Sirf Technology Holdings, Inc.

Sirf Technology, Inc.

Csr Technology Holdings Inc.

Centrality Communications, Inc.

Zhike Jia

Chi-Shin Wang

Lianxue Xiong

Yue-Meng Chen

EnYuan Tu

Shridhara A Kudrethaya

Jian Cheng

Yue Chen

Hongyu Zhang

Hansheng Wang

Zongde Qiu

Lei Dong

Shridhara A Kurethaya

Yinghao Tu

Jingbin Liu

A method and device to track navigational satellite signals, are claimed. In this invention, a combination of down-sampling and frequency domain transformation are used to track the navigational satellite signals under dynamic environment. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) with long coherent integration has been employed to determine the varying frequency components with high resolution. By representing a number of correlation values with their average value, it is possible to represent a long sequence of input values by a smaller number of values and a relatively short length FFT can reveal the low frequency components that are present in the signal during tracking operation. A large reduction in the computational load may be achieved using this down-sampling method without compromising on the frequency resolution.

Fast fourier transform with down sampling based navigational satellite signal tracking

The present invention provides systems and methods for faster acquisition and more stable tracking of spread spectrum signals with lower computational load requirements. Instead of the present day practice of using only the Prompt correlator, the systems and methods of the invention use the sum of the powers of all the correlators of a channel to determine the acquisition or tracking of the signal. These systems and methods improve the signal acquisition speed resulting in a reduced Time-To-First-Fix (TTFF). Further, these systems and methods improve the acquisition and tracking sensitivity of the receiver.

Correlator sum method for spread spectrum signal receivers

The present invention provides systems and methods for downloading navigation data to a satellite receiver under weak signal conditions. In an embodiment, the receiver uses a tracking algorithm to estimate the Doppler frequency and rate of change of the Doppler frequency to compensate the phases of the I/Q samples from the received signal to reduce the effect of the Doppler frequency. In an embodiment, differential detection based data bit decoding is provided. In another embodiment, phase compensation based data bit decoding is provided, in which the phase of samples are rotated to compensate for phase error. In an embodiment, a multiple frame strategy is provided to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and improve sensitivity, in which similar placed samples in consecutive frames are coherently summed over the consecutive frames. In an embodiment, the samples are weighted to reduce the impact of noise in the multiple frame strategy.

Ephemeris download from weak signals

The present invention provides an elevation based adaptive scheme for setting power threshold in the acquisition of navigational satellite signals. In an embodiment, the elevation based adaptive scheme uses a different series of power thresholds to acquire signals from satellites at different elevation angles instead of using one threshold for all satellites, as is done in the prior art. This scheme exploits the fact that the received signal power level depends on the elevation angle of the satellite at the receiver. This scheme also takes into account the antenna gain variation without having to measure the antenna gain variation.

Systems and methods for signal acquistion in navigational satellite signal receivers

The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling a navigation signal receiver to perform both data assisted and non-data assisted integration to provide better integration during signal acquisition, reacquisition and tracking. In data assisted integration mode, a receiver uses known or predicted data bits to remove the modulated data bits of a received signal prior to integration. In non data assisted integration mode, when the data bits are not known or predictable, the receiver uses an optimal estimation or maximum likelihood algorithm to determine the polarities of the modulated data bits of the received signal. This may be done by determining which of various possible bit pattern yields the maximum integrated power. When the modulated data bits are not known or predictable over a limited range, the receiver carries out data assisted integration over the known or predictable data bits and additional non data assisted integration.

Method of mixed data assisted and non data assisted navigation signal acquisition, tracking and reacquisition

The present invention provides systems and methods for navigational signal tracking in low power mode to conserve the power of handheld navigation receivers. In an embodiment, the receiver cycles between sleep and wakeup states. During the sleep state, most of the components of the receiver are powered off to conserve power, and during the wakeup state, the receiver tracks navigational signals. In an embodiment, the duty cycle of the sleep/wakeup states depends on the receiver dynamic state, e.g., whether the receiver is accelerating. In another embodiment, during the wakeup state, the receiver selects a tracking mode based on the signal strength. Under weak signal conditions, a tracking mode using a long integration to track the satellite signal is disclosed. In one embodiment, a tracking mode tracks the navigation signal by performing data aided integration using known or predicted data bits, such as the TLM and HOW words.

Navigational signal tracking in low power mode

Provided herein are systems and methods for achieving long integration of an input signal by compensating the frequency and phase of each sample of the input signal. In an embodiment, a Numerical Controlled Oscillator (NCO) of the receiver is modified to include a variable control input that allows the output frequency of the NCO to be adjusted based on a rate of change of frequency. The rate of change of frequency may be estimated based on the relative velocity of a satellite to the receiver computed from satellite orbit parameters or ephemeris. The rate of change of frequency may also be estimated based on frequency measurements of previous samples. The modified NCO may be used as a carrier NCO or code NCO of the receiver to provide frequency and phase compensation of each sample of the input signal.

Efficient and flexible numerical controlled oscillators for navigational receivers

Methods to achieve data bit synchronization from weak navigational satellite signals are based on a maximum likelihood criterion. The bit synchronization technique may be implemented by calculating a normalized dot product of two consecutive one-millisecond correlation values. Similar normalized dot products are calculated at intervals separated by one bit duration, and these dot products are summed and compared with pre-computed thresholds to declare bit edge detection. In another implementation, the normalized dot product of adjacent correlation values is replaced by a coherent integration powers of adjacent correlation values.

Bit synchronization for weak navigational satellite signals

Provided herein is multi-function platform comprising a plurality of devices and a large memory that is external to the devices and shared among the devices. In an embodiment, a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller is provided for each device to efficiently transfer data between the device and the shared memory. More than one DMA may be provided for a device. For example, separate DMAs may be provided for different components of a device that perform different subfunctions enabling efficient transfer of data between the different components of the device and the shared memory. In another embodiment, each device comprises a local embedded memory and is provided with a DMA for transferring data between the local memory and the shared memory. Examples of devices that can be included in the platform include a GNSS receiver, a audio player, a video player, a wireless communication device, a routing device, or the like.

High sensitivity global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver platform having DMA controller for transferring between internal and external memory

Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based Phase Lock Loops (PLLs) are provided for use in navigational signal receivers. In an embodiment, a navigation receiver correlates a received navigational signal with a locally generated signal into correlation samples, e.g., one-millisecond correlation samples. The navigation receiver includes a FFT based PLL that corrects phase shifts in the correlation samples due to the Doppler frequency by considering both the Doppler frequency and its rate of change, which are obtained from a FFT computation with interpolation. The phase corrected correlation samples are then integrated over a length of a navigation data bit, e.g., 20 milliseconds, to determine the sign of the data bit of the received signal. In another embodiment, a soft decision feedback technique involving integration extending over the present data bit and several prior data bits is used to determine the sign of a present data bit of the received signal.

Fast fourier transform based phase locked loop for navigational receivers

A method to determine the polarity of navigation data from weak satellite signals is disclosed. After bit edge is detected, a method in frequency domain is used to determine the present bit polarity with the help of several prior data bits which are already known, is disclosed. The impact of residual frequency can be mitigated by frequency transform. This method is especially useful in removing the data modulation in the weak signal for subsequent long coherent integrations.

Data demodulation from weak navigational satellite signals

Systems and methods are provided that compensate for frequency drift due to temperature variation without the need for a temperature sensor. In one embodiment, a navigation receiver with an integrated communication device receives a base station reference signal, which is used to periodically calibrate a local oscillator frequency. In another embodiment, the calibrated local oscillator frequency drives a counter that is used to provide code phase estimation at the start of satellite signal acquisition. To provide temperature compensation in one embodiment, the calibrated local frequency is used to drive one or more counters at different calibration rates (i.e., different time intervals between calibrations). Count values from these counters are used to determine compensation for frequency drift due to temperature variation based on predicted frequency drift variation patterns between calibrations. This temperature compensation does not require a temperature sensor and further improves the accuracy of the code phase estimation.

Methods and systems for temperature related frequency drift compensation

The techniques to detect and mitigate the false reacquisition in a global satellite navigation receiver are disclosed. The false reacquisition due to frequency side-lobes and code autocorrelation secondary lobes are considered for mitigation. A set of two threshold values is used to detect correct reacquisition and reject false reacquisition. While the reacquisition of the signal is straight forward when the correlation is clear with the power above the first threshold, it is not so clear when the power is between two thresholds. So a further search for the maximum power among the retained dwells results in correct reacquisition. The search range depends upon the signal blockage interval and receiver dynamics. The feedback from navigational solution may be used to determine the search range both in frequency and code phase. In the case of frequency side-lobes, which occur only at specified frequency components, these frequencies are tested for maximum power response. The code side-lobes have similar characteristics and can be distinguished by the actual peak.

False reacquisition mitigation in high sensitivity navigational satellite signal receivers

Provided herein are systems and methods for achieving long coherent integration in a navigational receiver to improve the sensitivity of the receiver and enable the receiver to acquire, reacquire and track signals under very weak signal conditions. In an embodiment, phase compensation is computed based on estimated Doppler frequency, rate of change of the Doppler frequency with time, and second order rate of change of the Doppler frequency. The Doppler frequency may be computed from an orbital model or ephemeris. This phase compensation is used to compensate samples of the input signal for changes in the phase due to the Doppler frequency. Frequency components of the phase-compensated samples are then computed using a frequency analysis such as a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The maximum frequency component is taken as an error frequency and used to compensate the samples of the input signal for residual frequency error.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Zhike Jia