Weighted Dilution of Precision for GPS Fix Qualification
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Solution Overview
Problem
GPS chips in consumer devices face challenges due to varying semiconductor processing steps and power consumption requirements, leading to suboptimal performance in different environments, necessitating a design adjustment to match end-user needs.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for qualifying GPS location determination by determining a constellation of satellites, making a measurement set based on received signals, and reporting the location only when the measurement set and constellation meet a predetermined threshold, using a weighted dilution of precision calculation, which includes user-selectable and adjustable thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS chips are designed for surveying applications with highly accurate positioning measurements, then position accuracy is improved, but power consumption and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by implementing dynamic threshold adjustment based on signal strength and environmental conditions. The DOP threshold is not fixed but adapts to changing GPS signal conditions, allowing the system to maintain acceptable accuracy while reducing power consumption during weak signal scenarios. This resolves the contradiction by making the accuracy threshold flexible rather than rigid.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the accuracy threshold and satellite selection criteria based on real-time signal strength measurements and environmental context. The threshold transitions from strict (surveying-grade) to more lenient based on available signal quality, enabling the GPS chip to operate efficiently across varying conditions without consuming maximum power continuously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If GPS chips are placed in widely ranging applications with varying semiconductor processing steps, then device versatility is improved, but manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements parameter changes by adjusting the DOP threshold and signal strength criteria based on the specific application environment and signal conditions. This allows the same GPS chip to maintain reliable positioning across diverse applications (surveying, navigation, consumer devices) without requiring application-specific hardware designs, thus improving versatility while preserving manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves universality by creating a unified GPS processing approach that works across multiple application domains. The adaptive threshold mechanism provides a common framework that accommodates varying signal conditions in different applications, eliminating the need for separate GPS implementations for each use case while maintaining positioning reliability.
3Measurement precision
If the GPS chip is optimized to deliver position data, then position accuracy is improved, but adaptability to different environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the accuracy threshold adaptive rather than fixed. The system continuously monitors signal strength and environmental conditions, dynamically adjusting the DOP threshold to match current operating conditions. This allows the chip to maintain high accuracy when signals are strong while becoming more tolerant in weak signal environments, thus improving environmental adaptability without sacrificing position data accuracy when conditions permit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (threshold values, satellite selection criteria) based on environmental conditions and signal quality. This dynamic parameter adjustment enables the GPS chip to adapt to different environments while maintaining optimized position data delivery when conditions are favorable, resolving the contradiction between fixed optimization and environmental adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for qualifying a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) location determination. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises determining a constellation of satellites used in the location determination, making a measurement set based on signals received from the constellation of satellites, comparing the measurement set and the constellation of satellites used in the location determination to a predetermined threshold, and reporting the location determination only when the threshold is not exceeded.Such a method further optionally includes the threshold being user-selectable, the threshold being adjusted or disabled based on a pre-defined scheme, the threshold being adjusted in a sequential form based on a pre-defined scheme, and the measurement set being made in a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.