Use of accelerometer only data to improve GNSS performance

• US 8,311,740 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Holdings Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSR Technology Holdings Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chansarkar, Mangesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Champagne, Luna
• Application Number:
  US12/695,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/500
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/26 involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for improving satellite navigation by assessing the dynamic state of a platform for a satellite navigation receiver and using this data to improve navigation models and satellite tracking algorithms. The dynamic state of the receiver platform may be assessed using only accelerometer data, and does not require inertial navigation system integration. The accelerometers may not need to be very accurate and may not need to be aligned and/or accurately calibrated. A method of accelerometer assisted satellite navigation may comprise: detecting a stationary condition of an accelerometer set; gross-calibrating the accelerometer set when in the stationary condition, wherein gross-calibrating includes determining a combined-bias of the accelerometer set; defining at least two acceleration levels using the combined-bias; collecting accelerometer data; categorizing the accelerometer data into one of the acceleration levels; and utilizing the categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation.

Claims

1. A method of accelerometer assisted satellite navigation, comprising:

detecting a stationary condition of an accelerometer set coupled to a navigation device;

gross-calibrating said accelerometer set when in said stationary condition, wherein gross-calibrating includes determining a combined-bias of said accelerometer set;

defining at least two acceleration levels using said combined-bias;

collecting accelerometer data;

categorizing said accelerometer data into one of said at least two acceleration levels; and

utilizing the categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation,

wherein one or more steps of the method are performed by one or more computer processors coupled to a receiver of the navigation device, the receiver receiving navigation signals from a navigation satellite system.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said detecting said stationary condition comprises:

collecting acceleration data;

calculating the statistics of said acceleration data; and

analyzing said statistics to determine said stationary condition.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said accelerometer is within a vehicle and detecting said stationary condition includes monitoring a vibration profile for said vehicle.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said gross-calibrating said accelerometer set is repeated whenever a stationary condition is detected.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein said accelerometer set is an accelerometer triad and said combined-bias is determined for said accelerometer triad as a whole.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes assisting satellite tracking.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes setting an adaptive Q in a Kalman filter dynamic model using the acceleration level of the categorized acceleration data.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes setting a carrier-to-noise ratio for optimization of satellite signal collection using the acceleration level of the categorized acceleration data.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes adjusting a satellite signal tracking algorithm bandwidth using the acceleration level of the categorized acceleration data.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes adjusting a tracking pre-detection integration time using the acceleration level of the categorized acceleration data.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes setting the time constant of loss of satellite lock detection using the acceleration level of the categorized acceleration data.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes assisting in satellite signal acquisition using the acceleration level of the categorized acceleration data.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes optimizing a power use of a satellite signal receiver using the acceleration level of the categorized acceleration data.

14. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes optimizing a number of channels needed to acquire a satellite signal.

15. A method as in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation includes modeling satellite search uncertainty growth during a satellite signal outage.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein said utilizing said categorized accelerometer data to enhance satellite navigation further includes optimizing a number of channels needed to acquire a satellite signal after said satellite signal outage ends.

17. A method as in claim 13, wherein said satellite signal receiver is within a cell phone.

18. A system for accelerometer assisted satellite navigation, said system comprising:

an accelerometer set for generating accelerometer data, the accelerometer set being coupled to a navigation device;

a stationary condition detection module, for detecting a stationary condition of said accelerometer set from said accelerometer data;

a gross-calibration module for providing a combined-bias of said accelerometer set from accelerometer data collected when said stationary condition of said accelerometer set is detected;

an acceleration level definition module for defining at least two acceleration levels using said combined-bias of said accelerometer set; and

an accelerometer data categorization module for categorizing said accelerometer data by acceleration level,

wherein one or more of the stationary condition detection module, the gross-calibration module, the acceleration level definition module, and the accelerometer data categorization module are include in one or more computer processors coupled to a receiver of the navigation device, the receiver receiving navigation signals from a navigation satellite system.

19. A system as in claim 18, further comprising:

a GNSS subsystem for acquiring satellite signals;

wherein said GNSS subsystem is configured to utilize categorized accelerometer data for assisting in satellite signal acquisition.

20. A system as in claim 18, further comprising:

a navigation processor for providing navigation solutions;

wherein said navigation processor is configured to utilize categorized accelerometer data for enhancing navigation solutions.