Fine time assistance for global navigation satellite systems

• US 9,182,493 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Waters, Deric Wayne, Xhafa, Ariton E., Vedantham, Ramanuja
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Harry
• Application Number:
  US13/415,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.64, 342/357.63, 342/357.49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time

Abstract

Apparatus and method for providing fine timing assistance to global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) via wireless local area network (WLAN). In one embodiment, a method for synchronizing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver includes receiving, by a wireless device, via a wireless local area network (WLAN), fine time assistance information transmitted by an assisting device connected to the WLAN. A time value of a GNSS clock of the wireless device is adjusted based on the fine time assistance information. Based on the adjusted time value, GNSS codes of a GNSS positioning signal are acquired by the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, comprising:

receiving, by a wireless device, via a wireless local area network (WLAN), fine time assistance information transmitted by an assisting device connected to the WLAN;

adjusting, by the wireless device, a time value of a GNSS clock of the wireless device based on the fine time assistance information;

acquiring, by the wireless device, GNSS codes of a GNSS positioning signal based on the adjusted time value

extracting a departure time from the received fine time assistance information measuring an arrival time of the fine time assistance information at the wireless device;

estimating a value for propagation delay time within the wireless device;

computing clock bias between the wireless device and the assisting device based on the departure time, arrival time, and value for propagation delay; and

adjusting the time value based on the clock bias.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing, by the assisting device, a WLAN clock of the assisting device to GNSS timing; and

reading a time value from the WLAN clock; and

transmitting the time value as part of the fine time assistance information to the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting synchronizes the GNSS clock to within less than 1 millisecond of GNSS timing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the assistance time information is embedded in one of a beacon frame, a probe request frame, and a probe response frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fine timing assistance information comprises departure time of a first packet transmitted by the assisting device and reception time of a second packet received by the assisting device in response to the first packet;

the method further comprising;

computing, by the wireless device, clock bias between the wireless device and the assisting device based on the fine timing information, reception time of the first packet, and transmission time of the second packet; and

adjusting the time value based on the clock bias.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a communication link between the wireless device and the assisting device via an access point on the WLAN;

the establishing comprising;

notifying, by the wireless device, the access point of a desire to adjust the GNSS clock of the wireless device;

receiving from the access point notification that the assisting device is available to provide fine timing information;

initiating, by the wireless device, a link with the assisting device through the access point;

requesting, by the wireless device, fine timing information from the assisting device.

7. A wireless device, comprising:

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver comprising a GNSS clock;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver comprising a WLAN clock; and

a synchronization system configured to;

synchronize the WLAN clock to the GNSS clock;

adjust the GNSS clock based on fine timing assistance information received via the WLAN transceiver

extract a departure time from the fine time assistance information

measure an arrival time of the fine time assistance information at the wireless device;

estimate a value for propagation delay time within the wireless device;

compute clock bias between the wireless device and an assisting device that transmitted the fine time assistance information based on the departure time, arrival time, and value for propagation delay; and

adjust the GNSS clock based on the clock bias.

8. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the synchronization system comprises a synchronization clock that locks the WLAN clock and the GNSS clock.

9. The wireless device of claim 7 wherein the synchronization system is configured to extract the fine timing information from one of a beacon frame, a probe request frame, and a probe response frame received by the wireless device via the WLAN.

10. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the synchronization system is configured to:

read a time value from the WLAN clock; and

transmit the time value as fine time assistance information to an assisted device via the WLAN.

11. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein adjustment of the GNSS clock based on fine timing information synchronizes the GNSS clock to within less than one millisecond of GNSS timing.

12. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the fine timing assistance information comprises departure time of a first packet transmitted by an assisting device and reception time of a second packet received by the assisting device in response to the first packet;

wherein the synchronization system is configured to;

compute clock bias between the wireless device and an assisting device based on the fine timing information, reception time of the first packet, and transmission time of the second packet; and

adjust the GNSS clock based on the clock bias.

13. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the synchronization system is configured to:

notify an access point of a request to adjust the GNSS clock of the wireless device;

receive from the access point notification that an assisting device is available to provide fine timing information;

initiate a link with the assisting device through the access point;

request fine timing information from the assisting device.

14. A wireless system, comprising:

a first wireless device, comprising;

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver; and

a clock synchronization system coupled to the GNSS receiver and the WLAN transceiver, the clock synchronization system configured to;

synchronize a GNSS clock of the GNSS receiver to GNSS timing based on fine time assistance information provided via the WLAN transceiver;

extract a departure time from the received fine time assistance information

measure an arrival time of the fine time assistance information at the first wireless device;

estimate a value for propagation delay time within the first wireless device;

compute clock bias between the first wireless device and the second wireless device based on the departure time, arrival time, and value for propagation delay; and

adjust the GNSS clock based on the clock bias;

a second wireless device, comprising;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver configured to;

provide fine time assistance information based on a clock of the WLAN transceiver of the second wireless device; and

transmit the fine time assistance information to the first wireless device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second wireless device comprises a clock synchronization system coupled to the WLAN transceiver of the second wireless device, the clock synchronization system configured to:

synchronize a WLAN clock of the WLAN receiver of the second wireless device to GNSS timing based on fine time assistance information provided by the WLAN transceiver of the second wireless device; and

generate the fine time assistance information transmitted to the first wireless device from the WLAN clock of the second wireless device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the fine time assistance information provided by the WLAN transceiver synchronizes the GNSS clock to within less than 1 millisecond of GNSS timing.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the WLAN transceiver of the second wireless device is configured to transmit the fine time assistance information in one of a beacon frame, a probe request frame, and a probe response frame.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the fine timing assistance information comprises departure time of a first packet transmitted by the second wireless device and reception time of a second packet received by the second wireless device in response to the first packet;

wherein the clock synchronization system is configured to;

compute clock bias between the second wireless device and the first wireless device based on the fine timing information, reception time of the first packet, and transmission time of the second packet; and

adjust the GNSS clock based on the clock bias.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a third wireless device comprising a WLAN transceiver;

wherein the clock synchronization system is configured to;

notify the third wireless device of a request to adjust the GNSS clock of the first wireless device;

receive from the third wireless device notification that the second wireless device is available to provide fine timing information;

initiate a link with the second wireless device through the third wireless device;

request fine timing information from the second wireless device.