Cold start satellite search method

• US 7,796,084 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Kun-tso, Huang, Kung-shuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US12/563,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.67
• US Class Current: 342/357.67
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection

Abstract

A method for searching satellites in a cold start state. The method of the present invention, a first satellite, which is predetermined or randomly selected, is searched. Then, a second satellite to be searched is selected according to the searching result (hit or missed) for the first satellite and respective interrelationships between the first satellite and the other satellites. In practice, an initial weight factor table is provided. Depending on the searching result, the initial weight factor table is updated according to the interrelationships between the satellites during searching. By using the method of the present invention, the time-to-first-fix (TTFF) can be reduced to a shorter period of time so as to provide a rapid cold start satellite positioning.

Claims

1. A method for searching a plurality of satellites in a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), said method comprising steps of:

searching a first satellite of a candidate satellite list;

updating initial weight factors for satellites based on the searching result for the first satellite;

selecting a second satellite according to the updated weight factors;

searching the second satellite; and

updating weight factors of satellites based on the searching result for the second satellite.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the last three steps are repeated until a predetermined number of satellites are found.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial weight factors for the satellites are updated according to the interrelationships between the respective satellites.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the initial weight factors for the satellites are updated according to interrelated conditional visibilities between the respective satellites.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein for each satellite, the interrelated conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibilities of all the other satellites with respect to the satellite.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein for each satellite, the interrelated conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibilities of a predetermined number of satellites having higher dependencies with respect to the satellite.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein for each satellite, the conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibility of a satellite having the highest dependency with respect to the satellite.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the interrelated conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibilities of all the satellites with respect to each satellite.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial weight factors for the satellites are set as desired.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight factors are stored in a weight factor table.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight factor of the satellite being searched is not updated in the updating step.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight factor of the satellite being searched is also updated in the updating step.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a satellite is removed from the candidate satellite list after said satellite has been searched.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the removed satellite which is not hit is re-included after the candidate satellite list becomes empty.

15. A method for searching a plurality of satellites in a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), said method comprising steps of:

providing a list of candidate satellites including satellites to be searched, each satellite in the list having a weight factor;

searching for at least one satellite from the list of candidate satellites; and

updating the weight factors of the respective satellites of the list in a first manner when the result of said searching step indicates that said satellite is hit, and updating the weight factors of the respective satellites of the list in a second manner when the result of said searching step indicates that said satellite is missed, based on interrelationships between the satellite and the respective satellites.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the weight factors for the satellites are updated according to interrelated conditional visibilities between the respective satellites.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein for each satellite, the interrelated conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibilities of all the other satellites with respect to the satellite.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein for each satellite, the interrelated conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibilities of a predetermined number of satellites having higher dependencies with respect to the satellite.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein for each satellite, the conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibility of a satellite having the highest dependency with respect to the satellite.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the interrelated conditional visibilities include the interrelated conditional visibilities of all of the satellites with respect to each satellite.