Distributed data collection of satellite data

• US 20050130590A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pande, Ashutosh, Garin, Lionel, Chang, Steve, Zhang, Qiyue John
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2693 Centralised synchronisation, i.e. using external universal time reference, e.g. by using a global positioning system [GPS] or by distributing time reference over the wireline network

Abstract

A shuttle message that is passed between GPS enabled devices that is processed at either a bit level or word level with data that the GPS enable device has already gathered and augmenting the positioning data stored at GPS enabled devices by retrieving data contained in the shuttle message. The shuttle message is then passed with any updated information from a GPS enabled device to one or more other devices such as a mobile station.

Claims

1. A device having a receiver and a transmitter, comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a shuttle message that contains a portion of positioning data received at the receiver.

2. The device of claim 1, where the portion of the positioning data is compared to positioning data stored in the memory in order to determine if the portion of the positioning data is new.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the shuttle message is formatted by the controller and includes the portion of the positioning data that is new.

4. The device of claim 2, where the portion of the positioning data that is new is a multiple of a data word.

5. The device of claim 2, where the portion of the positioning data that is new is a multiple of a bit.

6. The device of claim 1, where the positioning data is at least one type of data selected from almanac, ephemeris, GPS time, DGPS data, GPS/UTC time difference, ionospheric correction.

7. The device of claim 1, where the receiver receives the portion of the positioning data at during a predetermined period.

8. The device of claim 7 where the receiver further includes:

A switch that enables the receiver to switch between reception of a GPS signal and another communication signal.

9. A method of position determination at a device comprising:

receiving a shuttle message containing at least a portion of positioning data at a receiver;

determining whether said portion of the positioning data is new to the device; and

storing the portion of the positioning data that is new at the device.

10. A method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying positioning data at the device is not contained in the portion of positioning data contained in the message;

formatting the shuttle message that includes the portion of the positioning data and the positioning data not already contained in the shuttle message; and

transmitting the shuttle message.

11. The method of claim 10, where formatting further includes:

generating a new shuttle message that includes the portion of positioning data and the positioning data not already contained in the shuttle message.

12. The method of position determination of claim 10, including:

receiving a shuttle message that contains a portion of positioning data;

comparing the portion of positioning data with positioning data previously acquired; and

storing the portion of the positioning data that is new in the device.

13. The method of position determination of claim 9, including:

identifying data words within the portion of positioning data.

14. The method of position determination of claim 9, including:

extracting a data stream from the portion of positioning data; and

processing a plurality of bits from the data stream.

15. The method of position determination of claim 9, where receiving further includes:

receiving the shuttle message during predetermined periods.

16. The method of position determination of claim 15, further includes:

switching the receiver between reception of a communication protocol and reception of a GPS signal.

17. A signal bearing media comprising machine-readable instructions for position determination of a device, comprising:

a first plurality of machine-readable instructions for receiving a shuttle message containing at least a portion of positioning data at a receiver,

a second plurality of machine-readable instructions for determining the at least portion of the positioning data is new to the device; and

a third plurality of machine-readable instructions for storing the portion of the positioning data that is new at the device.

18. The signal bearing medium of claim 17, further includes:

a fourth plurality of machine-readable instructions for identifying positioning data at the device is not contained in the portion of positioning data contained in the message;

a fifth plurality of machine-readable instructions for formatting the shuttle message that includes the portion of the positioning data and the positioning data not already contained in the shuttle message; and

a sixth plurality of machine-readable instructions for transmitting the shuttle message.

19. The signal bearing medium of claim 18, where the fifth plurality of machine-readable instructions for formatting further includes:

a plurality of instructions for generating a new shuttle message that includes the portion of positioning data and the positioning data not already contained in the shuttle message.

20. The signal bearing medium of claim 17, includes:

a fourth plurality of machine readable instructions for receiving a shuttle message that contains a portion of positioning data;

a fifth plurality of machine readable instructions for comparing the portion of positioning data with positioning data contained in the virtual satellite system server; and

a sixth plurality of machine readable instructions for storing the portion of the positioning data that is new in the device.

21. The signal bearing medium of claim 17, includes:

a fourth set of machine readable instructions for identifying data words within the portion of positioning data.

22. The signal bearing medium of claim 17, includes:

a fourth set of machine readable instructions for extracting a data stream from the portion of positioning data and

a fifth set of machine readable instructions for processing a plurality of bits from the data stream.

23. The signal bearing medium of claim 17, where the first set of machine readable instructions for receiving further includes:

a set of instructions for receiving the shuttle message during predetermined periods.

24. The signal bearing medium of claim 23, further includes:

a sixth set of instructions for switching the receiver between reception of a communication protocol and reception of a GPS signal.

25. A data structure maintained in a memory of a device, comprising:

an iode field;

an iode flag field; and

raw satellite data field.

26. The data structure of claim 25, where the raw satellite data filed further includes:

a data field;

a week field;

a satellite vehicle identification field; and

a channel number field.