Combined GPS positioning system and communications system utilizing shared circuitry

• US 6,002,363 A
• Filed: 05/23/1996
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krasner, Norman F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US08/652,833
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/357.1, 364/449.7, 364/449.9, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/357.77
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/254 relating to Doppler shift of satellite signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/29 carrier including Doppler, related G01S19/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/163 the local oscillations of at least two of the frequency changers being derived from a single oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/11 : Cellular receiver, e.g. GSM, combined with a GPS receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/04 : where the frequency control is accomplished by varying the electrical characteristics of a non-mechanically adjustable element or where the nature of the frequency controlling element is not significant
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/06 : using counters or frequency dividers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 : Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0007 : wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at radiofrequency or intermediate frequency stage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 : the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 : with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device

Abstract

A combined GPS and communication system having shared circuitry. The combined system includes an antenna for receiving data representative of GPS signals, a frequency converter coupled to the antenna, a frequency synthesizer coupled to the frequency converter, an analog to digital converter coupled to the frequency converter and a processor coupled to the frequency converter. The processor processes the data representative of GPS signals to determine a pseudorange based on the data representative of GPS signals. The integrated communication receiver includes a shared component which is at least one of the antenna, the frequency converter, the frequency synthesizer and the analog to digital converter. Typically, in certain embodiments the processor also demodulates communication signals received as well as controls the modulation of data to be transmitted as a communication signal through a communication link.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a communication link and processing data representative of GPS signals from at least one satellite in a GPS receiver, said method comprising:

processing said data representative of GPS signals from at least one satellite in a processing unit, including performing a correlation function to determine a pseudorange based on said data representative of GPS signals;

controlling communication signals through said communication link by using said processing unit to perform said controlling and wherein said processing unit performs demodulation of communication signals sent to said GPS receiver.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said processing step comprises determining a pseudorange based on said data representative of GPS signals.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein said processing step and said controlling step occur sequentially.

4. A method as in claim 2 wherein said controlling step comprises a first controlling operation and a second controlling operation, and wherein said first controlling operation precedes said processing step and said second controlling operation follows said processing step.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein said first controlling operation comprises receipt of a command which requests position information from said GPS receiver and wherein said second controlling operation comprises transmission of data representative of said position information.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving a Doppler information of a satellite in view of said GPS receiver and wherein said processing unit controls modulation of communication signals sent from said GPS receiver.

7. A method as in claim 5 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving data representative of ephemeris for a satellite in view of said GPS receiver.

8. A method as in claim 5 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving a precision carrier frequency from a source of said precision carrier frequency and automatically locking to said precision carrier frequency and wherein said processing unit controls modulation of communication signals sent from said GPS receiver.

9. A method as in claim 5 further comprising:

converting a frequency of said data representative of GPS signals, said step of converting a frequency of said data representative of GPS signals being performed in a first frequency converter which is coupled to an analog to digital converter; and

converting a frequency of said communication signals, said step of converting a frequency of said communication signals being performed in said first frequency converter.

10. A method as in claim 5 further comprising storing said data representative of GPS signals in a digital memory and storing said communications signals in said digital memory.

11. A method as in claim 5 wherein said processing step comprises performing a pre-processing operation on said data representative of GPS signals to provide first results, performing a fast convolution operation on said first results to provide second results and performing a post processing operation on said second results to provide a third result and determining said pseudorange from said third result and wherein said data representative of GPS signals comprises sampled GPS signals and said preprocessing operation comprises adding together portions of said sampled GPS signals to provide compressed samples and wherein said fast convolution comprises a convolution of said compressed samples which produces said second results and wherein said postprocessing operation comprises combining together said second results.

12. A method as in claim 5 wherein said first controlling operation uses a first local oscillator frequency signal from a frequency synthesizer and wherein said data representative of GPS signals is received using a second local oscillator frequency signal from said frequency synthesizer.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein said frequency synthesizer concurrently produces said first and said second local oscillator frequency signals.

14. A method as in claim 12 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving a Doppler information.

15. A method as in claim 12 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving a precision carrier frequency from a source of said precision frequency and automatically locking to said precision carrier frequency.

16. A method as in claim 5 wherein said data representative of GPS signals are converted from analog to digital data by an Analog to Digital (A/D) Converter and wherein said communication signals are converted from analog to digital data by said A/D Converter.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein said A/D Converter comprises a first A/D Converter and a second A/D Converter.

18. A GPS receiver comprising:

a GPS antenna for receiving data representative of GPS signals from at least one satellite;

a digital processor coupled to said GPS antenna, said digital processor processing said data representative of GPS signals from at least one satellite, including performing a matched filtering operation to determine a pseudorange based on said data representative of GPS signals, said digital processor also processing communication signals received through a communication link, said processing of communication signals comprising demodulation of communication signals sent to said GPS receiver.

19. A GPS receiver as in claim 18 wherein said processing of said data representative of GPS signals comprises determining a pseudorange based on said data representative of GPS signals.

20. A GPS receiver as in claim 19 wherein said digital processor processes sequentially said communication signals and data representative of GPS signals.

21. A GPS receiver as in claim 19 wherein a first controlling operation comprises said processing of communication signals and said digital processor controls a second controlling operation, and wherein said first controlling operation precedes said processing of said data representative of GPS signals and said second controlling operation follows said processing of data representative of GPS signals.

22. A GPS receiver as in claim 21 wherein said first controlling operation comprises receipt of a command which requests position information from said GPS receiver and wherein said second controlling operation comprises transmission of data representative of said position information.

23. A GPS receiver as in claim 22 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving a Doppler information of a satellite in view of said GPS receiver and wherein said processing unit controls modulation of communication signals sent from said GPS receiver.

24. A GPS receiver as in claim 22 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving data representative of ephemeris for a satellite in view of said GPS receiver.

25. A GPS receiver as in claim 22 wherein said first controlling operation further comprises receiving a precision carrier frequency from a source of said precision carrier frequency and automatically locking to said precision carrier frequency.

26. A GPS receiver as in claim 22 further comprising a first frequency converter for converting a frequency of said data representative of GPS signals, said first frequency converter being coupled to said digital processor.

27. A GPS receiver as in claim 22 further comprising a digital memory coupled to said digital processor, said digital memory storing said data representative of GPS signals and storing said communications signals.

28. A GPS receiver as in claim 22 further comprising a power management circuit for reducing power consumed by said GPS receiver by reducing power consumed in said GPS receiver, said digital processor being coupled to said power management circuit.

29. A GPS receiver as in claim 22 further comprising an Analog to Digital (A/D) Converter, and wherein said data representative of GPS signals are converted from analog to digital data by said Analog to Digital (A/D) Converter coupled to said digital processor and wherein said communication signals are converted from analog to digital data by said A/D Converter.

30. A GPS receiver as in claim 29 wherein said A/D Converter comprises a first A/D Converter and a second A/D Converter.