Signal receiver, portable computer and signal acquisition method used in satellite communication system

• US 8,644,788 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyTraq Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SkyTraq Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Hung-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHU, SANH D
• Application Number:
  US13/461,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20130295871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 455/334, 455/456.1, 455/12.1, 455/266, 375/140, 375/130, 375/147
• US Class Current: 455/334
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/33 Multimode operation in different systems which transmit time stamped messages, e.g. GPS/GLONASS
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/30 for homodyne or synchrodyne receivers demodulator circuits H03D1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/70735 Code identification H04B1/7083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/709 Correlator structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A signal receiver used in a satellite communication system is provided. The signal receiver comprises a first type code generator, a second type code generator, a composite code generator, a correlation module and a determining module. The first type code generator generates a first type code corresponding to a first type signal. The second type code generator generates a second type code corresponding to a second type signal and having a code length N-time longer than that of the first type code. The composite code generator generates a composite code by superimposing N successive first type codes on the second type code. The correlation module correlates the composite code with a cell of a received signal to generate correlation results. The determining module determines a type of the received signal according to correlation results of the composite code with the received signal.

Claims

1. A signal receiver used in a satellite communication system, wherein the signal receiver comprises:

a first type code generator for generating a first type code corresponding to a first type signal;

a second type code generator for generating a second type code corresponding to a second type signal and having a code length N-time longer than that of the first type code;

a composite code generator for generating a composite code by superimposing N successive first type codes on the second type code;

a correlation module for correlating the composite code with a received signal; and

a determining module for determining a type of the received signal according to correlation results of the composite code with the received signal,

wherein when N repetitive peaks are found in the correlation results, the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and when a single peak is found in the correlation results, the received signal is determined to be the second type signal.

2. The signal receiver of claim 1, further comprising a code NCO (numerical control oscillator) connected to both the first type code generator and the second type code generator for providing a local oscillation signal having a specific frequency such that the first and the second type code generators can generate the first and the second type codes according to the specific frequency.

3. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein when N repetitive peaks are found in the correlation results and when a height of one of the N repetitive peaks is larger than the height of the others, the type of the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and the second type signal.

4. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein when N+1 peaks are found in the correlation results, the type of the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and the second type signal.

5. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein when N−

1 peaks are found in the correlation results, the type of the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and the second type signal.

6. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein the determining module further accumulates the correlation results generated from a plurality of successive cells of the received signal to verify the type of the received signal.

7. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein the second type code is generated by shifting and combining a plurality of section codes of an original full code.

8. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein the first type signal is a GPS signal and the second type signal is a Galileo signal, in which the code length of the first type code is 1 ms and the code length of the second type code is 4 ms.

9. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein the composite code generator generates the composite code by superimposing the N successive first type codes on the second type code with an equal gain in a signed manner.

10. The signal receiver of claim 1, wherein the composite code generator generates the composite code by superimposing the N successive first type codes on the second type code with different gain in a signed manner.

11. A signal acquisition method performed by a satellite communication system, wherein the signal acquisition method comprises:

generating a first type code corresponding to a first type signal;

generating a second type code corresponding to a second type signal and having a code length N-time longer than that of the first type code;

generating a composite code by superimposing N successive first type codes on the second type code;

correlating the composite code with a cell of a received signal to generate correlation results; and

determining a type of the received signal according to the correlation results of the composite code with the received signal,

wherein when N repetitive peaks are found in the correlation results, the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and when a single peak is found in the correlation results, the received signal is determined to be the second type signal.

12. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, further comprising a code NCO (numerical control oscillator) connected to both the first type code generator and the second type code generator for providing a local oscillation signal having a specific frequency such that the first and the second type code generators can generate the first and the second type codes according to the specific frequency.

13. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, wherein when N repetitive peaks are found in the correlation results and when a height of one of the N repetitive peaks is larger than the height of the others, the type of the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and the second type signal.

14. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, wherein when N+1 peaks are found in the correlation results, the type of the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and the second type signal.

15. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, wherein when N−

1 are found in the correlation results, the type of the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and the second type signal.

16. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, wherein step of determining the type of the received signal further comprises accumulating the correlation results generated from a plurality of successive cells of the received signal to verify the type of the received signal.

17. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, wherein the step of generating the second type code further comprises shifting and combining a plurality of section codes of an original full code.

18. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, wherein the composite code is generated by superimposing the N successive first type codes on the second type code with an equal gain in a signed manner.

19. The signal acquisition method of claim 11, wherein the composite code is generated by superimposing the N successive first type codes on the second type code with different gain in a signed manner.

20. A portable computer used in a wireless communication system, wherein the portable computer comprises:

an antenna for receiving a received signal; and

a communication module comprising;

a first type code generator for generating a first type code corresponding to a first type signal;

a second type code generator for generating a second type code corresponding to a second type signal and having a code length N-time longer than that of the first type code;

a composite code generator for generating a composite code by superimposing N successive first type codes on the second type code;

a correlation module for correlating the composite code with a received signal; and

a determining module for determining a type of the received signal according to correlation results of the composite code with the received signal,

wherein when N repetitive peaks are found in the correlation results, the received signal is determined to comprise the first type signal and when a single peak is found in the correlation results, the received signal is determined to be the second type signal.