Receive only mode for clock drift correction

• US 9,535,152 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mayor, Robert, Klahn, Matthew Scott, Xing, Longda, Ling, Jinghua, Shi, Jason, Mathias, Arun G.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGue, Frank J
• Application Number:
  US13/788,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 342/450
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/23 Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements

Abstract

In some implementations, radio access technology (RAT) signals can be monitored and used to synchronize an internal clock of a mobile device to a network system clock without registering the mobile device to the network. In some implementations, a RAT processor can be configured to receive RAT signals and to prevent transmission of RAT signals. In some implementations, the internal clock can be associated with a GNSS processor and can be used to calculate a location of the mobile device. In some implementations, a RAT processor that is configured for a particular radio access technology can be configured to monitor signals associated with another radio access technology when synchronizing the internal clock. In some implementations, the RAT processor can monitor signals in response to a power event. The power event can be associated with powering a display of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether conditions for receive-only mode for adjusting a clock of a mobile device are satisfied, wherein the conditions include a first condition that a radio access technology processor of the mobile device is turned off and a second condition that the mobile device is anticipating a request for location services;

in response to determining that the conditions are satisfied, configuring the radio access technology processor to operate in the receive-only mode, wherein;

in a transmit/receive mode, the radio access technology processor is programmed to transmit and receive radio signals, and

in the receive-only mode, the radio access technology processor is programmed to receive radio signals and to disable transmission of radio signals;

receiving time information by the radio access technology processor operating in the receive-only mode;

adjusting the clock of the mobile device according to the time information;

determining a location of the mobile device based on the adjusted clock using a navigation signal processor; and

providing the location of the mobile device as an input to the location services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process CDMA signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process GSM signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process UMTS signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process LTE signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process signals associated with a first radio access technology and configuring the radio access technology processor comprises configuring the radio access technology processor to process signals associated with a second radio access technology.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first radio access technology is CDMA-based and the second radio access technology is GSM-based.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first radio access technology is GSM-based and the second radio access technology is CDMA-based.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first radio access technology is CDMA-based and the second radio access technology is LTE-based.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the conditions for receive-only mode for adjusting the clock of the mobile device are satisfied comprises determining that the mobile device is being operated by a user.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

determining whether conditions for receive-only mode for adjusting a clock of a mobile device are satisfied, wherein the conditions include a first condition that a radio access technology processor of the mobile device is turned off and a second condition that the mobile device is anticipating a request for location services;

in response to determining that the conditions are satisfied, configuring the radio access technology processor to operate in the receive-only mode, wherein,

in a transmit/receive mode, the radio access technology processor is programmed to transmit and receive radio signals, and

in the receive-only mode, the radio access technology processor is programmed to receive radio signals and to disable transmission of radio signals;

receiving time information by the radio access technology processor operating in the receive-only mode;

adjusting the clock of the mobile device according to the time information; and

determining a location of the mobile device based on the adjusted clock using a navigation signal processor; and

providing the location of the mobile device as an input to the location services.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process CDMA signals.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process GSM signals.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process UMTS signals.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process LTE signals.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process signals associated with a first radio access technology and the instructions that cause configuring the radio access technology processor comprise instructions that cause configuring the radio access technology processor to process signals associated with a second radio access technology.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first radio access technology is CDMA-based and the second radio access technology is GSM-based.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first radio access technology is GSM-based and the second radio access technology is CDMA-based.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first radio access technology is CDMA-based and the second radio access technology is LTE-based.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining whether the conditions for receive-only mode for adjusting the clock of the mobile device are satisfied comprises determining that the mobile device is being operated by a user.

21. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

determining whether conditions for receive-only mode for adjusting a clock of a mobile device are satisfied, wherein the conditions include a first condition that a radio access technology processor of the mobile device is turned off and a second condition that the mobile device is anticipating a request for location services;

in response to determining that the conditions are satisfied, configuring the radio access technology processor to operate in the receive-only mode, wherein,

in a transmit/receive mode, the radio access technology processor is programmed to transmit and receive radio signals, and

in the receive-only mode, the radio access technology processor is programmed to receive radio signals and to disable transmission of radio signals;

receiving time information by the radio access technology processor operating in the receive-only mode;

adjusting the clock of the mobile device according to the time information; and

determining a location of the mobile device based on the adjusted clock using a navigation signal processor; and

providing the location of the mobile device as an input to the location services.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process CDMA signals.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process GSM signals.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process UMTS signals.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process LTE signals.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the radio access technology processor is configured to process signals associated with a first radio access technology and the instructions that cause configuring the radio access technology processor comprise instructions that cause configuring the radio access technology processor to process signals associated with a second radio access technology.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first radio access technology is CDMA-based and the second radio access technology is GSM-based.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the first radio access technology is GSM-based and the second radio access technology is CDMA-based.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the first radio access technology is CDMA-based and the second radio access technology is LTE-based.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein determining whether the conditions for receive-only mode for adjusting the clock of the mobile device are satisfied comprises determining that the mobile device is being operated by a user.