GNSS receiver and mobile system including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444374-B2
Application number	US-201615293796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2015
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A GNSS receiver includes a RF unit, a baseband processing unit, a storage unit, a mode control unit and a counter unit. The RF unit receives a satellite signal from an external satellite. The baseband processing unit determines present operation environment of the GNSS receiver based on the satellite signal. The storage unit stores information received by the RF unit and information generated by the baseband processing unit. The mode control unit controls an operation mode of the GNSS receiver based on the present operation environment. The operation mode includes a normal mode and a low power mode. The counter unit counts a first number representing a number of consecutive times in which the GNSS receiver has entered the low power mode. When the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode, the mode control unit turns off at least one of the RF unit, the baseband processing unit and the storage unit based on the first number.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) unit configured to receive a satellite signal from an external satellite;
a baseband processing unit configured to determine present operation environment of the GNSS receiver based on the satellite signal;
a storage unit configured to store infatuation received by the RF unit and information generated by the baseband processing unit;
a mode control unit configured to control an operation mode of the GNSS receiver based on the present operation environment, the operation mode including a normal mode and a low power mode; and
a counter unit configured to count a first number representing a number of consecutive times in which the GNSS receiver has entered the low power mode,
wherein when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode, the mode control unit is configured to turn off at least one of the RF unit, the baseband processing unit and the storage unit based on the first number.

2. The GNSS receiver of claim 1 , wherein when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode, and when the first number is smaller than a first reference number, the mode control unit is configured to turn off the RF unit.

3. The GNSS receiver of claim 2 , wherein when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode, when the first number is equal to or greater than the first reference number, and when the first number is smaller than a second reference number, the mode control unit is configured to turn off the RF unit and the storage unit.

4. The GNSS receiver of claim 3 , wherein when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode, and when the first number is equal to or greater than the second reference number, the mode control unit is configured to turn off the RF unit, the storage unit and the baseband processing unit are turned off.

5. The GNSS receiver of claim 1 , wherein when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode, the mode control unit is configured to control a duration of the low power mode based on the first number.

6. The GNSS receiver of claim 5 , wherein the duration of the low power mode increases as the first number increases.

7. The GNSS receiver of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply unit;
a first switch connected between the power supply unit and the RF unit;
a second switch connected between the power supply unit and the storage unit; and
a third switch connected between the power supply unit and the baseband processing unit.

8. The GNSS receiver of claim 7 , wherein the mode control unit generates a first control signal for controlling the first switch, a second control signal for controlling the second switch, and a third control signal for controlling the third switch.

9. The GNSS receiver of claim 1 , wherein the present operation environment includes a number of observable satellites and an intensity of the satellite signal.

10. The GNSS receiver of claim 9 , wherein when the number of observable satellites is smaller than a reference number, or when the intensity of the satellite signal is less than a reference intensity, the mode control unit is configured to operate the GNSS receiver in the low power mode.

11. The GNSS receiver of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the reference number and the reference intensity is variable.

12. The GNSS receiver of claim 1 , further comprising:
a navigation processing unit configured to perform an initial position acquisition and a position tracking based on the present operation environment.

13. A mobile system comprising:
a processor; and
a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver controlled by the processor,
wherein the GNSS receiver includes:
a radio frequency (RF) unit configured to receive a satellite signal from an external satellite;
a baseband processing unit configured to determine present operation environment of the GNSS receiver based on the satellite signal; and
a storage unit configured to store information received by the RF unit and information generated by the baseband processing unit,

wherein the GNSS receiver is configured to operate in one of a normal mode and a low power mode based on the present operation environment,
wherein when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode, at least one of the RF unit, the baseband processing unit and the storage unit is turned off based on a first number representing a number of consecutive times in which the GNSS receiver has entered the low power mode.

14. The mobile system of claim 13 , wherein the GNSS receiver further includes:
a mode control unit configured to select one of the normal mode and the low power mode based on the present operation environment, and configured to turn off at least one of the RF unit, the baseband processing unit and the storage unit based on the first number when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode; and
a counter unit configured to count the first number.

15. The mobile system of claim 13 , wherein the processor includes:
a mode control unit configured to select one of the normal mode and the low power mode based on the present operation environment, and configured to turn off at least one of the RF unit, the baseband processing unit and the storage unit based on the first number when the GNSS receiver enters the low power mode; and
a counter unit configured to count the first number.

16. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a satellite navigation receiver, the satellite navigation receiver including:
an RF unit;
a baseband unit; and
a storage unit,
wherein the satellite navigation receiver is configured to supply power to or withhold power from the RF, baseband, and storage units, depending upon whether acceptable signals are available from a sufficient number of navigation satellites and based on a first number representing a number of consecutive times in which the satellite navigation receiver has entered a low power mode.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a processor is configured to determine whether acceptable signals are available from a sufficient number of navigation satellites and to initially withhold power from one of the RF, baseband, or storage units if acceptable signals are not available from a sufficient number of navigation satellites.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to withhold power from two of the RF, baseband, or storage units if acceptable signals are not available from a sufficient number of navigation satellites for at least a first threshold period of time.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to withhold power from all three of the RF, baseband, and storage units if acceptable signals are not available from a sufficient number of navigation satellites for at least a second threshold period of time greater than the first threshold period of time.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the satellite navigation receiver is a global navigation satellite system receiver.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jung-Jun
• Lee Woo-Jin
• Cho Jae-Bum

Classifications

• H04B7/18519

  Operations control, administration or maintenance · CPC title

• G01S19/34 Primary

  Power consumption · CPC title

• H04B7/18515

  Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays · CPC title

• Y02D70/166

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D70/1262

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic