Interleaved RF Controller for Mobile Location Determination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interference between telecommunication RF signals and navigation RF signals in mobile devices leads to degraded location determination performance, increased power consumption, and slower reliability, particularly in emergency tracking and smartphone navigation.
Innovation Solution
An interleaved telecommunication and location determining controller manages temporal gaps in telecommunication RF signals to enable undistorted navigation RF signal processing, either by using only temporal gaps during transmission, overlapping gaps, or disabling telecommunication transmitters/receivers to create additional gaps for navigation signal reception, thereby improving location determination speed and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If telecommunication RF signal transceiver and navigation RF signal receiver are integrated in one device, then device functionality is improved, but signal interference occurs leading to degraded navigation performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic switching between telecommunication and navigation signal processing by utilizing the temporal structure of telecommunication signals. The navigation RF signal receiver is activated during temporal gaps in the telecommunication RF signal transmission, creating a periodic operation pattern that allows both functions to coexist without continuous interference
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation state of the navigation RF signal receiver based on the temporal characteristics of the telecommunication RF signal. The receiver is enabled during gaps and disabled during active transmission periods, creating a dynamic control mechanism that adapts to the varying interference conditions
2Speed
If navigation RF signal receiver operates during telecommunication signal transmission, then location determination speed is improved, but signal interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes the temporal gaps within the telecommunication signal structure to isolate navigation signal processing from interference. By taking advantage of these natural gaps in the telecommunication transmission pattern, the system processes navigation signals only when harmful interference is absent
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that manages the temporal coordination between telecommunication and navigation signal processing. It monitors the telecommunication signal state and gates the navigation receiver accordingly, mediating the interaction between the two signal paths to prevent interference
3Reliability
If multiple retries are performed to overcome interference, then location determination reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the telecommunication signal temporal pattern to identify upcoming gaps. By anticipating when interference-free windows will occur, the navigation receiver can be activated at the optimal moment without requiring multiple retries, thus conserving power while ensuring reliable signal acquisition
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for processing radio frequency - RF - signals comprises determining location information from a portion of navigation RF signals (38) received from a satellite navigations system, wherein the portion is mainly or exclusively received during temporal gaps of a telecommunication RF signal transmitted to or received from a mobile telecommunication network. The invention also comprises an integrated circuit, a mobile phone or tracking device, and a machine-readable medium. The invention improves the speed and/or reliability and/or power consumption of a process of determining a location in spite of possible interference effects.