Integrated network interface card and global positioning system receiver

• US 6,593,878 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Fall, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US09/892,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.1, 342/357.06, 455/558, 710/313, 710/301, 710/8, 710/13, 710/62, 710/64, 709/217
• US Class Current: 342/357.4
• 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 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]

Abstract

A combined network interface card and GPS receiver. The combined network interface card and GPS receiver includes a network interface portion for establishing and maintaining a network connection between a host system and a network. The combined network interface card and GPS receiver also includes a GPS portion for determining a location based upon one or more GPS signals.

Claims

1. A peripheral card comprising:

a network interface portion to maintain a network connection between a network and a host system;

a GPS receiver portion to determine a location of the peripheral card in response to a GPS signal; and

a processing device, the processing device to perform processing for the GPS receiver portion and manage data transfers for the network interface portion.

2. The peripheral card of claim 1, further comprising an antenna coupled to the peripheral card to receive the GPS signal.

3. The peripheral card of claim 2, the antenna comprising one of an external antenna and an on-board antenna.

4. The peripheral card of claim 1, the GPS receiver portion to further provide an indication of time in response to the GPS signal.

5. The peripheral card of claim 1, further comprising a power source.

6. The peripheral card of claim 1, further comprising a communication path to couple the peripheral card to the host system.

7. The peripheral card of claim 6, the communication path comprising one of a PCI compatible connection, a PCMCIA compatible connection, and a USB compatible connection.

8. The peripheral card of claim 1, the network connection comprising a wireless connection.

9. The peripheral card of claim 1, the network connection including one of a coaxial cable, a twisted pair cable, a telephone line, and a fiber optic cable.

10. A peripheral card comprising:

a network interface portion to maintain a network connection between a network and a host system; and

a GPS receiver portion to determine an indication of time in response to a GPS signal provide the time indication to the network interface portion;

wherein the network interface portion can determine a time stamp for a received packet based upon the time indication.

11. The peripheral card of claim 10, further comprising an antenna coupled to the peripheral card to receive the GPS signal.

12. The peripheral card of claim 11, the antenna comprising one of an external antenna and an on-board antenna.

13. The peripheral card of claim 10, further comprising a time server coupled with the GPS receiver portion, the time server receiving a time indication from the GPS receiver portion.

14. The peripheral card of claim 10, further comprising a power source.

15. The peripheral card of claim 10, further comprising a communication path to couple the peripheral card to the host system.

16. The peripheral card of claim 15, the communication path comprising one of a PCI compatible connection, a PCMCIA compatible connection, and a USB compatible connection.

17. The peripheral card of claim 10, the network connection comprising a wireless connection.

18. The peripheral card of claim 10, the network connection including one of a coaxial cable, a twisted pair cable, a telephone line, and a fiber optic cable.

19. A peripheral card comprising:

a downconverter to receive a GPS signal and to provide a second signal in response to the GPS signal;

a network interface to connect the peripheral card to a network; and

a central processing unit coupled to the downconverter and to the network interface, the central processing unit to

determine a location of the peripheral card in response to the second signal, and

manage data transfers for the network interface.

20. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising an antenna coupled to the downconverter.

21. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising an antenna coupled to the downconverter and to the network interface.

22. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising an antenna to receive GPS signals and DGPS correction data.

23. The peripheral card of claim 22, the antenna to provide a wireless connection between the peripheral card and the network.

24. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising an on-board antenna.

25. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising a memory coupled to the central processing unit.

26. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising a power source.

27. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising a communication path to couple the peripheral card to a host system.

28. The peripheral card of claim 27, the communication path comprising one of a PCI compatible connection, a PCMCIA compatible connection, and a USB compatible connection.

29. The peripheral card of claim 19, further comprising a network connection to couple the network interface to the network.

30. The peripheral card of claim 29, the network connection comprising a wireless connection.

31. The peripheral card of claim 29, the network connection including one of a coaxial cable, a twisted pair cable, a telephone line, and a fiber optic cable.

32. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system;

a peripheral card coupled to the computer system, the peripheral card including

a network interface portion to maintain a network connection between a network and the computer system;

a GPS receiver portion to determine a location of the peripheral card in response to a GPS signal; and

a processing device, the processing device to perform processing for the GPS receiver portion and manage data transfers for the network interface portion.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an antenna coupled to the peripheral card to receive the GPS signal.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, the antenna comprising one of an external antenna and an on-board antenna.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, the peripheral card comprising one of a PCI compatible peripheral card, a PCMCIA compatible peripheral card, and a USB compatible peripheral card.

36. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system;

a peripheral card coupled to the computer system, the peripheral card including

a network interface portion to maintain a network connection between a network and the computer system; and

a GPS receiver portion to determine an indication of time in response to a GPS signal and provide the time indication to the network interface portion;

wherein the network interface portion can determine a timestamp for a packet based upon the time indication.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising an antenna coupled to the peripheral card to receive the GPS signal.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, the antenna comprising one of an external antenna and an on-board antenna.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, the peripheral card comprising one of a PCI compatible peripheral card, a PCMCIA compatible peripheral card, and a USB compatible peripheral card.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising a time server coupled with the GPS receiver portion, the time server receiving a time indication from the GPS receiver portion.

41. A method comprising:

receiving a GPS signal at a device, the device coupled to a host system;

determining an indication of time in response to the GPS signal;

providing the indication of time to a network interface, the network interface determining a timestamp for a received packet based upon the indication of time; and

establishing a network connection between the device and a network.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising providing the indication of time to the host system.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising providing the indication of time to a time server.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein establishing a network connection comprises establishing a wireless connection between the device and the network.

45. A peripheral card comprising:

means for maintaining a network connection between a network and a host system;

means for determining a location of the peripheral card in response to a GPS signal; and

means for processing data, the means for processing data to perform processing for the means for determining a location and manage data transfer for the means for maintaining a network connection.

46. The peripheral card of claim 45, further comprising means for receiving the GPS signal.

47. The peripheral card of claim 45, further comprising means for receiving DGPS correction data.

48. The peripheral card of claim 45, further comprising means for establishing a wireless connection between the peripheral card and the network.

49. A peripheral card comprising:

means for maintaining a network connection between a network and a host system; and

means for determining an indication of time in response to a GPS signal, the means for determining to provide the time indication to the means for maintaining a network connection;

wherein the means for maintaining a network connection can determine a timestamp for a received packet based upon the time indication.

50. The peripheral card of claim 49, further comprising means for receiving the GPS signal.

51. The peripheral card of claim 49, further comprising means for determining a location of the peripheral card in response to the GPS signal.

52. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine accessible medium, the machine accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to

receive a GPS signal at a device, the device coupled to a host system;

determine an indication of time in response to the GPS signal;

provide the indication of time to a network interface, the network interface to determine a timestamp for a received packet based upon the indication of time; and

establish a network connection between the device and a network.

53. The article of manufacture of claim 52, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to provide the indication of time to the host system.

54. The article of manufacture of claim 52, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to provide the indication of time to a time server.

55. The article of manufacture of claim 52, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine, when establishing a network connection, to establish a wireless network connection between the device and the network.