Reconfigurable satellite positioning system receivers

• US 8,169,366 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Conroy, Cormac S., Sheynblat, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US12/395,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20100127925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.25, 342/357.46, 342/357.63, 342/357.67, 342/357.76, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.63
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/33 Multimode operation in different systems which transmit time stamped messages, e.g. GPS/GLONASS

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for operatively enabling at least a first receiver path to receive a first signal associated with a first satellite positioning system (SPS), operatively enabling at least a second receiver path to receive a signal associated with at least one other SPS, and subsequently operatively enabling at least the second receiver path to receive a second signal associated with the first SPS.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

operatively enabling at least a first receiver path to receive a first signal associated with a first satellite positioning system (SPS);

operatively enabling at least a second receiver path to receive a signal associated with at least one other SPS; and

subsequently operatively enabling at least said second receiver path to receive a second signal associated with said first SPS.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

operatively enabling at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one RF environment factor.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

identifying said at least one RF environment factor.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

operatively enabling at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one of a time parameter, a device mode parameter, and/or a received parameter.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

operatively enabling at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, in response to receipt of information from at least a threshold number of satellites via said first signal.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

operatively enabling at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receipt of said first signal of at least a threshold signal strength.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

operatively enabling at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receipt of said first signal of at least a threshold signal quality and in response subsequently.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first signal is associated with a first frequency band or first frequency channel, and said second signal is associated with a second frequency band or second frequency channel.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first signal comprises a line of sight version and said second signal comprises a multipath version of one SPS signal.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein operatively enabling said second receiver path to receive said second signal comprises:

selectively operatively enabling at least one adaptable component operatively associated with said second receiver path to receive said second signal.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said at least one adaptable component comprises at least one of an adaptable antenna, at least one selectable antenna, an adaptable filter, an adaptable synthesizer, and/or a baseband processor.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first SPS comprises a first Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) and said at least one other SPS comprises a second GNSS different from said first GNSS.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining position location information based, at least in part, on at least one of said first signal and said second signal.

46. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

operatively enabling at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on position location information.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of receiver paths; and

a controller operatively coupled to said plurality of receiver paths and operatively enabled to;

(i) operatively enable at least a first receiver path to receive a first signal associated with a first satellite positioning system (SPS), (ii) operatively enable at least a second receiver path to receive a signal associated with at least one other SPS, and (iii) selectively operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive a second signal associated with said first SPS.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said controller is enabled to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one RF environment factor.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising circuitry operatively coupled to said controller and enabled to identify said at least one RF environment factor.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said controller is enabled to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one of a time parameter, a device mode parameter, and/or a received parameter.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said controller is enabled to selectively operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receiving information from at least a threshold number of satellites via said first signal.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said controller is operatively enabled to selectively adapt at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receiving said first signal having at least a threshold signal strength.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said controller is operatively enabled to selectively adapt at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receiving said first signal having at least a threshold signal quality.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said first signal is associated with a first frequency band or first frequency channel and said second signal is associated with a second frequency band or second frequency channel.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said first signal comprises a line of sight version and said second signal comprises a multipath version of one SPS signal.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein at least said second receiver path is operatively associated with at least one of an adaptable antenna, at least one selectable antenna, an adaptable filter, an adaptable synthesizer, and/or a baseband processor.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said first SPS comprises a first Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) and said at least one other SPS comprises a second GNSS different from said first GNSS.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a position locator operatively coupled to at least said plurality of receiver paths and operatively enabled to determine position location information based, at least in part, on at least one of said first signal and said second signal.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein at least said plurality of receiver paths and said controller are provided within a mobile device.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for selectively receiving a first signal associated with a first satellite positioning system (SPS);

means for selectively receiving a signal associated with a second SPS;

means for selecting said first SPS over said second SPS based, at least in part, on said first signal and in response initiating said means for selectively receiving said signal associated with said second SPS to selectively receive a second signal associated with said first SPS.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said means for selecting said first SPS over said second SPS is enabled to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one RF environment factor.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

means for identifying said at least one RF environment factor.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said means for selecting said first SPS over said second SPS is enabled to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one of a time parameter, a device mode parameter, and/or a received parameter.

31. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said means for selecting said first SPS over said second SPS is operatively enabled to determine if information from at least a threshold number of satellites has been received via said first signal before initiating said means for selectively receiving said signal associated with said second SPS to selectively receive said second SPS signal associated.

32. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said means for selecting said first SPS over said second SPS is operatively enabled to determine if said first signal has at least a threshold signal strength before initiating said means for selectively receiving said signal associated with said second SPS to selectively receive said second SPS signal associated.

33. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said means for selecting said first SPS over said second SPS is operatively enabled to determine if said first signal has at least a threshold signal quality before initiating said means for selectively receiving said signal associated with said second SPS to selectively receive said second SPS signal associated.

34. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said first signal is associated with a first frequency band or first frequency channel and said second signal is associated with a second frequency band or second frequency channel.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said first SPS comprises a first Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) and said at least one other SPS comprises a second GNSS different from said first GNSS.

36. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

means for determining position location information based, at least in part, on at least one of said first signal and said second signal.

37. An article comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer implementable instructions which if implemented by one or more processing units operatively enable the one or more processing units to:

(i) adapt at least a first receiver path to receive a first signal associated with a first satellite positioning system (SPS);

(ii) adapt at least a second receiver path to receive a signal associated with at least one other SPS; and

(iii) selectively adapt at least said second receiver path to receive a second signal associated with said first SPS.

38. The article as recited in claim 37, wherein said computer implementable instructions, if implemented by the one or more processing units operatively enable the one or more processing units to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one RF environment factor.

39. The article as recited in claim 38, wherein said computer implementable instructions, if implemented by the one or more processing units operatively enable the one or more processing units to access or receive said at least one RF environment factor.

40. The article as recited in claim 37, wherein said computer implementable instructions, if implemented by the one or more processing units operatively enable the one or more processing units to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second SPS signal based, at least in part, on at least one of a time parameter, a device mode parameter, and/or a received parameter.

41. The article as recited in claim 37, wherein said computer implementable instructions, if implemented by the one or more processing units operatively enable the one or more processing units to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receiving information from at least a threshold number of satellites via said first signal.

42. The article as recited in claim 37, wherein said computer implementable instructions, if implemented by the one or more processing units operatively enable the one or more processing units to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receiving said first signal having at least a threshold signal strength.

43. The article as recited in claim 37, wherein said computer implementable instructions, if implemented by the one or more processing units operatively enable the one or more processing units to operatively enable at least said second receiver path to receive said second signal based, at least in part, in response to receiving said first signal having at least a threshold signal quality.

44. The article as recited in claim 37, wherein said first signal is associated with a first frequency band or first frequency channel and said second signal is associated with a second frequency band or second frequency channel.

45. The article as recited in claim 37, wherein said first SPS comprises a first Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) and said at least one other SPS comprises a different GNSS.