NAVIGATING SYSTEM WITH RFID FUNCTION AND RELATED METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080167815A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Chao-Tung, Chen, ShouFang
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/214
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data

Abstract

A navigating system with RFID function includes a GPS module for receiving a plurality of satellite signals for location, and an RFID reader for receiving an RFID signal. The navigating system performs navigation according to a first position information and the location function of the GPS module if the RFID signal includes the first position information.

Claims

1. A navigating system with radio frequency identification (RFID) function, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) module, for receiving a plurality of satellite signals for performing positioning; and

an RFID reader, for receiving an RFID signal;

wherein when the RFID signal comprises first position information, the navigating system performs navigation according to the first position information and the positioning function of the GPS module.

2. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 1, wherein the GPS module comprises:

a radio frequency (RF) receiver, for receiving the plurality of satellite signals to generate a base-band signal; and

a base-band circuit, coupled to the RF receiver, for performing positioning according to the base-band signal;

wherein the RFID reader and the GPS module share the base-band circuit.

3. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 2, wherein the RFID reader comprises:

a demodulator, coupled to the base-band circuit, for demodulating the RFID signal to generate a demodulated RFID signal and transmitting the demodulated RFID signal to the base-band circuit; and

a modulator, coupled to the base-band circuit, for modulating a data signal from the base-band circuit to output a modulated data signal.

4. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 2, wherein the GPS module further comprises:

a clock signal generating module, for providing at least one clock signal to the base-band circuit and the RFID reader.

5. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 1, wherein the RFID signal is from an RFID reader or an RFID tag.

6. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 1, wherein the navigating system can use the RFID reader to transmit second position information generated from the GPS module.

7. A navigating system with radio frequency identification (RFID) function, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) module, for receiving a plurality of satellite signals for performing positioning;

a storage device, coupled to the GPS module, for storing data; and

an RFID tag, coupled to the storage device, for receiving an RFID signal and storing the data comprised in the RFID signal into the storage device;

wherein when the data comprised in the RFID signal is a first position information, the navigating system performs navigation according to the first position information and the positioning function of the GPS module.

8. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 7, wherein the GPS module comprises:

a radio frequency (RF) receiver, for receiving the plurality of satellite signals to generate a base-band signal; and

a base-band circuit, coupled to the RF receiver, for performing positioning according to the base-band signal;

wherein the base-band circuit can generate second position information and store the second position information into the storage device.

9. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 7, wherein the RFID tag comprises:

a demodulator, for demodulating the RFID signal to generate a demodulated RFID signal;

a digital base-band circuit, coupled to the demodulator, for processing the demodulated RFID signal;

a modulator, coupled to the digital base-band circuit, for modulating a data signal from the digital base-band circuit to generate a modulated data signal, and outputting the modulated data signal;

a clock signal generating module, coupled to the digital base-band circuit and the modulator, for providing at least one clock signal to the digital base-band circuit and the modulator; and

a power supply module, for providing operating power to the demodulator, the base-band circuit, the modulator, and the clock signal generating module.

10. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 9, wherein the power supply module generates the operating power according to the RFID signal.

11. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 7, wherein the RFID signal is from an RFID reader.

12. The navigating system with RFID function of claim 7, wherein the second position information is transmitted according to the RFID tag.

13. A navigating method utilizing radio frequency identification (RFID) function, comprising:

receiving a first RFID signal, wherein the first RFID signal comprises a first position information;

receiving a plurality of satellite signals for performing positioning; and

performing navigation according to the first position information and a positioning result.

14. The navigating method utilizing RFID function of claim 13, further comprising:

generating a second position information according to the positioning result; and

transmitting the second position information according to a second RFID signal.

15. The navigating method utilizing RFID function of claim 13, wherein receiving the first RFID signal further comprises receiving the first RFID signal with an RFID reader built into a navigation system.

16. The navigating method utilizing RFID function of claim 13, wherein receiving the first RFID signal further comprises receiving the first RFID signal with an RFID tag built into a navigation system.