Mobile positioning

• US 7,693,482 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eade, Philip Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong; Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US10/794,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/17, 455/422, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/427, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/344
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components

Abstract

A dual mode device (110) comprising a communications block (120) and a satellite positioning block (130), each comprising respective Base Band (BB) blocks (123, 132) and crystals or frequency sources (122, 1312). The communications crystal (122) provides a cellular clock signal (FS1) to the satellite positioning block (130), which monitors the difference in the frequencies the crystals produce (FS1, FS2), using Vernier interpolation to gain a resolution greater than one clock cycle. The positioning crystal (1312) is used independent of the cellular crystal to demodulate satellite signals. The positioning BB (132) tracks the demodulated satellite signals compensating any errors caused by the positioning crystal signals (FS2) to the demodulation, using the information resulting from the monitoring. The communications crystal is capable to network based calibration and the positioning BB can compensate for the fluctuation thus caused in the cellular clock signal (FS1).

Claims

1. A mobile communication and positioning device comprising:

a first frequency source configured to produce a temperature compensated first frequency signal;

a second frequency source configured to produce a second frequency signal having a frequency independent of the first frequency source;

a satellite positioning demodulator configured to demodulate radio signals of a satellite transmission based on the second frequency signal;

a detector configured to detect, with a resolution higher than one clock cycle of the second frequency signal, changes in the frequency difference between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal by using interpolation; and

a decoder configured to decode the demodulated satellite radio signals while taking into account the changes in the frequency difference to compensate for errors of the demodulation caused by frequency drifts in the second frequency signal.

2. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the detector has been configured to apply a Vernier method for the interpolation.

3. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising a mobile communication modulator configured to modulate information signals for radio transmission to a terrestrial base station based on the first frequency signal.

4. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the first frequency source is configured to repeatedly calibrate itself to provide a substantially stable first frequency signal using a frequency source of a base transceiver station.

5. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the second frequency source is of a non-compensated temperature type.

6. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to determine for changes in the first frequency signal that have been caused by controlling the first frequency source based on the frequency source of a base station.

7. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 6, in which the device is further configured to compensate the determined changes in the first frequency signal due to the frequency control in order to stabilise the decoding.

8. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to receive satellite control and communication signals from a base station for network assisted satellite positioning.

9. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 1, in which the device is further configured to selectively enable or disable the interpolation depending on a predetermined condition.

10. A mobile communication and positioning device according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined condition is selected from a group consisting of:

the available power changing to a particular level, the quality or power of radio signals received from a positioning satellite changing to a predetermined level or by a predetermined rate or amount, the quality or power of radio signals received from a base station changing to a predetermined level or by a predetermined rate or amount, motion of the device changing to a predetermined level or by a predetermined rate or amount and receiving a particular user command.

11. A method of operating a mobile communication and positioning device comprising:

producing a temperature compensated first frequency signal;

producing a second frequency signal having a frequency independent of the first frequency source;

demodulating radio signals of a satellite transmission based on the second frequency signal;

detecting, with a resolution higher than one clock cycle of the second frequency signal, changes in the frequency difference between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal by using interpolation; and

decoding the demodulated satellite radio signals taking into account the changes in the frequency difference to compensate for errors of the demodulation caused by frequency drifts in the second frequency signal.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein a Vernier method is used for the interpolation.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising repeatedly calibrating the first frequency signal using a frequency source of a base transceiver station.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of determining changes in the first frequency signal that have been caused by controlling the first frequency source based on the frequency source of a base station.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising compensating the determined changes in the first frequency signal due to the frequency control in order to stabilise the decoding.

16. A method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving satellite control and communication signals from a base station for network assisted satellite positioning.

17. A memory media storing a computer program for controlling a mobile communication and positioning device, the device comprising a first frequency source configured for producing a temperature compensated first frequency signal;

a second frequency source configured for producing a second frequency signal having a frequency independent of the first frequency source; and

a satellite positioning demodulator configured for demodulating radio signals of a satellite transmission based on the second frequency signal;

the computer program comprising;

computer executable program code for causing the mobile communication device to detect, with a resolution higher than one clock cycle of the second frequency signal, changes in the frequency difference between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal by using interpolation; and

computer executable program code for causing the mobile communication device to decode the demodulated satellite radio signals configured to take into account the changes in the frequency difference to compensate for errors of the demodulation caused by frequency drifts in the second frequency signal.