GPS receiver for emergency location reporting during intermittent shadowing

• US 6,298,229 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Harrison, Daniel David, Tomlinson, Harold Woodruff Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/206,722
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/404, 455/427, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/457, 710/207, 710/213, 710/214, 710/216
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

A controller in a mobile telephone periodically commands GPS circuitry in the mobile telephone to power-on, capture and process GPS satellite signals. The signals are processed to obtain pseudo-range or time-difference data for at least one GPS satellite. After the signals are processed, the pseudo-range or time-difference data, GPS time, and satellite numbers are stored in non-volatile random access memory (RAM) and the GPS circuitry is powered off. When an emergency signal is present, the controller first commands the GPS circuitry to power-on, capture and process signals from four GPS satellites. If signals from at least four satellites are not present, the information stored in non-volatile RAM is read out. The processed data (if available), or else the data read out of the non-volatile RAM, are reported to a central location through the mobile telephone transmitter. The central location can then use the data to compute the present or last valid GPS location of the GPS receiver. The periodic sampling of the GPS signal minimizes power consumption and obtains a valid GPS location before shadowing occurs.

Claims

1. A GPS receiver for periodically determining a location and reporting the location even during intermittent shadowing, the GPS receiver comprising:

a GPS circuit comprising;

an antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) and analog-to-digital (A/D) circuit connected to the antenna;

a memory device connected to the RF and A/D circuit; and

a correlator circuit connected to the memory;

a controller connected to the GPS circuit for periodically instructing the GPS circuitry to power on, retrieve and process a first number of RF signals from a plurality of GPS satellites to obtain first GPS location data wherein each of the first number of RF signals is retrieved from a different one of the plurality of GPS satellites;

a memory device connected to the controller for storing the first GPS location data; and

an emergency signal generator connected to the controller and communicating an emergency signal to the controller, the controller commanding the GPS circuitry to power on in response to the emergency signal and a second number of RF signals is received from GPS satellites, each of the second number of RF signals is received from a different one of the plurality of GPS satellites,

wherein if the second number of RF signals is equal to the first number of RF signals, the controller processes the second number of RF signals to obtain second GPS location data and provides the second GPS location data for transmittal to a central station, and wherein if the second number of RF signals is less than the first number of RF signals, the controller retrieves the first GPS location data from the memory device and provides the first GPS location data for transmittal to the central location.

2. The GPS receiver of claim 1 wherein the first number of RF signals comprises four RF signals.

3. The GPS receiver of claim 1 wherein the first GPS location data and the second GPS location data comprises pseudo-range data.

4. The GPS receiver of claim 1 wherein the first GPS location data and the second GPS location data comprises propagation time-difference data.

5. The GPS receiver of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises the memory device.

6. The GPS receiver of claim 1 wherein the memory device comprises a non-volatile random access memory (RAM).

7. The GPS receiver of claim 1 wherein the second GPS location data is stored in the memory device overwriting the first GPS location data.

8. The GPS receiver of claim 1 wherein the emergency signal generator comprises a mobile telephone, the mobile telephone comprising a transmitter connected to the controller and responding to an output signal from the controller to transmit GPS location data to the central location.

9. The GPS receiver of claim 8 wherein the emergency signal generator produces the output signal in response to a predetermined number dialed on the mobile telephone.

10. The GPS receiver of claim 9 wherein the predetermined number is 911.

11. A GPS receiver for periodically determining a location and reporting the location even during intermittent shadowing, the GPS receiver comprising:

a GPS circuit comprising;

an antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) and analog-to-digital (A/D) circuit connected to the antenna;

a memory device connected to the RF and A/D circuit; and

a correlator circuit connected to the memory;

a controller connected to the GPS circuit for periodically instructing the GPS circuitry to power on, retrieve and process four RF signals from a plurality of GPS satellites to obtain first GPS location data wherein each of the four RF signals is retrieved from a different one of the plurality of GPS satellites;

a memory device connected to the controller for storing the first GPS location data; and

a mobile phone connected to the controller and communicating an emergency signal to the controller upon dialing a predetermined number, the controller commanding the GPS circuitry to power on in response to the emergency signal and a second number of RF signals is received from GPS satellites, each of the second number of RF signals is received from a different one of the plurality of GPS satellites,

wherein if the second number of RF signals is equal to four RF signals, the controller processes the second number of RF signals to obtain second GPS location data, provides the second GPS location data for transmittal to a central station and stores the second GPS location data in the memory device, and wherein if the second number of RF signals is less than four RF signals, the controller retrieves the first GPS location data from the memory device and provides the first GPS location data for transmittal to the central location.

12. A method for periodically determining a location and reporting the location even during intermittent shadowing of a GPS receiver, the method comprising the steps of:

powering on the GPS receiver at a first time;

receiving a first number of RF signals using the GPS receiver during the first time wherein each of the first number of RF signals is received from a different one of a plurality of GPS satellites;

processing the first number of RF signals received during the first time to obtain first GPS location data used to determine the location;

storing the first GPS location determined from the first number of RF signals received during the first time;

powering down the GPS receiver after receiving the first number of RF signals during the first time;

responding to an emergency signal by powering on the GPS receiver at a second time;

receiving a second number of RF signals from GPS satellites during the second time wherein each of the second number of RF signals is received from a different one of the plurality of GPS satellites;

processing the second number of RF signals received during the second time to obtain second GPS location data and transmitting the second GPS location data to a central station wherein the second number of RF signals is processed and the second GPS location data is transmitted only when the second number is equal to the first number of RF signals; and

retrieving the first GPS location data and transmitting the first GPS location data to the central station to obtain the location wherein the first GPS location data is retrieved and the first GPS location data is transmitted only when the second number is less than the first number of RF signals.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first number of RF signals comprises four RF signals.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the first GPS location data and the second GPS location data comprises pseudo-range data.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the first GPS location data and the second GPS location data comprises propagation time-difference data.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein if the step of processing the second number of RF signals received during the second time to obtain second GPS location data is performed, the second GPS location data is stored.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the GPS receiver is incorporated into a mobile telephone comprising a transmitter and transmission of the first GPS location data and the second GPS location data is performed by the transmitter in the mobile telephone.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the emergency signal is produced in response to a predetermined number dialed on the mobile telephone.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the predetermined number is 911.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of resolving an ambiguity in the GPS location data at the central station based on a known transmitter region.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the mobile telephone comprises a cellular telephone and the known transmitter region comprises a cell in which the cellular telephone is transmitting.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the mobile telephone comprises a satellite telephone and he known transmitter comprises a satellite beam location in which the satellite telephone is transmitting.

23. A method for periodically determining a location and reporting the location even during intermittent shadowing of a GPS receiver, the method comprising the steps of:

powering on the GPS receiver at a first time;

receiving four RF signals using the GPS receiver during the first time wherein each of the four RF signals is received from a different one of a plurality of GPS satellites;

processing the four RF signals received during the first time to obtain first GPS location data used to determine the location;

storing the first GPS location determined from the first number of RF signals received during the first time;

powering down the GPS receiver after receiving the first number of RF signals during the first time;

responding to an emergency signal by powering on the GPS receiver at a second time;

receiving a number of RF signals from GPS satellites during the second time wherein each of the number of RF signals is received from a different one of the plurality of GPS satellites;

processing the number of RF signals received during the second time to obtain second GPS location data, transmitting the second GPS location data to a central station and storing the second GPS location data wherein the second number of RF signals is processed, transmitted and stored only when the second number of RF signals is equal to four RF signals; and

retrieving the first GPS location data and transmitting the first GPS location data to the central station to obtain the location wherein the first GPS location data is retrieved and the first GPS location data is transmitted only when the second number of RF signals is less than four RF signals.