Apparatus and method for receiving GPS signals in a mobile terminal

• US 7,446,703 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Chan-Woo, Choi, Sun, Yang, Jeong-Bok, Park, Ki-Hyun, Eom, Tae-Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nga X
• Application Number:
  US11/407,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 34235701-35717
• US Class Current: 342/357.43
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for increasing GPS reception sensitivity in a mobile terminal having a mobile-based GPS positioning function. A GPS receiver in the mobile terminal generates SA data by using basic information about GPS satellites and system time. Here, the SA data is a replica of the total information bits of navigation data. The GPS receiver then correlates a PRN code with a GPS signal and coherent-integrating the correlation result by using the SA data. It calculates a position solution of the mobile terminal by using the integrated samples.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving global positioning system (GPS) signals in a mobile terminal, comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) receiver for receiving a first RF signal comprising basic information about a GPS satellite over a mobile communication network;

a first baseband processor for acquiring the basic information and system time of the mobile communication network based on the output of the first RF receiver;

a second RF receiver for receiving a second RF signal comprising navigation data from the GPS satellite;

a navigation data bit estimator for generating sensitivity assistance (SA) data by using the basic information and the system time, the SA data being a replica of the total information bits of the navigation data;

a second baseband processor for generating integrated samples by correlating a pseudo-random noise (PRN) code with the second RF signal and coherent-integrating the correlation result by using the SA data; and

a signal detector for calculating a position solution of the mobile terminal by using the integrated samples received from the second baseband processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second baseband processor comprises:

a message receiver for receiving the basic information from the first baseband processor; and

a decoder for separating the basic information received from the message receiver into ephemeris data and almanac data and providing the ephemeris data and the almanac data to the navigation data bit estimator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation data bit estimator comprises:

a telemetry (TLM) word generator for generating a TLM word comprising telemetry information by using the system time;

a first parity generator for generating first parity bits by parity-encoding the TLM word and attaching the first parity bits to the TLM word, thereby creating a first word;

a handover word (HOW) word generator for generating a HOW word comprising time of week (TOW) information by using the system time;

a second parity generator for generating second parity bits by parity-encoding the HOW word and attaching the second parity bits to the HOW word, thereby creating a second word;

a subframe decider for calculating a subframe number and a page number for the SA data by using the system time, and determining a subframe according to the subframe number and the page number;

a word generator for generating third through tenth words for the determined subframe by using the basic information;

a third parity generator for generating third through tenth parity bits by parity-encoding the third through tenth words and attaching the third through tenth parity bits to the third through tenth words; and

a format converter for constructing one frame with the first through tenth words comprising the parity bits in a predetermined format.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the word generator generates the third through tenth words by establishing estimable bits of the third through tenth words using the basic information, if the subframe is decided to be a ephemeris subframe for subframe 1 through subframe 3 according to the subframe number and the page number.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the subframe is decided to be an almanac subframe for subframe 5 of page 1 through page 24 according to the subframe number and the page number, the word generator determines satellite identifiers (IDs) according to the relationship between the subframe number and the page number, sets a satellite ID for the third through tenth words of the subframe to indicate a dummy space vehicle (SV) if the health state associated with the satellite ID of the basic information is not true, and sets the satellite ID for the third through tenth words of the subframe to indicate almanac data of the basic information if the health state associated with the satellite ID of the basic information is true.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the word generator generates the third through tenth words by establishing estimable bits of the third through tenth words by using the basic information, if the subframe is decided to be an ionospheric subframe for subframe 4 of page 18, an anti-spoof subframe for subframe 4 of page 25, or a health state subframe for subframe 5 of page 25 according to the subframe number and the page number.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the word generator generates the third through tenth words by establishing unestimable bits of the third through tenth words to a predetermined value or a random value, if the subframe is decided to be subframe 4 of pages 1, 6, 11 through 17, and 19 through 24 according to the subframe number and the page number.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second baseband processor comprises:

a carrier numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) for generating a carrier frequency signal in synchronization to the system time;

a mixer for mixing the second RF signal with the carrier frequency signal and outputting a baseband signal;

a code NCO for generating a code frequency signal in synchronization to the system time;

a code generator for generating the PRN code of the GPS satellite according to the code frequency signal; and

a correlation and coherent integration unit for correlating the baseband signal with the PRN code, integrating the correlation result for a coherent integration time determined by the length of a reliable part of the SA data, and outputting integrated samples to the signal detector.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal detector comprises:

a memory for storing the integrated samples received from the second baseband processor;

a peak detector for detecting samples having peak energy among the stored integrated samples;

a pseudo-range measurer for measuring a pseudo-range to the GPS satellite using the detected samples; and

a position solution calculator for calculating the position solution of the mobile terminal using the pseudo-range and pseudo-ranges to other GPS satellites.

10. A method of receiving global positioning system (GPS) signals in a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a first radio frequency (RF) receiver a first RF signal comprising basic information about a GPS satellite over a mobile communication network;

acquiring the basic information and system time of the mobile communication network based on the output of the first RF receiver;

receiving a second RF signal comprising navigation data from the GPS satellite;

generating sensitivity assistance (SA) data by using the basic information and the system time, the SA data being a replica of the total information bits of the navigation data;

generating integrated samples by correlating a pseudo-random noise (PRN) code with the second RF signal and coherent-integrating the correlation result by using the SA data; and

calculating a position solution of the mobile terminal by using the integrated samples.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the basic information comprises ephemeris data and almanac data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the SA data generation step comprises the steps of:

generating a telemetry (TLM) word comprising telemetry information by using the system time;

generating first parity bits by parity-encoding the TLM word and attaching the first parity bits to the TLM word, thereby creating a first word;

generating a handover word (HOW) word comprising time of week (TOW) information by using the system time;

generating second parity bits by parity-encoding the HOW word and attaching the second parity bits to the HOW word, thereby creating a second word;

calculating a subframe number and a page number for the SA data by using the system time, and determining a subframe according to the subframe number and the page number;

generating third through tenth words for the determined subframe by using the basic information;

generating third through tenth parity bits by parity-encoding the third through tenth words and attaching the third through tenth parity bits to the third through tenth words; and

constructing one frame with the first through tenth words comprising the parity bits in a predetermined format.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third through tenth words generation step comprises the step of:

generating the third through tenth words by establishing estimable bits of the third through tenth words by using the basic information, if the subframe is decided to be a ephemeris subframe for subframe 1 through subframe 3 according to the subframe number and the page number.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the third through tenth words generation step comprises the steps of:

if the subframe is decided to be an almanac subframe for subframe 5 of page 1 through page 24 according to the subframe number and the page number, determining satellite identifiers (IDs) according to the relationship between the subframe number and the page number;

establishing a satellite ID for the third through tenth words of the sub frame to indicate a dummy space vehicle (SV) if the health state associated with the satellite ID of the basic information is not true; and

establishing the satellite ID for the third through tenth words of the subframe to indicate almanac data of the basic information if the health state associated with the satellite ID of the basic information is true.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the third through tenth words generation step comprises the step of:

generating the third through tenth words by establishing estimable bits of the third through tenth words using the basic information, if the subframe is decided to be an ionospheric subframe for subframe 4 of page 18, an anti-spoof subframe for subframe 4 of page 25, or a health state subframe for subframe 5 of page 25 according to the subframe number and the page number.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the third through tenth words generation step comprises the step of:

generating the third through tenth words by establishing unestimable bits of the third through tenth words to a predetermined value or a random value, if the subframe is decided to be subframe 4 of pages 1, 6, 11 through 17, and 19 through 24 according to the subframe number and the page number.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the correlation sample generation step comprises the steps of:

generating a carrier frequency signal in synchronization to the system time;

mixing the second RF signal with the carrier frequency signal and thus outputting a baseband signal;

generating a code frequency signal in synchronization to the system time;

generating the PRN code of the GPS satellite according to the code frequency signal; and

correlating the baseband signal with the PRN code, integrating the correlation result for a coherent integration time determined by the length of a reliable part of the SA data, and outputting the integrated samples.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the position solution calculation step comprises the steps of:

storing the integrated samples;

detecting samples having peak energy among the stored integrated samples;

measuring a pseudo-range to the GPS satellite by using the detected samples; and

calculating the position solution of the mobile terminal by using the pseudo-range and pseudo-ranges to other GPS satellites.