PCI card for receiving a GPS signal

• US 5,832,247 A
• Filed: 07/31/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Gildea, David R., Nagel, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Application Number:
  US08/903,965
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 342/57, 395/309, 701/213
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain

Abstract

A peripheral component interconnect (PCI) global positioning system (GPS) card for receiving a GPS signal. In a first embodiment the PCI card includes a GPS downconverter. In a second embodiment the PCI card including the GPS downconverter is integrated into a personal computer for correlating a GPS signal and computing a GPS location. In a third embodiment the PCI card includes a GPS downconverter and a GPS correlator. In a fourth embodiment the PCI card including the GPS downconverter and the GPS correlator is integrated into a personal computer for computing a GPS location.

Claims

1. A peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Global Positioning System (GPS) downconverter apparatus for connection to a PCI bus, comprising:

a GPS downconverter for receiving a GPS signal including GPS location data and issuing a downconverted GPS signal;

a GPS quantizer coupled to the downconverter for sampling said downconverted GPS signal and issuing a quantized GPS signal representative of said GPS signal; and

a PCI bus bridge coupled to the quantizer for formatting said quantized GPS signal according to a PCI bus format, and for issuing a PCI-formatted quantized GPS signal including said GPS location data to a PCI bus, said PCI-formatted quantized GPS signal intended for a compatible computer for deriving a GPS based location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a local oscillator for generating a local oscillator signal; and

wherein;

the downconverter is coupled to said local oscillator for using said local oscillator signal for downconverting said GPS signal;

the quantizer is coupled to the local oscillator for using said local oscillator signal for sampling said downconverted GPS signal at a certain phase of said local oscillator signal; and

said PCI-formatted quantized signal includes information for said phase of said local oscillator signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said PCI bus is disposed in a PCI-compatible personal computer.

4. A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving a GPS signal including GPS location data and providing a GPS-derived location, comprising:

a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Global Positioning System (GPS) downconverter apparatus including a GPS downconverter for receiving said GPS signal and issuing a downconverted GPS signal;

a GPS quantizer coupled to said downconverter for sampling said downconverted GPS signal and issuing a quantized GPS signal representative of said GPS signal; and

a first PCI bus bridge coupled to said quantizer for formatting said quantized GPS signal according to a PCI bus format, and for issuing a PCI-formatted quantized GPS signal including said GPS location data to a PCI bus; and

a personal computer (PC) including a second PCI bus bridge coupled to said PCI bus for receiving said PCI-formatted quantized GPS signal, and processing means coupled to said second PCI-bus bridge for determining said GPS-derived location based upon said GPS location data.

5. The receiver of claim 4, wherein:

the PCI GPS apparatus further includes a local oscillator for generating a local oscillator signal and wherein;

said downconverter is coupled to said local oscillator for using said local oscillator signal for downconverting said GPS signal;

said quantizer is coupled to said local oscillator for using said local oscillator signal for sampling said downconverted GPS signal at a certain phase of said local oscillator signal; and

said PCI-formatted quantized signal includes information for said phase of said local oscillator signal.

6. A peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Global Positioning System (GPS) correlator apparatus for connection to a PCI bus, comprising:

a GPS replica generator for generating a replica signal having a pseudorandom noise (PRN) code predictive of a GPS signal and a timing of said code, receiving feedback adjustment data, and adjusting said timing according to said feedback adjustment data;

GPS correlation means for receiving a GPS signal having GPS location data and coupled to the replica generator for issuing correlation data for a correlation between said GPS signal and said replica signal; and

a PCI bus bridge, coupled to the GPS correlation means for formatting said correlation data according to a PCI bus format and issuing PCI-formatted correlation data to said PCI bus; and

receiving said feedback adjustment data in said PCI format from said PCI bus, stripping said PCI format, and passing said feedback adjustment data to the replica generator.

7. The PCI GPS correlator apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the GPS correlation means further includes a GPS downconverter for receiving said GPS signal and issuing a representative downconverted GPS signal.

8. A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving a GPS signal including GPS location data and providing a GPS-derived location, comprising:

a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) GPS correlator apparatus including a GPS replica generator for generating a replica signal having a pseudorandom noise (PRN) code predictive of a GPS signal and a timing of said code, receiving feedback adjustment data, and adjusting said timing according to said feedback adjustment data;

GPS correlation means for receiving said GPS signal and coupled to the replica generator for providing correlation data including said GPS location data for a correlation between said GPS signal and said replica signal; and

a first PCI bus bridge coupled to the GPS correlation means for formatting said correlation data according to a PCI bus format, and for issuing said PCI-formatted correlation data to a PC bus; and

a personal computer (PC) including a second PCI bus bridge coupled to said PCI bus for receiving said PCI-formatted GPS correlation data, and processing means coupled to said second PCI-bus bridge for determining said GPS-derived location based upon said GPS location data.

9. A method for receiving a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal including GPS location data in a personal computer and determining a GPS-derived location, comprising steps of:

receiving said GPS signal in a GPS peripheral component interconnect (PCI) apparatus embedded in said personal computer;

downconverting said GPS signal and issuing a downconverted GPS signal;

quantizing said downconverted signal;

formatting said quantized GPS signal according to a PCI bus format and issuing a PCI-formatted quantized GPS signal including said GPS location data from said GPS PCI apparatus to a PCI bus in said personal computer;

converting said PCI-formatted quantized GPS signal to a host bus GPS signal;

correlating said host bus GPS signal to provide correlation data including information for said GPS location data; and

determining said GPS-derived location from said correlation data.

10. The method of claim 9, further including a step of:

generating a local oscillator signal; and

wherein;

the step of downconverting includes a step of using said local oscillator signal for downconverting said GPS signal;

the step of quantizing includes a step of using said local oscillator signal for sampling said downconverted GPS signal at a certain phase of said local oscillator signal; and

said PCI-formatted GPS signal includes information for said phase of said local oscillator signal.

11. A method for receiving a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal including GPS location data in a personal computer and determining a GPS-derived location, comprising steps of:

receiving said GPS signal in a GPS peripheral component interconnect (PCI) apparatus embedded in said personal computer;

downconverting said GPS signal and issuing a downconverted GPS signal;

generating a replica signal having a pseudorandom noise (PRN) code predictive of said GPS signal and a timing of said code;

correlating said downconverted GPS signal with at least one correlator and issuing a correlation signal including correlation data including information for said GPS location data;

formatting said correlation signal according to a PCI bus format and issuing a PCI-formatted correlation signal from said GPS PCI apparatus to a PCI bus in said personal computer;

converting said PCI-formatted correlation signal to a host bus correlation signal including said correlation data;

receiving in said GPS PCI apparatus said feedback adjustment data in said PCI format from said PCI bus;

stripping said PCI formatting from said feedback adjustment data;

adjusting said timing according to feedback adjustment data; and

determining said GPS-derived location from said GPS location information in said host bus correlation signal.