Satellite radio signal tracking method for GPS receivers

• US 4,983,980 A
• Filed: 07/06/1990
• Issued: 01/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Ando, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWANN, TOD R
• Application Number:
  US07/549,514
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 364/449, 364/453, 364/450, 364/451, 364/456, 364/459, 340/995, 342/356, 342/357, 342/457, 342/359, 342/352, 342/420, 342/422, 455/12, 455/13
• US Class Current: 342/357.67
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted GPS receiver for positioning and reckoning being capable of tracking satellite signals without serious interruption when passing through a dead zone such as a tunnel by quick recapturing of satellite signals after the vehicle has cleared the dead zone, wherein the GPS receiver determines, by calculation, one GPS satellite which is at the maximum elevation angle among the GPS satellites at the very moment if the satellite signals have interrupted simultaneously over a specified period of time, and starts to track the determined GPS satellite as soon as the vehicle clears the dead zone, whereas the GPS receiver calculates orbital positions of other GPS satellites required for positioning, two dimensional or three dimensional, based on the orbital position of the GPS satellite which is at the highest elevation angle, further, when the GPS receiver has a plurality of receiving channels, a plurality of GPS satellites are assigned, one by one, to the plurality of receiving channels from the highest elevation angle in due order for reducing the time in recapture.

Claims

1. In a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver in which GPS signals from a plurality of GPS satellites are received sequentially through a receiving channel according to a time-division multiple-access system, a method of tracking the satellite signals for the GPS receiver comprising the steps of:

releasing the GPS receiver from time-division multiple-access reception when satellite signals from all the satellites in reception are lost simultaneously over a specified duration of time; and

changing the receiving mode so as to track only one GPS satellite which is at the maximum estimated angle of elevation at that moment.

2. A method of tracking the satellite signals for the GPS receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maximum elevation angle of the GPS is calculated based on a present time, a present position of a satellite signal receiving point and an almanac information of each GPS satellite which was in contact.

3. A method of tracking the satellite signals for the GPS receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GPS receiver has a plurality of receiving channels and GPS satellites are assigned, one by one, to the plurality of receiving channels from the highest elevation angle in order.