellite; and

improving a signal detection of a GPS when the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is applied.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a sensitivity improvement is at least 1.6 decibels when a 19 millisecond coherent integration period is dynamically switched to a 20 millisecond bit-synchronous integration period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current integration mode of operation is a time-domain integration operation comprising at least one of a coherent integration operation, a coherent averaging operation, and a time-domain averaging operation.

8. The method of claim 1 is in a form of a machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A receiver comprising:

a detection module to determine a bit edge during a high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation of the receiver in which a satellite is identified; and

a switching module to switch from a current integration mode of operation of a measurement to a bit-synchronous integration mode of operation of the measurement using a processor when the bit edge is determined during the high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation of the receiver.

10. The receiver of claim 9:

wherein the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is activated in a separate detection operation to one in which the bit edge is determined,

wherein the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is a variant of the current integration mode of operation,

wherein the variant of the current integration mode of operation to accumulate a correlation result over numerous iterations by aligning a time period of an accumulation operation with a time period between consequent bit edge associated with information transmitted from the satellite and aligning a start of the accumulation operation with the start of the bit edge,

wherein the information transmitted from the satellite may be in a form of one of a navigation message, and

wherein the current integration mode of operation is at least one of a coherent integration, a predetection integration and a non-coherent integration operation.

11. The receiver of claim 10:

wherein the hit-synchronous integration mode of operation is applied during the high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation,

wherein the high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation is a search operation that determines the satellite,

wherein the satellite is obstructed from view with respect to a satellite receiver when interference is caused by a surrounding environment,

wherein the satellite is part of a space-based global navigation satellite system providing at least one of a positioning service, a navigation service, and a timing service to worldwide users on a continuous basis at any location when the receiver has a view of at least four satellites, and

wherein a sensitivity of the receiver is increased through the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation.

12. The receiver of claim 11 further comprising:

a locking module to associate the receiver with the satellite; and

an alignment module to synchronize the receiver generated signal with a satellite generated signal through the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation, wherein a signal detection of a GPS is improved when the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is applied.

13. The receiver of claim 9 wherein the current integration mode of operation is a time-domain integration operation comprising at least one of a coherent integration operation, a coherent averaging operation, and a time-domain averaging operation.

14. A global positioning system comprising:

a satellite to generate a satellite signal; and

a receiver to switch from a current integration mode of operation of a measurement to a bit-synchronous integration mode of operation of the measurement when a bit edge of the satellite signal is determined during a detection operation of the receiver .

15. The global positioning system of claim 14:

wherein the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is activated in a separate detection operation to one in which the bit edge is determined,

wherein a high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation is a search operation that determines the satellite,

wherein the satellite is obstructed from view with respect to a satellite receiver when interference is caused by a surrounding environment, and

wherein the satellite is part of a space-based global navigation satellite system providing at least one of a positioning service, a navigation service, and a timing service to worldwide users on a continuous basis at any location when the receiver has a view of at least four satellites.

16. The global positioning system of claim 15:

wherein the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is applied during the high-sensitivity dwell mode of operation, and

wherein a sensitivity of the receiver is increased through the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation,

wherein the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is a variant of the current integration mode of operation,

wherein the variant of the current integration mode of operation to accumulate a correlation result over numerous iterations by aligning a time period of an accumulation operation with a time period between consequent bit edge associated with information transmitted from the satellite and aligning a start of the accumulation operation with the start of the bit edge,

wherein the information transmitted from the satellite may be in a form of one of a navigation message, and

wherein the current integration mode of operation is at least one of a coherent integration, a predetection integration and a non-coherent integration operation.

17. The global positioning system of claim 16:

wherein a sensitivity improvement is at least 1.6 decibels when a 19 millisecond coherent integration period is dynamically switched to a 20 millisecond bit-synchronous integration period.

18. The global positioning system of claim 17, further comprising:

a locking module of the receiver to associate the receiver with the satellite; and

an alignment module of the receiver to synchronize the receiver generated signal with a satellite generated signal through the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation.

19. The global positioning system of claim 18, wherein a signal detection of a GPS is improved when the bit-synchronous integration mode of operation is applied.

20. The global positioning system of claim 14, wherein the current integration mode of operation is a time-domain integration operation comprising at least one of a coherent integration operation, a coherent averaging operation, and a time-domain averaging operation.