GPS Receiver Preliminary Signal Quality Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods of determining a GPS position fix by sampling and later processing GPS signal samples may fail due to transient RF interference or temporary blockages, leading to an inability to recover the receiver's position if it moves before final processing.
Innovation Solution
Conduct preliminary processing of GPS signal samples to assess the likelihood of obtaining a position fix, and if unsuccessful, re-sample GPS signals for an extended period to increase the chances of obtaining a valid fix during later processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If GPS signal samples are sampled and stored for later processing, then processing can be done externally or when connected to external power source, but it may be impossible to obtain a position fix due to transient RF interference or temporary blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing quality assessment of GPS signal samples immediately after sampling, before storing them for later processing. The system evaluates whether the sampled signals are of sufficient quality to yield a position fix, and only then stores them. This preliminary check prevents wasting battery on storing unusable samples while ensuring that stored samples are reliable for later processing.
2Ease of operation
If GPS signal samples are processed later, then processing can be done on an external computer, but there is no way to recover the position of the receiver if it moves location before final processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by providing immediate quality assessment results to the user about whether the sampled GPS signals are likely to yield a position fix. This feedback loop allows users to understand the quality of their sampled data before final processing, enabling them to make informed decisions about whether to proceed with processing or to resample.
3Reliability
If preliminary processing is conducted to determine likelihood of obtaining position fix, then failed fixes due to interference can be avoided, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing only a preliminary quality assessment of GPS signal samples rather than complete processing. The system evaluates key quality metrics to determine if samples are worth storing and processing later, performing just enough initial processing to filter out obviously unusable samples while leaving the bulk of processing for later when more resources are available.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A method of determining a GPS position fix comprising the steps of: (i) sampling received GPS signals and storing those samples; (ii) conducting preliminary processing of those GPS signal samples to determine the likelihood of being able to obtain a position fix during later, final processing of those GPS signal samples; and (iii) after step (ii), conducting final processing of those GPS signal samples to obtain a position fix.