GPS receiver having an initial adjustment for correcting for drift in reference frequency

• US 5,629,708 A
• Filed: 04/18/1996
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodal, Eric B., Lau, Chung Y., Farmer, Dominic G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/634,612
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/352, 342/386
• US Class Current: 342/357.63
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

A GPS receiver having a rapid acquisition of a GPS satellite signal when a normal operational mode is entered after a low power standby mode. The GPS receiver includes an RF section for receiving the GPS satellite signal and providing an GPS IF signal, a correlator section for providing a correlation signal for the correlation between the GPS IF signal and an internally generated replica signal, and a microprocessor section for receiving the correlation signal and calculating a geographical location of the GPS receiver. The replica signal is based upon a reference frequency from a reference oscillator and a reference time of arrival (TOA) from a timer. In order to increase acquisition speed, the microprocessor section provides the correlator section with an initial frequency adjustment and an initial TOA adjustment to correct for drift in the reference frequency during the standby mode. The initial adjustments are based upon a learned corrections to the initial adjustments that result in acquisition of the GPS satellite signal after alternating one or more times between the standby mode and the normal mode or from stored temperature relationships and measured temperatures of the reference oscillator.

Claims

1. A global positioning system (GPS) receiver for receiving a GPS signal, including:

a memory including an executable program for calculating an initial time of arrival (TOA) adjustment to correct for a TOA drift caused by a drift in a reference frequency that has occurred during a time duration in a standby mode; and

a microprocessor coupled to the memory for using the executable program for providing said initial TOA adjustment.

2. The GPS receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the memory further includes a learned TOA correction; and

said executable program is further for estimating a TOA adjustment for use in acquiring said GPS signal, correcting said TOA adjustment until said GPS signal is acquired, calculating said learned TOA correction based upon a comparison of said estimated and said corrected TOA adjustment, and calculating said initial TOA adjustment based upon said learned TOA correction.

3. The GPS receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the memory further includes a TOA/temperature relationship for relating said TOA drift to a temperature of a reference oscillator providing said reference frequency;

the microprocessor is further for receiving a signal indicative of said temperature; and

said executable program is further for calculating said initial TOA adjustment based upon said TOA/temperature relationship and said temperature.

4. A method in a global positioning system (GPS) receiver having a microprocessor coupled to a memory acquisition of a GPS signal after a time duration in a standby mode, including steps of:

receiving said GPS signal with said GPS receiver;

providing a timer signal having a reference time of arrival (TOA) based upon a reference frequency for use in acquiring said GPS signal; and

calculating an initial TOA adjustment for correcting for a TOA drift in said reference TOA that has occurred during said time duration in said standby mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the step of calculating an initial TOA adjustment includes steps of estimating a TOA adjustment for use in acquiring said GPS signal;

correcting said TOA adjustment until said GPS signal is acquired;

calculating a learned TOA correction based upon a comparison of said estimated and said corrected TOA adjustment; and

calculating said initial TOA adjustment based upon said learned TOA correction.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the step of calculating an initial frequency adjustment includes steps of receiving data indicative of a temperature of a reference oscillator providing said reference frequency;

providing a temperature/frequency relationship in said memory relating said reference TOA and said temperature; and

calculating said initial frequency adjustment based upon said temperature/frequency relationship and said temperature.

7. A global positioning system (GPS) receiver for receiving a GPS satellite signal, including:

a memory including an executable program for calculating an initial frequency adjustment to correct for a frequency drift that has occurred in a reference frequency during a time duration in a standby mode;

a microprocessor coupled to the memory for using the executable program for providing said initial frequency adjustment; and

a correlator for receiving a GPS intermediate signal representative of said GPS satellite signal, receiving a reference signal including said reference frequency and coupled to the microprocessor for receiving said initial frequency adjustment, and providing a correlation signal representative of a correlation between said GPS intermediate signal and said reference signal as adjusted by said initial frequency adjustment when the GPS receiver enters an operational mode after said time duration in said standby mode.

8. The GPS receiver of claim 7, wherein:

the memory further includes a learned frequency correction; and

said executable program is further for estimating a frequency adjustment for use in acquiring said GPS signal, correcting said frequency adjustment until said GPS signal is acquired, calculating said learned frequency correction based upon a comparison of said estimated and said corrected frequency adjustment, and calculating said initial frequency adjustment based upon said learned frequency correction.

9. The GPS receiver of claim 7, wherein:

the memory further includes a frequency/temperature relationship for relating said reference frequency to a temperature of said reference oscillator;

the microprocessor is further for receiving a signal indicative of said temperature; and

said executable program is further for calculating said initial frequency adjustment based upon said temperature/frequency relationship and said temperature.

10. A method in a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for improving the speed of acquisition of a GPS satellite signal after a time duration in a standby mode, including steps of:

receiving said GPS satellite signal with said GPS receiver;

converting said GPS satellite signal to a GPS intermediate signal;

receiving a reference signal having a reference frequency;

calculating an initial frequency adjustment for correcting for a drift in said reference frequency that has occurred during said time duration in said standby mode with a microprocessor coupled to a memory having an executable code; and

correlating said GPS intermediate signal with said reference signal as adjusted by said initial frequency adjustment when said GPS receiver enters an operational mode after said time duration in said standby mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the step of calculating an initial frequency adjustment includes steps of providing a frequency adjustment that causes the GPS receiver to acquire said GPS signal;

calculating said learned frequency correction based upon said frequency adjustment; and

calculating said initial frequency adjustment from said learned frequency correction.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the step of calculating an initial frequency adjustment includes steps of receiving a signal indicative of a temperature of a reference oscillator providing said reference frequency;

providing a temperature/frequency relationship in said memory relating said reference frequency and said temperature; and

calculating said initial frequency adjustment based upon said temperature/frequency relationship and said temperature.