Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for acquiring satellite positioning system signals

US6133874A · kind A · utility

407Cited by
11References
114Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 11, 1998
Grant dateOct 17, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 11, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B1/3805
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and an apparatus which acquire satellite positioning system (SPS) signals in an SPS receiver. Information on time of day, approximate receiver location, and satellite positions are used to reduce the time to search and acquire signals from one or more SPS satellites. In an example of a method of the invention, a first pseudorange to a first SPS satellite is determined, and an approximate location of the SPS receiver is determined. An estimated pseudorange for a second pseudorange to a second SPS satellite is determined from the approximate location and a satellite position of the second SPS satellite. The SPS receiver then searches for SPS signals from the second SPS satellite in a range determined by the estimated pseudorange. Typically, this method reduces the search time to initially acquire SPS signals from the second SPS satellite, and the estimated pseudorange is not based on a previously determined pseudorange for said second SPS satellite. In a particular example of the invention, the approximate location is determined from a cell based information source which correlates an identification of each of various wireless cell sites with an approximate location for obje…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.