Methods and systems for temperature related frequency drift compensation

• US 7,586,382 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Holdings Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIRF Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tu, Yinghao, Wang, Chi-Shin, Jia, Zhike, Xiong, Lianxue
• Primary Examiner(s): Kinkead; Arnold
• Application Number:
  US11/681,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 331/2, 331/46, 331/176, 701/214, 342/357.12, 455/255, 455/259, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 331/176
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/04 where the frequency control is accomplished by varying the electrical characteristics of a non-mechanically adjustable element or where the nature of the frequency controlling element is not significant
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/02 against variations of temperature only

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that compensate for frequency drift due to temperature variation without the need for a temperature sensor. In one embodiment, a navigation receiver with an integrated communication device receives a base station reference signal, which is used to periodically calibrate a local oscillator frequency. In another embodiment, the calibrated local oscillator frequency drives a counter that is used to provide code phase estimation at the start of satellite signal acquisition. To provide temperature compensation in one embodiment, the calibrated local frequency is used to drive one or more counters at different calibration rates (i.e., different time intervals between calibrations). Count values from these counters are used to determine compensation for frequency drift due to temperature variation based on predicted frequency drift variation patterns between calibrations. This temperature compensation does not require a temperature sensor and further improves the accuracy of the code phase estimation.

Claims

1. A method of providing compensation for frequency drift due to temperature variation in a navigation receiver, comprising:

generating a local frequency using a local oscillator in the receiver;

periodically calibrating the local frequency using a reference signal;

driving a plurality of counters with the calibrated local frequency; and

computing a count correction to compensate for temperature variation using count values from at least two of the counters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the reference signal at the receiver from an external source.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the local frequency using a plurality of Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs).

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising inputting at least one AFC signal to the VCOs to calibrate the local frequency.

5. The method of claim 4, inputting two AFC signals to at least one of the VCOs, wherein the two AFC signals calibrate the local frequency at different calibration rates.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein one of the calibrations rates is m times longer than the other calibration rate, where m is an integer greater than one.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising periodically interchanging the VCOs to compensate for mismatches of the VCOs.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the VCOs are used in a Radio Frequency (RF) section of a navigation receiver and an RF section of a communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the counters count during a time period when the navigation receiver is not tracking satellite signals.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

inputting a first AFC signal to a first one of the VCOs to calibrate the local frequency at a first calibration rate;

inputting a second AFC signal to a second one of the VCOs to calibrate the local frequency at a second calibration rate;

driving a first one of the counters with the calibrated local frequency from the first VCO;

driving a second one of the counters with the calibrated local frequency from the second VCO; and

computing the count correction to compensate for temperature variation based on count values from the first and second counters.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising periodically interchanging the first and second VCOs to compensate for mismatches between the first and second VCOs.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the corrected count value to determine an elapsed time period from a time of last signal tracking to a time of signal acquisition; and

estimating a code phase for signal acquisition based the elapsed time period.

21. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the counters count during a time period when the navigation receiver is not tracking satellite signals.

22. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a first one of the VCOs receiving a first AFC signal to calibrate the local frequency at a first calibration rate;

a second one of the VCOs receiving a second AFC signal to calibrate the local frequency at a second calibration rate;

a first one of the counters driven with the calibrated local frequency from the first VCO; and

a second one of the counters driven with the calibrated local frequency from the second VCO; and

wherein the correction module computes the count correction to compensate for temperature variation based on count values from the first and second counters.

23. The receiver of claim 22, further comprising:

a first chopper coupled to inputs of the first and second VCOs; and

a second chopper coupled to outputs of the first and second VCOs, wherein the first and second choppers periodically interchange the first and second VCOs to compensate for mismatches of the first and second VCOs.

13. A navigational receiver, comprising:

a local oscillator for generating a local frequency;

a calibration module coupled to the local oscillator for periodically calibrating the local frequency using a reference signal;

a plurality of counters driven with the calibrated local frequency; and

a correction module coupled to at least two of the counters, wherein the correction module computes a count correction to compensate for temperature variation using count values from the at least two counters.

14. The receiver of claim 13, wherein the reference signal is received at the receiver from an external source.

15. The receiver of claim 13, wherein the calibration module comprises a plurality of Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs).

16. The receiver of claim 15, wherein at least one AFC signal is inputted to the VCOs to calibrate the local frequency.

17. The receiver of claim 16, wherein two AFC signals are inputted to at least one of the VCOs, the two AFC signals having different calibration rates.

18. The receiver of claim 17, wherein one of the calibrations rates is m times longer than the other calibration rate, where m is an integer greater than one.

19. The receiver of claim 15, further comprising:

a first chopper coupled to inputs of at least two of the VCOs; and

a second chopper coupled to outputs of the at least two VCOs;

wherein the first and second choppers periodically interchange the at least two VCOs to compensate for mismatches of the at least two VCOs.

20. The receiver of claim 15, wherein the VCOs are used in a Radio Frequency (RF) section of a navigation receiver and an RF section of a communication device.

24. The receiver of claim 13, further comprising a navigation computation module, wherein the navigation computation module uses the corrected count value to determine an elapsed time period from a time of last signal tracking to a time of signal acquisition;

and estimates a code phase for signal acquisition based the elapsed time period.