GPS with mask ROM, control IC of the GPS and method for implementing the same

• US 7,598,906 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Steve Wiyi, Chang, Yu-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/601,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215, 701/208
• US Class Current: 342/357.77
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/387 Organisation of map data, e.g. version management or database structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain

Abstract

The present invention provides a global positioning system (GPS) and a method for implementing the system. The GPS includes a control unit, a GPS RF processing circuit and a storage unit. The control unit includes a microprocessor and a mask ROM storing reference information. The GPS RF processing circuit is coupled to the control unit for receiving an RF signal, transforming the RF signal into a base-band or an intermediate frequency signal and transmitting the base-band or the intermediate frequency signal to the control unit. The storage unit is coupled to the control unit to temporally store a program code. The microprocessor executes the program code and refers to the reference information to achieve global positioning.

Claims

1. A global positioning system (GPS), comprising:

a control unit comprising a microprocessor and a mask read-only memory (ROM) storing a map data;

a GPS radio-frequency (RF) processing circuit coupled to the control unit for receiving an RF signal, transforming the RF signal into a base-band or an intermediate frequency signal and transmitting the base-band or the intermediate frequency signal to the control unit; and

a first storage unit coupled to the control unit for temporally storing a program code;

wherein the microprocessor executes the program code and refers to the map data to achieve global positioning.

2. The GPS of claim 1, wherein the mask ROM stores the program code and the microprocessor temporally stores the program code in the first storage unit before the microprocessor executes the program code.

3. The GPS of claim 2, further comprising:

a second storage unit coupled to the control unit for storing modified information;

wherein the microprocessor executes the program code and refers to the map data and the modified information to achieve global positioning.

4. The GPS of claim 3, wherein the second storage unit is a flash memory.

5. The GPS of claim 1, further comprising:

a second storage unit coupled to the control unit for storing the program code;

wherein the microprocessor temporally stores the program code in the first storage unit before the microprocessor executes the program code.

6. The GPS of claim 5, wherein the second storage unit is a flash memory.

7. The GPS of claim 5, wherein the second storage unit further stores modified information and the microprocessor executes the program code and refers to the map data and the modified information to achieve global positioning.

8. The GPS of claim 5, further comprising:

a third storage unit coupled to the control unit for storing modified information;

wherein the microprocessor executes the program code and refers to the map data and the modified information to achieve global positioning.

9. The GPS of claim 8, wherein the third storage unit is a flash memory.

10. The GPS of claim 1, wherein the first storage unit is a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM).

11. A control integrated circuit (IC) of a global positioning system (GPS), the control IC comprising a microprocessor and a mask read-only memory (ROM) storing a map data, wherein the microprocessor operates and refers to the map data to achieve global positioning.

12. The control IC of claim 11, wherein the mask ROM stores a program code and the microprocessor executes the program code and refers to the map data to achieve global positioning.

13. The control IC of claim 11, wherein the map data is changed by changing at least a mask of the mask ROM.

14. The control IC of claim 11, wherein the mask ROM and the microprocessor are manufactured simultaneously on a semiconductor chip.

15. A method for manufacturing a control integrated circuit (IC) of a global positioning system (GPS), the method comprising steps of:

manufacturing a microprocessor and a mask read-only memory (ROM) of the control IC on a semiconductor substrate; and

designing at least a data mask for defining the data content in the mask ROM according to a map data;

wherein the microprocessor operates and accesses the data content in the mask ROM to achieve global positioning.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a step of:

changing the data mask so as to change the data content in the mask ROM.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of designing the data mask comprising a step of:

designing the data mask further according to a program code;

wherein, the manufactured mask ROM stores the map data and the program code and the microprocessor executes the program code and accesses the map data to achieve global positioning.