GNSS architecture

• US 9,274,229 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US13/311,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.23, 342/357.25, 342/357.74, 342/357.75, 342/357.46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A host device comprising:

host processing circuitry including;

a decision processor configured to determine at least one mode parameter based on a request received from the host processing circuitry; and

navigation circuitry including;

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 (GNSS) satellite; and

output signal measurements based on the demodulated at least one signal; and

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

the host processing circuitry is further configured to;

determine a position based on the at least one mode parameter received from the decision processor; and

determine, based at least upon the at least one mode parameter, 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 processing circuitry.

2. The host device of claim 1, wherein the host processing circuitry is implemented with a software application programming interface.

3. The host device of claim 1, wherein the host processing circuitry is in communication with the CPU via an interface.

4. The host device of claim 1, wherein the position data point includes a position, a velocity, and a time calculated by the CPU.

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

6. The host device of claim 4, wherein power of the CPU used to calculate the position data point is less than power of the host processing circuitry used to calculate the position.

7. The host device of claim 4, wherein the position data point is less precise than a position, a velocity, and a time calculated by the host processing circuitry based at least upon the signal measurements transmitted by the baseband processor.

8. The host device of claim 1, wherein the host processing circuitry is configured to calculate a position, a velocity, and a time based at least upon the signal measurements transmitted by the baseband processor.

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

10. The host device of claim 9, wherein the host processing circuitry 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 host processing circuitry causing the baseband processor to transmit the signal measurements to the host processing circuitry.

11. The host device of claim 9, wherein the host processing circuitry 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 host processing circuitry causing the baseband processor to transmit the signal measurements to the host processing circuitry.

12. The host device of claim 9, wherein the host processing circuitry is configured to cause the CPU to calculate the position data point when the update rate is lower than a predefined threshold update rate.

13. The host device of claim 9, wherein the host processing circuitry is configured to cause the CPU to calculate the position data point when the precision parameter is lower than a predefined precision threshold.

14. The host device of claim 1, wherein the at least one mode parameter further includes one of a navigation mode and a geofencing mode.

15. The host device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one mode parameter includes a geofencing mode;

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

the CPU is configured to;

calculate a plurality of position data points corresponding to a location; and

alert a host processor system when the location breaches the geofence.

16. The host device of claim 15, wherein the host processing circuitry is configured to enter a sleep state after submission of the request.

17. A system comprising:

circuitry configured to;

receive at least one radio frequency signal;

tune the at least one radio frequency signal;

demodulate the received at least one signal originating from at least one global navigation satellite system satellite;

generate a position data point from the demodulated at least one signal; and

output signal measurements based on the demodulated at least one signal; and

host processing circuitry including a decision processor configured to determine at least one mode parameter based on a request received from the host processing circuitry, the host processing circuitry being configured to;

determine a position based on the at least one mode parameter received from the decision processor; and

determine, based at least upon the at least one mode parameter, whether the circuitry determines the position based at least upon the signal measurements or the circuitry transmits the signal measurements to the host processing circuitry.

18. A method comprising:

outputting, by 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, the demodulated at least one signal 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 demodulated at least one signal;

determining, by a decision processor that is included in host processing circuitry, at least one mode parameter based on a request received from the host processing circuitry;

determining, by the host processing circuitry, a position based on the at least one mode parameter received from the decision processor; and

determining, by the host processing circuitry of the host device and at least upon the at least one mode parameter, whether the CPU generates the position data point based at least upon the at least one signal measurement or the at least one signal measurement is transmitted to the host processing circuitry, wherein

the host processing circuitry is external to the GNSS chipset.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one mode parameter includes an accuracy parameter and an update rate parameter, and the method further comprises generating the position data point in the host processing circuitry 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 includes a geofencing mode;

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

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

the CPU is configured to alert the host processing circuitry when the location breaches the geofence.