Satellite signal acquisition apparatus, navigation apparatus and method of acquiring a satellite signal

• US 8,793,033 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Schuerman, Kees Cornelis Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/394,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 342/357.2
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A satellite signal acquisition apparatus comprises a parking detector (235) arranged to analyse, when in use, self-mobility behavior for monitoring mobility of a vehicle. The apparatus also comprises a global navigation satellite system receiver (238) operably coupled to the parking detector (235) and arranged to acquire a satellite signal using predicted satellite orbit data in response to the self-mobility behavior comprising the predetermined event sequence.

Claims

1. A satellite signal acquisition apparatus comprising:

a parking detector arranged to;

analyse, when in use, self-mobility behaviour for monitoring mobility of a vehicle;

detect a first mobility behaviour associated with parking in a building, wherein the detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting a first predetermined event and a first predetermined corroborating event; and

detect a second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building subsequent to the first mobility behaviour; and

a global navigation satellite system receiver operably coupled to the parking detector and arranged to acquire a satellite signal using predicted satellite orbit data in response to the detected first and second self-mobility behaviours;

the apparatus further comprising at least one of;

a light level measurement unit arranged to measure an ambient light level, wherein the first predetermined event comprises a change in the ambient light level by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and

a speed calculator arranged to measure a speed, wherein the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction in the speed to or below a predetermined speed.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the global navigation satellite system receiver is arranged to suspend execution of a satellite signal acquisition procedure in response to the detected first and second self-mobility behaviours comprising a predetermined event sequence.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the global navigation satellite system receiver is arranged to use the predicted satellite orbit data to acquire the satellite signal following an immediately preceding failed attempt within a preceding predetermined period of time to acquire the satellite signal using the predicted satellite orbit data.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mobility behaviour followed by the second mobility behaviour constitutes the predetermined event sequence.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting the first predetermined event followed by a second predetermined event.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first predetermined event corresponds to entering a building.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first predetermined event is a transition of a signal strength of a satellite broadcast signal by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined signal strength change value.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second predetermined event is the signal strength of the satellite broadcast signal being at or below a predetermined unacceptable signal strength level when departure from a parking space is detected.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a bi-directional communications module arranged to receive, when in use, a communications signal;

wherein

the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction of a signal strength of the communications signal by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined communications signal strength change value.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein detection of the second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building comprises detection of a third predetermined event, the third predetermined event being a transition of a signal strength of a satellite broadcast signal from an unacceptable signal strength level to an acceptable signal strength level.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein detection of the second mobility behaviour comprises detecting the third predetermined event and a third predetermined corroborating event.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a bi-directional communications module arranged to receive, when in use, a telecommunications signal;

wherein

the third predetermined corroborating event comprises an increase in a signal strength of the communications signal to or above a predetermined acceptable communications signal strength level.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the third predetermined corroborating event comprises a last known position being within a building.

14. A method of acquiring a satellite signal, the method comprising:

analysing self-mobility behaviour of a navigation apparatus for monitoring mobility of a vehicle;

detecting first mobility behaviour associated with parking in a building, wherein the detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting a first predetermined event and a first predetermined corroborating event;

detecting a second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building subsequent to the first mobility behaviour; and

acquiring by a global navigation satellite system receiver a satellite signal using predicted satellite orbit data in response to the self-mobility behaviour comprising a predetermined event sequence;

wherein the method further comprises at least one of;

measuring an ambient light level, by a light level measurement unit, wherein the first determined event comprises a change in the ambient light level by an amount equal to or greater that a predetermined value; and

measuring a speed, by a speed calculator, wherein the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction in the speed to or below a predetermined speed.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to execute a method of acquiring a satellite signal, the method comprising:

analysing self-mobility behaviour of a navigation apparatus for monitoring mobility of a vehicle;

detecting first mobility behaviour associated with parking in a building, wherein the detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting a first predetermined event and a first predetermined corroborating event;

detecting a second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building subsequent to the first mobility behaviour; and

acquiring by a global navigation satellite system receiver a satellite signal using predicted satellite orbit data in response to the self-mobility behaviour comprising a predetermined event sequence;

wherein the method further comprises at least one of;

measuring an ambient light level, by a light level measurement unit, wherein the first determined event comprises a change in the ambient light level by an amount equal to or greater that a predetermined value; and

measuring a speed, by a speed calculator, wherein the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction in the speed to or below a predetermined speed.