Integrated positioning apparatus and implementation method thereof

• US 8,346,475 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lien, Te Ti
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/073,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701207-209, 701212-214, 701/216, 701220-221, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/412, 701/445, 701/449, 701/450, 701/468, 701/469, 701/472, 701/500, 701/501, 701/512, 701/525, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 340/995.25, 340/995.28, 73/17.6, 73/17.7, 73/17.8
• US Class Current: 701/412
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation

Abstract

An integrated positioning apparatus includes a processing module, a satellite positioning module, an inertial positioning module, a transmission interface and a switching module. The processing module is utilized for executing a navigation program. The satellite positioning module functions to provide satellite positioning information. The inertial positioning module is used for generating inertial positioning information. The switching module is connected between the processing module and the transmission interface for receiving a control signal furnished by the processing module and is selectively switched to a first status or a second status based on the control signal. While in the first status, the switching module drives the transmission interface to connect to the satellite positioning module so as to transmit the satellite positioning information to the processing module for navigating. While in the second status, the switching module drives the transmission interface to connect to the inertial positioning module so as to transmit the inertial positioning information to the processing module for navigating.

Claims

1. An integrated positioning apparatus for use in a carrier, comprising:

a processing module, arranged for executing a navigation program, and for generating a control signal while a preset condition is met;

a satellite positioning module, arranged for providing satellite positioning information;

an inertial positioning module, including an inertial detection module for detecting a position vector and a rotation angle, and a magnetic detection apparatus being an electronic compass for providing direction information, wherein the electronic compass of the inertial positioning module generates inertial positioning information based on the position vector, the rotation angle, and the direction information;

a transmission interface, connected to the processing module; and

a switching module, arranged between the transmission interface and the satellite positioning module, and between the transmission interface and the inertial positioning module,

wherein the switching module is selectively switched to a first status or a second status based on the control signal received from the processing module, and the switching module is switched to exclusively connect the transmission interface to the satellite positioning module for transmitting the satellite positioning information to the processing module for use by the navigation program while the switching module is in the first status, and the switching module is switched to exclusively connect the transmission interface to the inertial positioning module for transmitting the inertial positioning information to the processing module for use by the navigation program while the switching module is in the second status, such that the navigation program respectively uses either the satellite positioning information or the inertial positioning information for navigation;

wherein the preset condition is determined according to a condition that a resolution of a navigation map used by the navigation program is enhanced over a preset value.

2. The integrated positioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inertial detection module comprises an accelerometer and a gyroscope, and the accelerometer is utilized to measure the position vector of the carrier, and gyroscope is utilized to detect the rotation angle of the carrier.

3. The integrated positioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preset condition is further determined according the condition that a velocity of the carrier being lower than a preset value.

4. The integrated positioning apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transmission interface is a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) and the said control signal is generated from a general-purpose I/O (GPIO) port of the processing module.

5. An integrated positioning apparatus for use in a carrier, comprising:

a processing module, arranged for executing a navigation program, and for generating a control signal while a preset condition is met;

a satellite positioning module, arranged for receiving a satellite signal and providing satellite positioning information;

an inertial positioning module, including an inertial detection module for detecting a position vector and a rotation angle, and a magnetic detection apparatus being an electronic compass for providing direction information, wherein the electronic compass of the inertial positioning module generates inertial positioning information based on the position vector, the rotation angle, and the direction information; and

a switching module, arranged between the processing module and the satellite positioning module, and between the processing module and the inertial positioning module, the switching module receiving the control signal furnished by the processing module and accordingly being selectively switched to a first status or a second status;

wherein the switching module is switched to exclusively connect the processing module to the satellite positioning module for transmitting the satellite positioning information while the switching module is in the first status, and the switching module is switched to exclusively connect the processing module to the inertial positioning module for transmitting the inertial positioning information while the switching module is in the second status, such that the navigation program respectively uses either the satellite positioning information or the inertial positioning information for navigation;

wherein the said transmission interface is a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) and the said control signal is generated from a general-purpose I/O (GPIO) port of the processing module;

wherein the preset condition is determined according to a condition that a resolution of a navigation map used by the navigation program is enhanced over a preset value.

6. The integrated positioning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that the intensity of the satellite signal received by the satellite positioning module is lower than a preset value.

7. The integrated positioning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that the satellite signal received by the satellite positioning module is interrupted.

8. The integrated positioning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that the carrier is at a halt.

9. The integrated positioning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that velocity of the carrier being lower than a preset value.

10. A method of executing operations of an integrated positioning apparatus for use in a carrier, and the integrated positioning apparatus comprising a processing module, a satellite positioning module, an inertial positioning module, a transmission interface and a switching module, and the method including the steps of:

activating a navigation program by the processing module;

enabling the transmission interface to connect between the processing module and the switching module;

initializing the satellite positioning module for obtaining satellite positioning information derived from a received satellite signal;

driving the switching module to switch to a first status based on a control signal generated by the processing module for exclusively connecting the transmission interface to the satellite positioning module, and transmitting satellite positioning information to the processing module for use by the navigation program; and

driving the switching module to switch to a second status based on the control signal generated by the processing module for exclusively connecting the transmission interface to the inertial positioning module for transmitting inertial positioning information to the processing module for use by the navigation program;

wherein the control signal is generated according to a preset condition, and said preset condition is determined according to a condition that a resolution of a navigation map used by the navigation program is enhanced over a preset value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that the intensity of the satellite signal received by the satellite positioning module is lower than a preset value.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that the satellite signal received by the satellite positioning module is interrupted.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that the carrier is at a halt.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmission interface is a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART).

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the control signal is generated from a general-purpose I/O port (GPIO) of the processing module.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the preset condition is further determined according to the condition that velocity of the carrier being lower than a preset value.