MECHANISM FOR REDUCING TIME AWAY FROM PACKET SWITCHED OPERATION IN A SINGLE RADIO SOLUTION

• US 20130267259A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jianxiong (Jason) Shi, Li Su, Robert W. Mayor, Thanigaivelu Elangovan, Zhu Ji
• Inventors: Shi, Jianxiong, Mayor, Robert W., Su, Li, Ji, Zhu, Elangovan, Thanigaivelu
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0016 Stabilisation of local oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0024 at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0065 Frequency error detectors H04L2027/0067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0087 Out-of-band signals, (e.g. pilots)
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0014 Carrier regulation of chaotic carriers H04L27/001; for multicarrier receivers H04L27/2657
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A single radio wireless communications device is contemplated in which the user equipment (UE) operates according to more than one radio access technology. The UE may operate preferentially according to a first radio access technology, and may switch to a different radio access technology at predetermined intervals to check for incoming calls. An error unit within the UE may provide frequency error estimates to a GPS unit during operation according to the first radio access technology based upon signals received in the first radio access technology, unless any time spent in the different radio access technology is longer that a predetermined duration. In response to the predetermined duration being met, the error unit may provide the frequency error estimation to the GPS unit based upon signals received in the different radio access technology.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a receiver/transmitter unit configured to operate in a first mode according to a first radio access technology and a second mode according to a second radio access technology;

a global positioning system (GPS) unit configured to provide navigation information based upon a received GPS signal; and

an error unit configured to generate a first frequency error estimation based upon signals received during operation in the first mode and to provide the first frequency error estimation to the GPS unit;

wherein the error unit is further configured to generate a second frequency error estimation based upon signals received during operation in the second mode; and

wherein in response to the receiver/transmitter unit operating in the second mode for greater than a predetermined amount of time, the error unit is configured to provide the second frequency error estimation to the GPS unit.

2. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first radio access technology corresponds to a latest revision of a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) wireless communication standard.

3. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second radio access technology corresponds to a code division multiplex 2000-1X (CDMA2000-1X) wireless communication standard.

4. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the receiver/transmitter unit is configured to preferentially operate in the first mode and to switch to operation in the second mode at predetermined intervals.

5. The wireless mobile device of claim 4, wherein the receiver/transmitter unit is configured to remain in the second mode in response to detection of a weak signal in the second radio access technology.

6. The wireless mobile device of claim 4, wherein the error unit comprises a control unit configured to determine whether the receiver/transmitter unit is operating in the second mode for greater than the predetermined amount of time.

7. A method comprising:

a wireless mobile device receiving signals while operating in a first mode according to a first radio access technology and receiving signals while operating in a second mode according to a second radio access technology;

a global positioning system (GPS) unit of the wireless mobile device providing navigation information;

generating a first frequency error estimation based upon first signals received during operation in the first mode, and providing the first frequency error estimation to the GPS unit; and

generating a second frequency error estimation based upon second signals received during operation in the second mode;

wherein in response to receiving signals in the second mode for greater than a predetermined amount of time, providing the second frequency error estimation to the GPS unit.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first radio access technology corresponds to a latest revision of a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) wireless communication standard.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the second radio access technology corresponds to a code division multiplex 2000-1X (CDMA2000-1X) wireless communication standard.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first and second signals correspond to first and second pilot signals.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein receiving signals while operating in the second mode includes switching to operation in the second mode at predetermined intervals and checking for incoming messages.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising returning to operation in the first mode in response to determining that there are no incoming messages.

13. A method comprising:

operating a wireless mobile device in a first mode according to a first radio access technology for a first duration;

generating a first frequency error estimation based upon signals received during operation in the first mode, and providing the first frequency error estimation to a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit;

operating the wireless mobile device in a second mode according to a second radio access technology for a second duration at predetermined intervals of time, and in response to receiving an incoming message; and

generating a second frequency error estimation based upon signals received during operation in the second mode;

wherein in response to operating the wireless mobile device in the second mode for greater than a predetermined amount of time, providing the second frequency error estimation to the GPS unit.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein operating the wireless mobile device in a second mode includes checking for incoming messages.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising returning to operation in the first mode in response to determining that there are no incoming messages.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to an amount of time that is less than the first duration.

17. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a receiver/transmitter unit configured to operate in a first mode according to a first radio access technology, and to operate in a second mode according to a second radio access technology;

a global positioning system (GPS) unit configured to provide navigation information based upon a received GPS signal;

an error unit configured to generate a first frequency error estimation based upon signals received during operation in the first mode and to provide the first frequency error estimation to the GPS unit, and to generate a second frequency error estimation based upon signals received during operation in the second mode;

wherein the error unit is further configured to inhibit providing the second frequency error estimation to the GPS unit until a predetermined amount of time has elapsed while operating in the second mode.

18. The wireless mobile device of claim 17, wherein the first radio access technology corresponds to a latest revision of a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) wireless communication standard.

19. The wireless mobile device of claim 17, wherein the second radio access technology corresponds to a code division multiplex 2000-1X (CDMA2000-1X) wireless communication standard.

20. The wireless mobile device of claim 17, wherein in response to the predetermined amount of time elapsing and the receiver/transmitter unit continues to operate in the second mode, the error unit is configured to provide the second frequency error estimation to the GPS unit.

21. The wireless mobile device of claim 17, wherein the error unit includes a control unit configured to determine whether the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.