Background crystal oscillator calibration

• US 9,907,035 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Jie, Filipovic, Daniel Fred, Simic, Emilija Milorad, Agarwal, Vishal
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathew, Max
• Application Number:
  US13/784,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20140004800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 455 6711, 331 73, 331 74, 331154, 331158, 34235702
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/022 by indirect stabilisation, i.e. by generating an electrical correction signal which is a function of the temperature H03L1/021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements

Abstract

System and method for temperature-calibration of a crystal oscillator (XO) in a mobile device. A temperature-calibration status of the XO is determined and a trigger condition related to temperature-calibration of the XO is detected. If the temperature-calibration status of the XO is not fully temperature-calibrated or if the XO has not been previously temperature-calibrated, a temperature-calibration session is initiated by an XO manager based on the condition, wherein a receiver is configured to receive signals and temperature-calibration of the XO is performed in a background mode based on the received signals. The condition based triggering ensures that the XO is temperature-calibrated prior to launch of any position based or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications on the mobile device. The trigger condition can include first use or power-on, charging, presence in an outdoor environment, variation in operating temperature, pre-specified time, and/or user input pertaining to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of temperature-calibrating a non-temperature compensated crystal oscillator (XO) in a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, prior to the XO being used for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications, a temperature-calibration status of the XO is not fully temperature-calibrated;

detecting a trigger condition related to temperature-calibration of the XO; and

initiating a temperature-calibration session, wherein the temperature-calibration session comprises;

receiving one or more signals; and

temperature-calibrating the XO in a background mode based on the received signals, in parallel with performing one or more processes unrelated to temperature-calibrating the XO in the background mode, wherein the background mode comprises a mode of operation that executes independently of position based applications or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received signals comprise at least wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition comprises a first use of the mobile device, wherein the first use is associated with powering on the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition relates to an imminent launch of a position based application or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based application on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition comprises charging the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition comprises detecting presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location comprises detecting at least one strong received signal.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location comprises detecting the mobile device reaching or exceeding a pre-designated velocity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the pre-designated velocity is based on Doppler measurements of the received signals.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the pre-designated velocity is based on measuring a velocity of the mobile device from a speed sensor associated with the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location comprises detecting strong sun rays incident on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location comprises detecting a pre-specified time of day or night.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location comprises receiving a user input to indicate presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition comprises a variation in operating temperature of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the temperature-calibration status of the XO as completed, detecting a second trigger condition and suppressing the second trigger condition based on the updated temperature-calibration status.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a first time associated with temperature-calibrating the XO, detecting a second trigger condition and if a pre-specified time has elapsed since the first time, initiating a second temperature-calibration session.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a non-temperature compensated crystal oscillator (XO);

a receiver; and

a processor configured to;

determine, prior to use of the XO for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications, a temperature-calibration status of the XO is not fully temperature-calibrated;

detect a trigger condition related to temperature-calibration of the XO; and

initiate a temperature-calibration session, wherein in the temperature-calibration session, the processor is configured to;

enable the receiver to receive signals; and

temperature-calibrate the XO in a background mode based on the received signals, and perform, in parallel, one or more processes unrelated to temperature-calibration of the XO in the background mode, wherein the background mode comprises a mode of operation that executes independently of position based applications or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the received signals comprise at least wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the trigger condition comprises a first use of the mobile device, wherein the first use is based on powering on the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the trigger condition comprises an imminent launch of a position based application or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based application on the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the trigger condition comprises charging the mobile device through a power supply coupled to the mobile device.

22. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the trigger condition comprises presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to detect at least one strong received signal, in order to detect presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

24. The mobile device of claim 22, further comprising a speed sensor, wherein the processor is configured to detect the mobile device reaching or exceeding a pre-designated velocity using information obtained from the speed sensor, in order to detect presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

25. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to measure Doppler values of the received signals and detect a pre-designated velocity of the mobile device based on measured Doppler values, in order to detect presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

26. The mobile device of claim 22, further comprising a light sensor, wherein the processor is configured to detect strong sun rays incident on the mobile device based on an input from the light sensor, in order to detect presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

27. The mobile device of claim 22, further comprising a clock, wherein the processor is configured to detect a pre-specified time of day or night based on an input from the clock, in order to detect presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

28. The mobile device of claim 22, further comprising an input device, wherein the processor is configured to detect a user input related to presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location, based on an input from the input device, in order to detect presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

29. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the trigger condition comprises a variation in operating temperature of the mobile device, the mobile device further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the processor is configured to detect the variation in operating temperature of the mobile device based on an input from the temperature sensor.

30. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising a status register configured to store the temperature-calibration status of the XO, the processor further configured to update the temperature-calibration status of the XO in the status register as temperature-calibrated;

detect a second trigger condition, and suppress the second trigger condition based on the updated temperature-calibration status stored in the status register.

31. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising a memory configured to store a first time associated with temperature-calibrating the XO, the processor further configured to read the first time from the memory upon detecting a second trigger condition and initiate a second temperature-calibration session if a pre-specified time has elapsed since the first time.

32. The mobile device of claim 17, integrated in at least one semiconductor die.

33. The mobile device of claim 17, integrated into a device, selected from a group consisting of a set-top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, and a computer.

34. A wireless communication system comprising:

a non-temperature compensated crystal oscillator (XO);

means for receiving signals;

means for determining, prior to the XO being used for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications, a temperature-calibration status of the XO is not fully temperature-calibrated;

means for detecting a trigger condition related to temperature-calibration of the XO; and

means for initiating a temperature-calibration session, wherein the temperature-calibration session comprises;

receiving one or more signals; and

temperature-calibrating the XO in a background mode based on the received signals, in parallel with performing one or more processes unrelated to temperature-calibrating the XO in the background mode, wherein the background mode comprises a mode of operation that executes independently of position based applications or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications.

35. The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein the received signals comprise at least wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals.

36. The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein the trigger condition comprises first use of the wireless communication system.

37. The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein the trigger condition comprises an imminent launch of position based application or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based application on a mobile device.

38. The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein the trigger condition comprises presence of the wireless communication system in an outdoor location.

39. The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein the trigger condition comprises a variation in operating temperature of the wireless communication system.

40. The wireless communication system of claim 34, further comprising means for storing the temperature-calibration status of the XO, and means for suppressing a second trigger condition based on the stored temperature-calibration status.

41. The wireless communication system of claim 34, further comprising means for recording a first time associated with temperature-calibrating the XO, means for detecting a second trigger condition, and means for initiating a second temperature-calibration session if a pre-specified time has elapsed since the first time.

42. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations for temperature-calibrating of a non-temperature compensated crystal oscillator (XO) in a mobile device, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

code for determining, prior to use of the XO for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications, a temperature-calibration status of the XO is not fully temperature-calibrated;

code for detecting a trigger condition related to temperature-calibration of the XO; and

code for initiating a temperature-calibration session, wherein the temperature-calibration session comprises;

receiving one or more signals; and

temperature-calibrating the XO in a background mode based on the received signals, in parallel with performing one or more processes unrelated to temperature-calibrating the XO in the background mode, wherein the background mode comprises a mode of operation that executes independently of position based applications or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based applications.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein the received signals comprise at least wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein the trigger condition comprises first use of the mobile device.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein the trigger condition comprises an imminent launch of position based application or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) based application on the mobile device.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein the trigger condition comprises presence of the mobile device in an outdoor location.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein the trigger condition comprises a variation in operating temperature of the mobile device.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, further comprising code for storing the temperature-calibration status of the XO, and code for suppressing a second trigger condition based on the stored temperature-calibration status.

49. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, further comprising code for recording a first time associated with temperature-calibrating the XO, code for detecting a second trigger condition, and code for initiating a second temperature-calibration session if a pre-specified time has elapsed since the first time.