Apparatus for performing global navigation satellite system control, and associated methods and storage media

• US 8,436,769 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2010
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Kung-Shuan, Chen, Ching-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US12/859,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.42
• US Class Current: 342/357.42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data

Abstract

An apparatus for performing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) control includes: a GNSS receiver arranged to obtain/calculate at least one position of the apparatus; and an assistance data provider implemented within the apparatus, wherein the assistance data provider is arranged to provide the GNSS receiver with assistance data for use of obtaining/calculating the at least one position, and the assistance data provider selectively selects a specific assistance mode from a plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to at least one predefined rule, with the assistance data corresponding to the specific assistance mode. Associated methods and storage media are also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) control, comprising:

a GNSS receiver arranged to obtain at least one position of the apparatus; and

an assistance data provider implemented within the apparatus, wherein the assistance data provider is arranged to provide the GNSS receiver with assistance data for use of obtaining the at least one position, and the assistance data provider selectively selects a specific assistance mode from a plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to at least one predefined rule, with the assistance data corresponding to the specific assistance mode;

wherein the assistance data is necessary for the GNSS receiver to obtain the at least one position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assistance data provider is implemented with a program module executed by a controller within the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is positioned within the GNSS receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein according to the at least one predefined rule, the assistance data provider selects at least one assistance mode of the plurality of assistance modes as the specific assistance mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assistance data provider obtains the assistance data from an external network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assistance modes comprise a Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) assistance mode, a Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX) assistance mode, a frame time assistance mode, a user plane Assisted GNSS (AGNSS) assistance mode, a control plane AGNSS assistance mode, a cell identification (cell-ID) assistance mode, a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point information assistance mode, a predicted navigation assistance model assistance mode, and/or a sensor data assistance mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined rule comprise an assistance priority profile rule, an assistance power consumption rule, a user preferred setting rule, a system timing rule, a GNSS satellite signal rule, and/or a location based application rule.

8. A method for performing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) control, comprising:

selecting a specific assistance mode from a plurality of assistance modes for a GNSS receiver according to at least one predefined rule; and

providing the GNSS receiver with assistance data for use of obtaining at least one position, wherein the assistance data corresponds to the specific assistance mode;

wherein the assistance data is necessary for the GNSS receiver to obtain the at least one position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of selecting the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to the at least one predefined rule further comprises:

receiving at least one assistance event to determine at least one assistance condition accordingly;

comparing the determined assistance condition with the at least one predefined rule to generate at least one comparison result; and

selecting the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to the at least one comparison result.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one assistance event comprises a GNSS receiver power on/off event, a GNSS receiver positioning status event, a location based application request event, a GNSS satellite signal measurement event, and/or a timing tag event.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one assistance condition comprises a power on/off condition, a fix/no fix condition, a satellite in tracking/acquisition condition, a collecting satellite navigation data condition, an assistance request bitmap condition, a location based service (LBS) condition, an emergency call condition, a navigation condition, an urban canyon condition, a weak signal condition, a Global Positioning System (GPS) time tick condition, and/or a GPS time of week (TOW) condition.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of selecting the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to the at least one predefined rule further comprises:

according to the at least one predefined rule, selecting at least one assistance mode of the plurality of assistance modes as the specific assistance mode.

13. A storage medium, which is a non-transitory tangible medium, wherein the storage medium stores a program module for being executed within an apparatus comprising a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, and the program module comprises:

a selector arranged to select a specific assistance mode from a plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to at least one predefined rule; and

a dispatcher arranged to provide the GNSS receiver with assistance data for use of obtaining at least one position, wherein the assistance data corresponds to the specific assistance mode;

wherein the assistance data is necessary for the GNSS receiver to obtain the at least one position.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein based upon at least one assistance event, the selector is arranged to select the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to the at least one predefined rule.

15. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein based upon the specific assistance mode selected by the selector, the dispatcher obtains the assistance data from an external network.

16. A method for performing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) control, comprising:

selecting a specific assistance mode from a plurality of assistance modes for a GNSS receiver according to at least one predefined rule, wherein the at least one predefined rule comprises at least one predefined priority setting rule, and the step of selecting the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to the at least one predefined rule further comprises;

receiving an assistance request bitmap; and

selecting the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes according to the predefined priority setting rule and the assistance request bitmap; and

providing the GNSS receiver with assistance data for use of obtaining at least one position, wherein the assistance data corresponds to the specific assistance mode;

wherein the assistance data is necessary for the GNSS receiver to obtain the at least one position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the assistance request bitmap comprises:

a navigation model request indicator arranged to notify of whether to request a navigation model; and

a satellite Pseudo Random Noise (PRN) code list arranged to notify of satellites to be requested for the navigation model.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the predefined priority setting rule indicates that a navigation model assistance mode has higher priority than that of a Secure User Plane for Location (SUPL) protocol assistance mode.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of selecting the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to the at least one predefined rule further comprises:

receiving at least one assistance event to determine at least one assistance condition accordingly;

comparing the determined assistance condition with the at least one predefined rule to generate at least one comparison result; and

selecting the specific assistance mode from the plurality of assistance modes for the GNSS receiver according to the at least one comparison result.