GNSS Architecture

• US 20130141275A1
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charlie
• Granted Patent: US 9,274,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.23
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipsets or architecture. Based upon a requested accuracy and/or update of a host application, embodiments of the disclosure can calculate position data points on-board the GNSS chipset or allow a host processor to calculate position data points, which can allow the host processor to enter a low power mode if the requested update rate and/or accuracy allow.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a radio frequency tuner in communication with at least one antenna;

a baseband processor configured to demodulate at least one signal received by the radio frequency tuner originating from at least one global navigation satellite system satellite, the baseband processor further configured to output signal measurements from at least one signal to a host processor external to the integrated circuit, the host processor having a decision processor configured to receive a request from the host processor to determine a position, the request comprising at least one mode parameter; and

a central processing unit (CPU) configured to generate a position data point from the at least one signal;

wherein

the decision processor determines whether the CPU determines the position data point based at least upon the signal measurements or the baseband processor transmits the signal measurements to the host processor, the determination based at least upon the at least one mode parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision processor is implemented in a software application programming interface executed by the host processor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision processor is executed by the CPU.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the position data point comprises a position, a velocity, and a time calculated by the CPU.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one position data point is calculated by the CPU using a least squares algorithm.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one position data point is calculated by the CPU with lower power consumption relative to the host processor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the host processor calculates a position, a velocity, and a time based at least upon the signal measurements transmitted by the baseband processor.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the position data point calculated by the CPU is less precise than relative to a position, a velocity, and a time calculated by the host processor based at least upon the signal measurements transmitted by the baseband processor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one mode parameter further comprises an update rate and a precision parameter.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one mode parameter further comprises one of a navigation mode and a geofencing mode.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one mode parameter comprises a geofencing mode;

the request further comprises at least one geographical point associated with a geofence;

the CPU being configured to calculate a plurality of position data points corresponding to a location; and

the CPU further being configured to alert a host processor system when the location breaches the geofence.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the host processor enters a sleep state after submission of the request.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the decision processor is configured to cause the CPU to enter a sleep mode when the update rate corresponds to a higher frequency update rate relative to a predefined threshold update rate, the decision processor causing the baseband processor to transmit the signal measurements to the host processor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the decision processor is configured to cause the CPU to enter a sleep mode when the precision parameter corresponds to a more precise location than a predefined precision threshold, the decision processor causing the baseband processor to transmit the signal measurements to the host processor.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the decision processor is configured to cause the CPU to calculate the at least one position data point when the update rate corresponds to a lower frequency update rate relative to a predefined threshold update rate.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the decision processor is configured to cause the CPU to calculate the at least one position data point when the precision parameter corresponds to less precision than a predefined precision threshold.

17. A system, comprising:

means for receiving at least one radio frequency signal;

means for tuning the at least one a radio frequency signal;

means for demodulating at least one signal received by the receiving means originating from at least one global navigation satellite system satellite, the demodulating means further configured to output signal measurements from the at least one signal to a host processing means;

means for receiving a request from the host processing means to determine a position, the request comprising at least one mode parameter; and

a processing means configured to generate a position data point from the at least one signal;

wherein

the receiving means determines whether the processing means determines the position based at least upon the signal measurements or the demodulating means transmits the signal measurements to the host processing means, the determination based at least upon the at least one mode parameter.

18. A method, comprising the steps of:

outputting, in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) chipset in a host device, at least one signal measurement based upon at least one signal received by a radio frequency tuner originating from at least one GNSS satellite, the GNSS chipset having a central processing unit (CPU) configured to generate a position data point from the at least one signal;

obtaining a request from a host processor in the host device to determine a position, the request comprising at least one mode parameter; and

determining, in one of the host processor and the CPU, whether the CPU generates the position data point based at least upon the at least one signal measurement or the at least one signal measurements is transmitted to the host processor, the determination based at least upon the at least one mode parameter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one mode parameter comprises an accuracy parameter and an update rate parameter, and the method further comprises the step of generating the position data point in the host processor when at least one of the accuracy parameter and the update rate parameter exceeds a respective predefined threshold.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one mode parameter comprises a geofencing mode;

the request further comprises at least one geographical point associated with a geofence;

the CPU calculates a plurality of position data points corresponding to a location; and

the CPU alerts the host processor when the location breaches the geofence.