GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM RECEIVER SYSTEM WITH RADIO FREQUENCY HARDWARE COMPONENT

• US 20150309177A1
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Wallace, Gregory Craig, Loomis, Peter Van Wyck, Weisenburger, Shawn D., Janky, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,903,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry

Abstract

A stand-alone radio frequency hardware component includes a first antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, a first analog Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal in a first frequency band. A second antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are separate and distinct. A digitizer configured for digitizing the first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal and for digitizing the second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal. A memory for storing the digitized GNSS signals, wherein the digitized GNSS signals are accessed from the memory by a separate communication device.

Claims

1. A stand-alone radio frequency hardware component comprising:

a first antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, a first analog Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal in a first frequency band;

a second antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein said first frequency band and said second frequency band are separate and distinct;

a digitizer configured for digitizing said first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal and for digitizing said second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal; and

a memory for storing said digitized GNSS signals, wherein said digitized GNSS signals are accessed from said memory by a separate communication device.

2. The stand-alone radio frequency hardware component of claim 1, comprising:

a serializer configured for serializing said digitized GNSS signals.

3. The stand-alone radio frequency hardware component of claim 1, comprising:

a controller for controlling said stand-alone radio frequency hardware component.

4. The stand-alone radio frequency hardware component of claim 3, wherein said controlling said stand-alone radio frequency hardware component is selected from a group consisting of:

starting/stopping receiving said GNSS signals, and synchronizing said GNSS signals with said communication device.

5. The stand-alone radio frequency hardware component of claim 1, wherein said communication device is coupled to a processor for processing said digitized GNSS signals.

6. The stand-alone radio frequency hardware component of claim 1, wherein a processor coupled to said communication device is configured to process said digitized GNSS signals according to a soft GNSS set of algorithms.

7. The stand-alone radio frequency hardware component of claim 1, further comprising:

a third antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, an analog signal in said second frequency band selected from a group consisting of;

an analog L1 pseudolite signal, an analog Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) signal, and an analog L5 GPS signal in a third frequency band that is separate and distinct from said first frequency band and from said second frequency band.

8. A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver system comprising:

a radio frequency hardware component comprising;

a first antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, a first analog GNSS signal in a first frequency band;

a second antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein said first frequency band and said second frequency band are separate and distinct;

a digitizer configured for digitizing said first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal and for digitizing said second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal;

a memory for storing said digitized GNSS signals;

and

a communication device configured to access said digitized GNSS signals from said memory of said radio frequency hardware component, said communication device comprising;

an internal GNSS receiver chipset; and

a processor, located outside of said internal GNSS receiver chipset, said processor configured for operating a software defined GNSS receiver to determine a position using at least first information obtained by said processor from said first digitized GNSS signal and second information obtained by said processor from said second digitized GNSS signal.

9. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver system of claim 8, comprising:

a serializer configured for serializing said digitized GNSS signals.

10. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver system of claim 8, comprising:

a controller for controlling said radio frequency hardware component.

11. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver system of claim 10, wherein said controlling said radio frequency hardware component is selected from a group consisting of:

starting/stopping receiving said GNSS signals, and synchronizing said GNSS signals with said communication device.

12. The GNSS receiver system of claim 8, wherein said digitizer comprises:

a first Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) configured for digitizing said first analog GNSS signal into said first digital signal; and

a second RFIC configured for digitizing said at least said second analog GNSS signal into said second digital signal.

13. The GNSS receiver system of claim 8, wherein at least one of said first analog GNSS signal and said second analog GNSS signal is an L2C Global Positioning System (GPS) signal and the other of said first analog GNSS signal and said second analog GNSS signal is an L1 GPS signal.

14. The GNSS receiver system of claim 8, wherein:

said radio frequency hardware component is further configured for receiving, over-the-air, an analog signal in said second frequency band selected from the group consisting of;

an analog L1 Galileo signal, an analog L1 BeiDou signal, an analog L1 Glonass signal, and an analog L1 pseudolite signal.

15. A method of position determination, said method comprising:

receiving, over-the-air with a first antenna of a radio frequency hardware component, a first analog Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal in a first frequency band;

receiving, over-the-air with a second antenna of said radio frequency hardware component, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein said first frequency band and said second frequency band are separate and distinct;

digitizing said first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal with a digitizer of said radio frequency hardware component;

digitizing said second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal with a said digitizer of said radio frequency hardware component;

storing said digitized GNSS signals in a memory of said radio frequency hardware component;

accessing, from said memory, said digitized GNSS signals at a communication device located proximate to said radio frequency hardware component, said communication device comprising an internal GNSS receiver chipset; and

using a software defined GNSS receiver operating on a processor of said communication device to obtain first information from said accessed first digitized GNSS signal, obtain second information from said accessed second digitized GNSS signal, and determine a position using at least both of the first information and the second information, wherein the processor is located outside of the GNSS receiver chipset.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

synchronizing said GNSS signals with signals of said communication device.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said digitized GNSS signals are accessed from said memory via a wired connection between said communication device and said radio frequency hardware component.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said digitized GNSS signals are accessed from said memory via a wireless connection between said communication device and said radio frequency hardware component.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said receiving, over-the-air with a first antenna of a radio frequency hardware component, a first analog GNSS signal in a first frequency band comprises receiving an analog L2C GPS signal;

and

wherein said receiving, over-the-air with a second antenna of said radio frequency hardware component, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band comprises receiving an analog L1 GPS signal.

20. A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver system comprising:

a radio frequency hardware component comprising;

a first antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, a first analog GNSS signal in a first frequency band;

a second antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein said first frequency band and said second frequency band are separate and distinct;

a digitizer configured for digitizing said first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal and for digitizing said second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal; and

a memory for storing said digitized GNSS signals; and

a communication device configured to access said digitized GNSS signals from said memory of said radio frequency hardware component, said communication device comprising;

a processor configured for operating a software defined GNSS receiver to determine a position using at least one of first information obtained by said processor from said first digitized GNSS signal and second information obtained by said processor from said second digitized GNSS signal.

21. The GNSS receiver system of claim 20, wherein said radio frequency hardware component further comprises:

a serializer configured for serializing said digitized GNSS signals.

22. The GNSS receiver system of claim 20, comprising:

a controller for controlling said radio frequency hardware component.

23. The GNSS receiver system of claim 22, wherein said controlling said radio frequency hardware component is selected from a group consisting of:

starting/stopping receiving said GNSS signals, and synchronizing said GNSS signals with said communication device.

24. The GNSS receiver system of claim 20, wherein:

said radio frequency hardware component is further configured for receiving, over-the-air, an analog signal in said second frequency band selected from the group consisting of;

an analog L1 Galileo signal, an analog L1 BeiDou signal, an analog L1 Glonass signal, and an analog L1 pseudolite signal.

25. The GNSS receiver system of claim 20, wherein:

said digitizer is further configured for digitizing a received third analog signal into a third digitalized GNSS signal selected from a group consisting of;

a third digitalized L1 Galileo signal, a third digitalized L1 BeiDou signal, a third digitalized L1 Glonass signal, and a third digitalized L1 pseudolite signal.

26. The GNSS receiver system of claim 20 further comprising:

a third antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, an analog L5 GPS signal in a third frequency band that is separate and distinct from said first frequency band and from said second frequency band; and

said digitizer is further configured for digitizing said analog L5 GPS signal into a third digitalized GNSS signal.

27. The GNSS receiver system of claim 20, wherein said processor comprises a processor selected from the list of processors consisting of:

a host processor of said communication device;

a microprocessor of said communication device, a graphics processing unit (GPU) of said communication device; and

a digital signal processor (DSP) of said communication device.

28. The GNSS receiver system of claim 20, wherein said first information is L1 GPS signals or L2C GPS signals, and said second information is the other of said L1 GPS signals or said L2C GPS signals.

29. A method of position determination, said method comprising:

receiving, over-the-air with a first antenna of a radio frequency hardware component, a first analog Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal in a first frequency band;

receiving, over-the-air with a second antenna of said radio frequency hardware component, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein said first frequency band and said second frequency band are separate and distinct;

digitizing said first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal with a digitizer of said radio frequency hardware component;

digitizing said second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal with a said digitizer of said radio frequency hardware component;

storing said digitized GNSS signals in a memory of said radio frequency hardware component;

accessing, from said memory, said digitized GNSS signals by a communication device located proximate to said radio frequency hardware component; and

using a software defined GNSS receiver operating on a processor of said communication device to obtain first information from said accessed first digitized GNSS signal, obtain second information from said accessed second digitized GNSS signal, and determine a position using at least both of the first information and the second information.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

synchronizing said GNSS signals with signals of said communication device.

31. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein said digitized GNSS signals are accessed from said memory via a wired connection between said communication device and said radio frequency hardware component.

32. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein said digitized GNSS signals are accessed from said memory via a wireless connection between said communication device and said radio frequency hardware component.

33. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein said receiving, over-the-air with a first antenna of a radio frequency hardware component, a first analog GNSS signal in a first frequency band comprises receiving an analog L2C GPS signal;

and

wherein said receiving, over-the-air with a second antenna of said radio frequency hardware component, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band comprises receiving an analog L1 GPS signal.