GPS receiver, position-detecting system and positioning method

• US 6,452,545 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Hiroshi, Araki, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/768,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.15, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/357.67
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

When a 2-dimensional positioning or 3-dimensional positioning cannot be completed within a predetermined period of time, all currently seized satellites are cancelled and a stored almanac is referred to in order to resume attempts to seize satellites.

Claims

1. A GPS receiver comprising:

storage means for storing an almanac included in GPS data received from a satellite currently being seized;

seizing means for searching said almanac stored in said storage means for other seizable satellites in addition to the satellite currently being seized and proceeding to seize said other satellites;

positioning means for determining a current position based on the GPS data received from a plurality of satellites currently being seized by said seizing means; and

seized-object management means for requesting said seizing means to cancel all currently seized satellites and to resume attempts to seize satellites by referring to the almanac stored in said storage means, when said positioning means fails to complete a positioning process of the current position determination within a predetermined period of time.

2. The GPS receiver according to claim 1, wherein said seizing means identifies seizable satellites by referring to the almanac to identify current positions of all satellites.

3. A position-detecting system comprising a receiver and presenting means, wherein

said receiver comprises:

storage means for storing an almanac included in GPS data received from a satellite currently being seized;

seizing means for searching said almanac stored in said storage means for other seizable satellites in addition to the satellite currently being seized and proceeding to seize said other satellites;

positioning means for determining a current position based on the GPS data received from a plurality of satellites currently being seized by said seizing means; and

seized-object management means for requesting said seizing means to cancel all currently seized satellites and to resume attempts to seize satellites by referring to the almanac stored in said storage means, when said positioning means fails to complete a positioning process of the current position determination within a predetermined period of time; and

wherein

said presenting means presents the current position determined by said GPS receiver.

4. The position-detecting system according to claim 3, further comprising power supply closing means for turning on a power supply of said GPS receiver when a predetermined operation is carried out before a power supply of said presenting means is turned on.

5. The position-detecting system according to claim 4, wherein s aid power supply closing means turns on said power supply of said GPS receiver when a door-lock state of a mobile object is released.

6. The position-detecting system according to claim 4, wherein said power supply closing means turns on said power supply of said GPS receiver when a door of a mobile object is opened.

7. A position-measuring method comprising the steps of:

receiving GPS data from a satellite currently being seized and storing an almanac included in said GPS data;

searching said almanac for other seizable satellites in addition to said satellite currently being seized and proceeding to seize said other satellites;

determining a current position based on the GPS data received from a plurality of satellites currently being seized by said seizing means; and

canceling all currently seized satellites and resuming attempts to seize satellites by referring to the almanac stored in said storage means, when the step of determining the current position fails to be completed within a predetermined period of time.

8. The position-measuring method according to claim 7, wherein seizable satellites are identified by referring to the almanac to identify current positions of all satellites.