Timing signal generating device, electronic apparatus, moving object, method of generating timing signals, and method of controlling satellite signal receiver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952562-B2
Application number	US-201414153463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2014
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A timing signal generating device includes a GPS receiver and a processing unit. The GPS receiver functions as a positioning calculation unit, and receives satellite signals transmitted from GPS satellites and performs positioning calculation based on trajectory information and time information contained in the received satellite signals. Further, the processing unit functions as a position information generation unit, and generates position information of a receiving point based on a mode value or a median value in results of the positioning calculation at a plurality of times by the GPS receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timing signal generating device comprising: a receiver configured to:
receive satellite signals transmitted from position information satellites; and
obtain position calculation results by calculating positions repetitively based on trajectory information and time information obtained from the received satellite signals, wherein the calculated positions include latitude and longitude values; and
a processor configured to:
receive the position calculation results from the receiver; calculate a mode value or a median value of the position calculation results obtained by the receiver, wherein the calculated mode value or median value corresponds to a mode or median of the latitude and longitude values;
generate position information for the device by determining a position using the calculated mode value or median value of the position calculation results, wherein the generated position information includes generated latitude and longitude values;
wherein the receiver is further configured to:
receive the position information for the device generated by the processor;
generate timing signals in synchronization with a reference time based on the position information generated by the processor;
obtain the position calculation results in a first mode; and generate the timing signals in a second mode; and
wherein the processor is configured to transmit a command to the receiver; and
the receiver is configured to be set to one of the first mode and the second mode based on the command; and
wherein the receiver further comprises a memory;
wherein the processor is configured to write the position information in the memory and transmit the command to set the receiver to the second mode; and
the receiver is configured to generate the timing signals based on the position information in the memory.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver further comprises a memory;
wherein the processor is configured to write the position information in the memory; and
the receiver is configured to generate the timing signals based on the position information in the memory.

3. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second receiver configured to:
receive the position information of the device; and
generate second timing signals in synchronization with the reference time based on the position information,
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine whether there is a failure of the receiver or the second receiver; and
select the timing signals generated by one of the receiver and the second receiver based on results of the determination.

4. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second receiver,
wherein the receiver is configured to obtain the position calculation results using the satellite signals as received by a first antenna; and
wherein the second receiver is configured to obtain second position calculation results using second satellite signals received by a second antenna at a different location than the first antenna.

5. The device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the second position calculation results from the second receiver;
calculate a second mode value or a second median value of the second position calculation results; and
generate the second position information of the device by determining a position based on the second mode value or the second median value.

6. The device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the receiver is configured to generate parameter information representing reception status of the satellite signals as received by the first antenna, and
the second receiver is configured to generate second parameter information representing reception status of the satellite signals as received by the second antenna.

7. The device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
compare respective precisions of the timing signals and the second timing signals based on the parameter information and the second parameter information; and
select one of the timing signals and the second timing signals based on results of the comparison.

8. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an oscillator that outputs clock signals,
wherein the processor is configured to synchronize the clock signals with the timing signals.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Shimada Hiroyuki
• Maki Yoshiyuki
• Tanaka Noriaki

Classifications

• G01S19/06

  employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data · CPC title

• G04R40/02 Primary

  by phase locking · CPC title

• G04F5/145

  using Coherent Population Trapping · CPC title

• G01S19/14

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G01S19/256 Primary

  relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset · CPC title