Radioterminals and associated operating methods that alternate transmission of wireless communications and processing of global positioning system signals

• US 7,453,396 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D., Levin, Lon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US11/098,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 34235701-357017
• US Class Current: 342/357.64
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

A radioterminal includes a wireless communications transmitter, a wireless communications receiver and a GPS receiver. A controller is configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications, and to disable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications. Related methods also are described.

Claims

1. A radioterminal comprising:

a wireless communications transmitter;

a wireless communications receiver;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver including a GPS radio frequency (RF) system and a GPS signal processing system; and

a controller that is configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications and to disable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications;

wherein the controller is further configured to disable the wireless communications transmitter and enable the GPS RF system and the GPS signal processing system to receive and process GPS signals, respectively, when the GPS RF system and the GPS signal processing system have been disabled for a predetermined time, wherein the predetermined time comprises a variable predetermined time, and to send a measure of location of the radioterminal to at least one other radioterminal, wherein an identity of the radioterminal is used to determine the at least one other radioterminal and the measure of location of the radioterminal is sent to the at least one other radioterminal responsive to a change of position of the radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change of position of the radioterminal.

2. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications to determine a position of the radioterminal and to disable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications to transmit the position of the radioterminal.

3. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to disable the GPS receiver by disabling the GPS RF system and/or the GPS signal processing system.

4. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the wireless communications transmitter comprises a wireless communications transmitter RF system and a wireless communications transmitter signal processing system and wherein the controller is configured to disable the wireless communications transmitter by disabling the wireless communications transmitter RF system and/or the wireless communications transmitter signal processing system.

5. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is not transmitting wireless communications and the wireless communications receiver is not receiving wireless communications.

6. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a telecommunications standard and other regulatory requirements under which the radioterminal is operating.

7. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon an acceleration, speed, velocity and position of the radioterminal.

8. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a length of time it took to decode a previous GPS signal and/or to estimate a previous position of the radioterminal and a desired accuracy of a position determination.

9. A radioterminal according to claim 1 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a user input, a system input and a time-of-day value.

10. A radioterminal comprising:

a wireless communications transmitter;

a wireless communications receiver;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver including a GPS radio frequency (RF) systemand a GPS signal processing system; and

a controller that is configured to switch the radioterminal between a first mode, wherein the GPS RF system and the GPS signal processing system are disabled and the wireless communications transmitter is enabled, and a second mode, wherein the GPS RF system and the GPS signal processing system are enabled to receive and process GPS signals, respectively, and the wireless communications transmitter is disabled;

wherein the controller is further configured to switch the radioterminal to the second mode when the radioterminal has been in the time, wherein the redetermined time comprises a variable predetermined time, and to send a measure of location of the radioterminal to at least one other radioterminal, wherein an identity of the radioterminal is used to determine the at least one other radioterminal and the measure of location of the radioterminal is sent to the at least one other radioterminal responsive to a change of position of the radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change of position of the radioterminal.

11. A radioterminal according to claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to enable the wireless communications receiver in the first and/or second modes.

12. A radioterminal according to claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to switch the radioterminal between the second mode to determine a position of the radioterminal and the first mode to transmit the position of the radioterminal.

13. A radioterminal according to claim 10 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a telecommunications standard and other regulatory requirements under which the radioterminal is operating.

14. A radioterminal according to claim 10 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon an acceleration, speed, velocity and position of the radioterminal.

15. A radioterminal according to claim 10 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a length of time it took to decode a previous GPS signal, a length of time it took to estimate a previous position of the radioterminal and a desired accuracy of a position determination.

16. A radioterminal according to claim 10 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a user input, a system input and a time-of-day value.

17. A method of operating a radioterminal that includes awireless communications transmitter, a wireless communications receiver, and a globalpositioning system (GPS) receiver including a GPS radio frequency (RF) system and a GPS signal processing system, the method comprising:

switching the radioterminal between a first mode, wherein the GPS RF system and the GPS signal processing system are disabled and the wireless communications transmitter is enabled, and a second mode, wherein the GPS RF system and the GPS signal processing system are enabled to receive and process GPS signals, respectively, and the wireless communications transmitter is disabled;

switching the radioterminal to the second mode when the radioterminal has been in thefirst mode for a predetermined time, wherein the predetermined time comprises a variablepredetermined time; and

sending a measure of location of the radioterminal to at least one other radioterminal, wherein an identity of the radioterminal is used to determine the at least one other radioterminal and the measure of location of the radioterminal is sent to the at least one other radioterminal responsive to a change of position of the radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change of position of the radioterminal.

18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising:

enabling the wireless communications receiver in the first and/or second modes.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein switching further comprises switching the radioterminal between the second mode to determine a position of the radioterminal, and the first mode to transmit the position of the radioterminal.

20. A method according to claim 17 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a telecommunications standard and other regulatory requirements under which the radioterminal is operating.

21. A method according to claim 17 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon an acceleration, speed, velocity and position of the radioterminal.

22. A method according to claim 17 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a length of time it took to decode a previous GPS signal, a length of time it took to estimate a previous position of the radioterminal and a desired accuracy of a position determination.

23. A method according to claim 17 wherein the variable predetermined time is based upon a user input, a system input and a time-of-day value.