Differential GPS receiver system linked by infrared signals

• US 5,589,835 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Gildea, David R., Banta, Lloyd H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/359,604
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections

Abstract

A GPS receiver system to determine and display a geographical differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) location where the components of the system are interconnected with an airwave infrared (IR) link. The system includes a GPS Smart Antenna receiver module to determine the geographical location of the module, a DGPS radio receiver to receive an airwave radio frequency DGPS signal having DGPS correction information, and a personal computing display to run an application program and to display the geographical DGPS location and application information that is useful to a user. The GPS Smart Antenna receiver module and the DGPS radio receiver are switched on and off from the personal computing display through the airwave IR link.

Claims

1. A GPS receiver system to determine and display a geographical differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) location where the system is interconnected by an airwave infrared (IR) link, the system including:

a DGPS radio receiver to receive an airwave radio frequency DGPS signal from a source external to the system, said airwave DGPS signal including DGPS corrections, and to provide an airwave infrared (IR) DGPS signal having data indicative of said DGPS corrections;

a GPS Smart Antenna module to receive an airwave GPS signal including GPS location information from a plurality of GPS satellites, to receive said IR DGPS signal, to use said DGPS corrections and said GPS location information to compute said DGPS location, said DGPS location having a better location accuracy better than a location computed from said GPS location information without said DGPS corrections, and to provide data indicative of said DGPS location in an airwave infrared (IR) module signal; and

a personal computing display to receive said IR module signal and said IR DGPS signal and to display said DGPS location in a form that is visibly or audibly perceptible to a human being.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the GPS Smart Antenna module includes:

a GPS antenna to receive said airwave GPS signal and to provide a responsive electronic antenna output signal;

a module IR receiver to receive said IR DGPS signal and to convert said IR DGPS signal into a responsive electronic DGPS signal;

a GPS engine to receive said antenna output signal and said electronic DGPS signal, to use said GPS location information and said DGPS correction data to determine said DGPS location, and to issue an electronic location signal having data indicative of said DGPS location;

a module IR transmitter to receive said location signal and to issue said IR module signal; and

a module power supply to receive operating power from a module battery and to issue operating power to at least one module element including the GPS antenna, the GPS engine, and the module IR transmitter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the module IR receiver receives an airwave IR, first control signal from a source external to the module, said IR first control signal having first control information to enable or to disable said operating power to said module element and issue an electronic first control signal having said first control information;

and

the module power supply, receives said electronic first control signal and responsively enables or disables said operating power to said module element.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the personal computing display includes:

means, operable by a human user, for receiving said first control information from said human user and for providing said IR first control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the personal computing display includes:

means, operable by a human user, for entering a selected geographical location; and

means for computing at least one of a distance from said DGPS location to said selected geographical location and a direction from said DGPS location to said selected geographical location.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DGPS radio receiver includes:

a tuner to receive said airwave radio frequency DGPS signal and to provide an electronic DGPS signal having data indicative of said DGPS corrections; and

a DGPS IR transmitter to receive said electronic DGPS signal and to issue said IR DGPS signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the DGPS radio receiver further includes:

a DGPS IR receiver to receive an airwave IR second control signal from a source external to the DGPS radio receiver, said IR second control signal having second control information to enable or to disable operating power to at least one radio element of the tuner and the DGPS IR transmitter; and

a DGPS power supply to receive operating power from a radio battery, to receive said electronic second control signal, and to respond to said second control information by enabling or disabling said operating power to said radio element.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the personal computing display includes:

means, operable by a human user, for receiving said second control information and for providing said IR second control signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said airwave radio frequency DGPS signal is included in an FM broadcast radio signal transmitted from an FM station.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said airwave radio frequency DGPS signal is included in a radio direction finder (RDF) beacon signal transmitted from an RDF beacon station.

11. A method for providing a geographical DGPS location of a GPS receiver system including a GPS Smart Antenna module, a DGPS radio receiver, and a personal computing display, the method including the steps of:

providing, from a source external to said GPS receiver system, an airwave radio frequency DGPS signal including DGPS corrections usable to improve the accuracy of a geographical GPS location;

receiving said airwave radio frequency DGPS signal in said DGPS radio receiver;

converting said radio frequency DGPS signal into an electrical DGPS signal having data indicative of said DGPS corrections;

transmitting, from said DGPS radio receiver, an airwave infrared (IR) DGPS signal having said DGPS corrections data;

receiving said IR DGPS signal in said GPS Smart Antenna module;

receiving, in said GPS Smart Antenna module, an airwave GPS signal having GPS location information from a plurality of GPS satellites;

determining said DGPS location based upon said GPS location information and said DGPS corrections data;

transmitting an airwave IR module signal having data indicative of said DGPS location from said GPS Smart Antenna module;

receiving said IR module signal in said personal computing display; and

displaying with said personal computing display said DGPS location in a form that is visibly or audibly perceptible to a human user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a DGPS location further includes steps of:

receiving said airwave GPS signal with a GPS antenna included in said GPS Smart Antenna module;

issuing an electronic antenna output signal from said GPS antenna, said antenna output signal responsive to said GPS signal;

receiving said IR DGPS signal in a module IR receiver included in said GPS Smart Antenna module;

issuing an electronic DGPS signal from said module IR receiver, said electronic DGPS signal responsive to said IR DGPS signal;

receiving said antenna output signal and said IR DGPS signal in a GPS engine included in said GPS Smart Antenna module;

computing said DGPS location in said GPS engine;

issuing an electronic location signal having data indicative of said DGPS location from said GPS engine;

receiving said electronic location signal in a module IR transmitter;

transmitting said airwave IR module signal responsive to said electronic location signal from said module IR transmitter included in said GPS Smart Antenna module;

receiving operating power in a module power supply included in said GPS Smart Antenna module from a module battery included in said module; and

supplying a flow of operating power from said module power supply to at least one module element including said GPS antenna, said GPS engine, and said module IR transmitter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of supplying operating power further includes steps of:

providing, from said personal computing display, an airwave IR first control signal having information for controlling said flow of operational power to enable said flow or to disable said flow;

receiving said airwave IR first control signal with a module IR receiver included in said GPS Smart Antenna module;

issuing an electronic first control signal from said module IR receiver, said electronic first control signal responsive to said IR first control signal;

receiving said electronic first control signal in said module power supply; and

controlling said flow of operating power to said module element in response to said first control information to enable said flow or to disable said flow.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of converting said radio frequency DGPS signal further includes steps of:

receiving said airwave radio frequency DGPS signal in a tuner included in said DGPS radio receiver;

issuing an electronic DGPS signal from said tuner, said electronic DGPS signal having data indicative of said DGPS corrections;

receiving said electronic DGPS signal in a DGPS IR transmitter included in said DGPS radio receiver;

transmitting said IR DGPS signal from said DGPS IR transmitter, said IR DGPS signal responsive to said electronic DGPS signal; and

receiving operating power in a radio power supply included in said DGPS radio receiver from a radio battery included in said DGPS radio receiver; and

supplying a flow of operating power from said radio power supply to at least one radio element including said tuner and said DGPS IR transmitter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of supplying a flow of operating power further includes steps of:

providing, from said personal computing display, an airwave IR second control signal having information for controlling said flow of operational power to enable said flow or to disable said flow;

receiving said airwave IR second control signal in a DGPS IR receiver included in said DGPS radio receiver;

issuing an electronic second control signal from said DGPS IR transmitter, said electronic second control signal responsive to said IR second control signal;

receiving said electronic second control signal in said radio power supply; and

controlling said flow of operating power to said radio element in response to said second control information to enable said flow or to disable said flow.