Multi-mode GPS receiver

• US 6,844,846 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Delorme Publishing Company Incorporated (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Riday, Ossian
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/655,937
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.1, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.52
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain

Abstract

A GPS data transceiver system capable of transceiving USB and/or RS-232 data between a host computer and a multi-mode GPS-receiver. The USB circuitry is incorporated into the multi-mode GPS-receiver and the RS-232 circuitry is incorporated into the multi-mode GPS-receiver or into an external power source, such as a battery pack. Depending on the data signal from the host computer, the data input/out device functions as a USB device or an RS-232 device.

Claims

1. A multi-mode GPS-receiver for use with a host device, said multi-mode GPS receiver comprising:

a GPS receiver housing having a single multi-mode-device connector connector;

a GPS-receiver baseband circuit;

a USB circuit with a USB port; and

an RS-232 circuit with an RS-232 port;

wherein said GPS-receiver base-band circuit and said USB circuit are incorporated within said housing; and

wherein said USB sort and said RS-232 port are incorporated into said multi-mode device connector.

2. The multi-mode GPS-receiver of claim 1, wherein a USB signal and an RS-232 signal are simultaneously processsable by said GPS-receiver base-band circuit.

3. The multi-mode GPS-receiver of claim 1, wherein said RS-232 circuit is operatively connected to said USB circuit, wherein said RS-232 signal is detectable by said USE circuit, and wherein said USB circuit includes a microcontroller that switches said RS-232 circuit on upon detecting said RS-232 signal.

4. The multi-mode GPS-receiver of claim 1, wherein said RS-232 circuit is incorporated within said GPS receiver housing.

5. The multi-mode GPS-receiver of claim 1, wherein said RS-232 circuit is external to said GPS-receiver housing and is connectable to said GPS-receiver base-band circuit via a connection to said multi-mode device connector.

6. A GPS data transceiver system for use with a host device, said system comprising:

said multi-mode GPS-receiver of claim 1; and

a data cable having a first data-cable connector that is connectable to said multi-mode device connector and a second data-cable connector that is connectable to said host device.

7. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 6, further comprising an external power source that is operatively connectable to said GPS-receiver base-band circuit via said multi-mode device connector.

8. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 7, wherein said external power source is a battery pack with an ON/OFF switch.

9. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 8, wherein said data cable includes a data-cable connector that is operatively connectable to said multi-mode device connector, a first cable having a USB-compatible cable connector, and a second cable having an RS-232-compatible cable connector, said first cable and said second cable being connected to said data-cable connector, and wherein said USB-compatible cable connector is connectable to a USB host device, and said RS-232-compatible cable connector is connectable to an RS-232 host device.

10. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 9, wherein said USB-compatible cable connector and said RS-232-compatible cable connector are simultaneously connectable to said USB host device and said RS-232 host device, respectively.

11. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 9, wherein said RS-232 host device is a radio transmitter and said USB host device is a data logger.

12. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 8 further comprising an RS-232 unit that includes said battery pack and said RS-232 circuit.

13. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 12, wherein said RS-232 unit is incorporated into said data cable.

14. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 12, wherein said RS-232 unit is operatively connectable to said multi-mode GPS-receiver via said multi-mode device connector and to said data cable, so as to provide a power source for said multi-mode GPS-receiver for transceiving RS-232 signals.

15. The GPS data transceiver system of claim 7, wherein said external power source is a plug that is connectable to a cigarette lighter receptacle in an automobile.

16. A GPS data transceiver system for use with a host device, said system comprising:

a GPS receiver housing having a multi-mode device connector;

a GPS-receiver base-band circuit;

a USB circuit with a USB port;

an RS-232 circuit with an RS-232 port; and

a data cable assembly;

wherein said GPS-receiver base-band circuit, said RS-232 circuit, and said USB circuit are incorporated within said housing and said USB;

port and said RS-232 port are incorporated into said multi-mode device connector;

wherein a USB signal and/or an RS-232 signal is processable by said GPS-receiver baseband circuit; and

wherein said data cable assembly has a data-cable-connector that is connectable to said multi-mode device connector, a host-device connector that is connectable to a host device, and a data cable therebetween.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said data cable assembly includes a first data cable, wherein said host-device connector is a USB-host-device connector that is connectable to a USB host device and a second data cable wherein said host-device connector is an RS-232-host-device connector that is connectable to an RS-232 host device;

wherein said first data cable and said second data cable are operatively connected to said data-cable-connector;

wherein said data cable assembly is connectable to said multi-mode-device connector and simultaneously to said USB host device and said RSB host device, and

wherein USB signals and RS-232 signals are simultaneously processable by said GPS-receiver base-band circuit.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said data cable assembly is a USB cable, wherein said host-device-connector is a USB connector that is connectable to a USB host device, and wherein USB signals are processable by said GPS-receiver base-band circuit.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said data cable assembly is an RS-232 cable, wherein said host-device connector is an RS-232 connector that is connectable to an RS-232 host device, and wherein said battery pack is incorporated in said data cable assembly;

and

wherein said RS-232 signals are processable by said GPS-receiver base-band circuit.

20. A GPS data transceiver system for use with a host device, said system comprising:

a GPS receiver housing having a multi-mode device connector with a USB port and an RS-232 port;

a GPS-receiver base-band circuit;

a USB circuit;

an RS-232 circuit and a battery pack; and

a data cable assembly;

wherein said GPS-receiver baseband circuit, said RS-232 circuit, and said USB circuit are incorporated within said housing and said USB circuit is operatively connected to said USB port and to said GPS-receiver base-band circuit;

wherein said data cable assembly has a data-cable-connector that is connectable to said multi-mode device connector, a host-device-connector that is connectable to a host device, and a data cable therebetween;

wherein said RS-232 and battery pack are external to said GPS receiver housing and are operatively connected to said GPS-receiver base-band circuit via said RS-232 port in said multi-mode device connector.