Receiving unit driving control method, receiving device and electronic apparatus

• US 9,627,752 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Gobara, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C
• Application Number:
  US13/869,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An RF receiving circuit unit that receives a GPS satellite signal from a GPS satellite is intermittently driven by a first driving control of intermittently driving the RF receiving circuit unit with a first intermittent driving pattern and a multistage driving control of intermittently driving the RF receiving circuit unit with a multistage intermittent driving pattern in which a driving period in the first intermittent driving pattern is set to a second intermittent driving pattern of which an intermittent cycle is shorter than that of the first intermittent driving pattern.

Claims

1. A receiving unit driving control method comprising:

operating the receiving unit in a first driving control mode of intermittently driving the receiving unit, which receives a satellite signal from a positioning satellite, in accordance with a first intermittent driving pattern having a first driving period of a predetermined unit time, wherein in the first driving control mode, a RF receiving circuit and a baseband processing circuit of the receiving unit are turned on and off together at the same time according to the first intermittent driving pattern, and the RF receiving circuit remains turned on while the baseband processing circuit is turned on; and

operating the receiving unit in a multistage driving control mode of intermittently driving the receiving unit with a multistage intermittent driving pattern, wherein in the multistage driving control mode, the baseband processing circuit is turned on and off in accordance with the first intermittent driving pattern, and while the baseband processing circuit is turned on for at least the predetermined unit time, the RF receiving circuit is turned on and off according to a second intermittent driving pattern having a second driving period that is shorter than the predetermined unit time of the first driving period.

2. The receiving unit driving control method according to claim 1, further comprising switching between a plurality of operating modes including the first driving control mode and the multistage driving control mode.

3. The receiving unit driving control method according to claim 2, further comprising operating the receiving unit in a second driving control of intermittently driving the receiving unit, wherein in the second driving control mode, the baseband processing circuit remains turned on for longer than the predetermined unit time, and the RF receiving circuit is turned on and off in accordance with the second intermittent driving pattern.

4. The receiving unit driving control method according to claim 2, wherein the switching between the plurality of operating modes includes determining which operating mode to operate the receiving unit in based on a receiving condition including at least a receiving signal intensity of the satellite signal.

5. The receiving unit driving control method according to claim 2, further comprising calculating a position based on the satellite signal received by the receiving unit,

wherein the switching between the plurality of operating modes includes determining which operating mode to operate the receiving unit in based on whether calculation of the position has finished.

6. The receiving unit driving control method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling a duty ratio of the second intermittent driving pattern.

7. The receiving unit driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the first driving period of the first intermittent driving pattern is equal to or more than 20 ms, and

wherein the second driving period of the second intermittent driving pattern is equal to or more than 1 ms and less than 20 ms.

10. The receiving unit driving control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the receiving unit, ephemeris data,

wherein the receiving unit is operated in the first driving control mode and the multistage driving control mode after the ephemeris data has been obtained.

8. A receiving device comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a satellite signal from a positioning satellite; and

a switching control unit that controls driving of the receiving unit by switching between a plurality of operating modes including;

a first driving control mode in which a receiving circuit and a baseband processing circuit of the receiving unit are turned on and off together at the same time according to a first intermittent driving pattern having a first driving period of a predetermined unit time; and

a multistage driving control mode in which the baseband processing circuit is turned on and off in accordance with the first intermittent driving pattern, and when the baseband processing circuit is turned on, the receiving unit is turned on and off according to a second intermittent driving pattern having a second driving period that is shorter than the predetermined unit time of the first driving period.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising the receiving device according to claim 8.