Auxiliary satellite positioning system and method thereof

• US 8,352,171 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lin, Hung-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/651,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391-53913, 340988-99528, 342/350, 342/352, 342/357.01, 34235706-35715, 701200-215
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems

Abstract

An auxiliary satellite positioning system is applied to a first satellite positioning apparatus. The auxiliary positioning system includes a detection module, a transmission interface and a positioning module. A second satellite positioning module having a satellite data can be detected by the detection module via a wireless transmission protocol. The satellite data can be transmitted by the transmission interface to the first satellite positioning module from the second satellite positioning module. The satellite data can be used by the positioning module to implement a satellite positioning action.

Claims

1. An auxiliary satellite positioning system of a first portable satellite positioning apparatus, comprising:

a detection module configured to search for a second portable satellite positioning apparatus having a short range wireless transmission protocol and current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data;

a transmission interface configured to transmit and receive, after the second portable satellite positioning apparatus being detected by the detection module, said current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data directly to and from a detected second portable satellite positioning apparatus using said short range wireless transmission protocol; and

a positioning module configured to implement a satellite positioning action using said current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data received from said second portable satellite positioning apparatus.

2. The auxiliary satellite positioning system of claim 1, wherein said transmission interface further comprises a cable transmission interface configured to transmit said satellite data through a connecting line.

3. The auxiliary satellite positioning system of claim 1, wherein said positioning module is a global positioning system (GPS) module.

4. An auxiliary satellite positioning method, comprising the steps of:

providing a first portable satellite positioning apparatus;

using a short range wireless transmission protocol to search for a second portable satellite positioning apparatus having a communication capability using said short range wireless transmission protocol and having current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data;

if the second portable satellite positioning apparatus has been detected, using said short range wireless transmission protocol to receive said current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data directly from said second portable satellite positioning apparatus through a transmission interface; and

using said current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data received from said second portable satellite positioning apparatus to implement a satellite positioning action.

5. The auxiliary satellite positioning method of claim 4, further comprising the step of using a cable transmission interface of said transmission interface to connect to said second portable satellite positioning apparatus and receive said current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data through a connecting line.

6. The auxiliary satellite positioning method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises a step of providing a global positioning system module to implement said satellite positioning action.

7. An auxiliary satellite positioning method, comprising the steps of:

providing a first portable satellite positioning apparatus;

using a short range wireless transmission protocol to search for a second portable satellite positioning apparatus having current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data, the step of searching including;

a. sending a communication request using said short range wireless transmission protocol;

b. receiving said communication request by said portable second satellite positioning apparatus;

c. sending from said portable second satellite positioning apparatus a connection permission signal to said first portable satellite positioning apparatus using said short range wireless transmission protocol; and

,

d. receiving said connection permission signal transmitted by said second portable satellite positioning apparatus by said portable first satellite positioning apparatus;

after the second portable satellite positioning apparatus has been detected, using said short range wireless transmission protocol to set a direct communication connection between said first portable satellite positioning apparatus and said second portable satellite positioning apparatus;

using said communication connection to receive said current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data directly from said second portable satellite positioning apparatus; and

using said current ephemeris and global positioning satellite orbit data to implement a satellite positioning action.

8. The auxiliary satellite positioning method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises a step of providing a global positioning system module to implement said satellite positioning action.