KR101092513B1 - GPS receiver and method for exchanging position thereoof - Google Patents

Abstract

The GPS receiver and its location information exchanging method according to the present invention are based on the location exchanger list, which is a list of one or more other GPS receivers for exchanging GPS time data and location information, to the one or more other GPS receivers. Sets a transmission timing for transmitting a signal and a reception timing for receiving location information from the one or more other GPS receivers, checks the GPS time data, and when the set transmission / reception timing is reached, operates an RF communication unit. It is implemented to transmit the location information, or to receive the location information transmitted from one or more other GPS receiver.

Differential GPS (DGPS), WLAN, RF communications,

Description

GPS receiver and method for exchanging position information thereof {GPS receiver and method for exchanging position thereoof}

The present invention relates to a GPS receiver and a method for exchanging position information thereof, which can receive a GPS satellite signal, measure position information, and exchange measured position information between devices.

The GPS (Global Positioning System) is a global satellite navigation system that receives microwaves transmitted from satellites orbiting a mid-orbit at a GPS receiver and calculates a position vector of the GPS receiver.

GPS consists of a space segment (SS), a control segment (CS), and a user segment (US). The space segment refers to a number of orbiting GPS satellites. It refers to a ground station that tracks the satellite's orbit and manages the satellite, and the user portion refers to a GPS receiver that receives the GPS satellite signal and calculates a location vector of the user.

GPS receivers usually receive signals from three or more GPS satellites to determine the location of the receiver. By measuring the time difference between the signal transmitted from the satellite and the signal received from the GPS receiver, we can determine the distance between the satellite and the receiver, since the satellite signal contains information about the position of the satellite and therefore the distance to at least three satellites. Once we know the position of each satellite, we can calculate the position of the receiver using the same method as in trilateration. At this time, since the time information is not completely accurate, the position is usually determined using four or more satellites to correct an error. This positioning method is called a single positioning method.

However, in determining the position, in addition to the above-described satellite clock error, an error may occur in the position information determined by various error factors such as satellite orbit error, ionospheric delay error, convective error, and multipath error. In addition, the positioning accuracy of the GPS receiver according to the single positioning method is approximately 3 to 10 meters, and the position resolution is poor to be applied to an application requiring precise positioning.

Therefore, a relative positioning system (DGPS: Differential GPS) is used to correct the above-described position error and to increase positioning accuracy. DGPS calculates the position error correction information by the GPS signal at the moment by comparing the GPS position with its position pre-measured at the reference station whose position is known, and calculates the RTCM (Radio Technical Commision for Maritime Service) In order to calculate the exact position of the user terminal by receiving the RTCM signal when calculating the position by the GPS signal in the user terminal and reflecting the position error correction information when calculating the position. Positional accuracy in DGPS is approximately 1 meter.

By the way, the conventional GPS receiver was developed by focusing on simply receiving a GPS signal and measuring a more accurate position. As the GPS receiver is used for various purposes, the user's demand for various additional functions increases. have. More specifically, there is a request from a user for a device for checking a mutual location between users, but the existing GPS receiver cannot satisfy this request.

The present invention implements time synchronization for transmitting and receiving location information between devices by using GPS time data acquired from GPS satellite signals, thereby enabling location information to be exchanged via wireless communication without affecting the reception performance of the GPS signal. A receiver and a method of exchanging positional information thereof are provided.

As a means for solving the above problem, the present invention provides a method for a GPS receiver to exchange location information with one or more other GPS receivers, the list of one or more other GPS receivers to exchange GPS time data and location information. A setting step of setting a transmission timing at which the GPS receiver sends position information and a reception timing at which the GPS receiver receives position information of another GPS receiver, based on a list of in-location switching devices; A transmission step of checking the GPS time data and operating the RF transmission circuit when the set transmission timing is reached to transmit its location information; And a receiving step of checking the GPS time data and receiving the location information of another registered GPS receiving apparatus by operating an RF receiving circuit when the set receiving timing is reached.

The method of exchanging location information may further include receiving GPS satellite signals and acquiring GPS time data prior to the setting step, and further, before the setting step, mutually communicating with one or more other GPS receiving devices. By performing the registration procedure, the method may further include a registration step of preparing the location switching device list.

Further, in the location information exchange method, the interval between the transmission timing and the reception timing may be set according to the amount of data to be transmitted between the GPS receiver and one or more other GPS receivers.

In the setting step, the GPS receiver and the one or more other GPS receivers sequentially transmit the location information, and when the other GPS receiver transmits the location information, the GPS receiver receives the location information of the other GPS receiver. The transmission and reception timings are set to be.

In addition, the present invention, as another means for solving the above problems, RF communication unit for transmitting and receiving data including position information with one or more other GPS receiver; A data encryption unit for encrypting and decrypting transmission / reception data between the RF communication unit and the control unit; A GPS receiver for receiving a GPS satellite signal, calculating a current position, and obtaining GPS time data; And setting the transmission / reception timing of the location information based on the location exchange device list, which is a list of one or more other GPS reception devices to exchange the GPS time data and the location information, and at the GPS reception unit according to the set transmission / reception timing. The present invention provides a GPS receiver including a control unit for transmitting the calculated current position or controlling the RF communication unit to receive position information from another GPS receiver.

The GPS receiver may include a display configured to display an operation state and an operation result including a current position calculated by the GPS receiver and position information of the other GPS receiver under control of the controller; A memory for storing data including a current position calculated by the GPS receiver and position information of the other GPS receiver under control of the controller; An input unit for inputting a user selection or a user command to the control unit according to a user's operation; An external device connection unit connected to an external device and transferring the current location calculated by the GPS receiver and location information of the other GPS receiver to an external device under control of the controller; And a power controller configured to provide operating power of the GPS receiver and to manage a power state.

The RF communication unit transmits and receives data to and from another GPS receiver located at about 1 km using a 400 MHz to 2.4 GHz band, and the controller performs a registration procedure between one or more other GPS receivers. A list of location switching devices is configured, the location switching device transmits the location information sequentially in the set order with respect to the location switching device list, and when the location information of another GPS receiving device is transmitted, the location information is received. The transmission and reception timing is set so that the interval between the transmission timing and the reception timing may be set according to the amount of data to be transmitted between the GPS receiver and one or more other GPS receivers.

The GPS receiver according to the present invention may provide an additional function of exchanging location information by communicating with another GPS receiver through RF communication, and further provides the above-described additional function in addition to the basic GPS function, thereby providing user convenience. Has an excellent effect. In addition, the present invention implements synchronization between devices for exchanging position information based on GPS time data obtainable from GPS satellite signals, so that a plurality of devices transmit and receive each other's satellite signals by turning on / off an RF communication unit at a set transmission / reception timing. As a result, there is an excellent effect of reducing the waiting time and performing a function of exchanging position information through RF communication without affecting reception of a GPS satellite signal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in describing in detail the operating principle of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the same reference numerals are used for parts having similar functions and functions throughout the drawings.

In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is 'connected' to another part, it is not only 'directly connected' but also 'indirectly connected' with another element in between. Include. In addition, the term 'comprising' a certain component means that the component may be further included, without excluding the other component unless specifically stated otherwise.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a GPS receiver to which the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, the GPS receiver of the present invention basically includes an RF communication unit 11, a data encryption unit 12, a GPS receiver 13, and a controller 14. In addition, the GPS receiver may further include a display unit 15, a memory 16, an input unit 17, an external device connection unit 18, and a power control unit 19.

The RF communication unit 11 is on / off under the control of the control unit 14 to perform short-range communication with other GPS receivers. More specifically, the RF communication unit 11 uses a 400 MHz to 2.4 GHz band to approximately 1 km. The device transmits data to another GPS receiver located or receives data transmitted from another GPS receiver. The data transmitted and received through the RF communication unit 11 includes a device registration related message for mutual location information exchange and location information of a registered device. In addition, the RF communication unit 11, for the stable operation, the transmission output is preferably less than about 100mW (20dBm), the reception output is about -110dBm, the data communication speed is preferably supports about 9600bps.

The data encryption unit 12 encrypts and decrypts data transmitted and received through the RF communication unit 11 for secure communication. That is, the data including the location information of the other GPS receiver received through the RF communication unit 11 is decoded and transmitted to the control unit 14, and the data including its own location information transmitted from the control unit 14 is transmitted. Encrypted and output to the RF communication unit (11). By the data encryption unit 12, registered GPS receivers can securely share location information with each other.

The GPS receiver 13 receives a satellite signal including satellite position and time information from a GPS satellite, analyzes the received satellite signal to calculate a current position, and transmits the calculated position to the controller 14. Output

The controller 14 is for controlling and managing the overall operation of the GPS receiver. Specifically, the controller 14 outputs the position information of the device calculated by the GPS receiver 13 through the display 15 or the memory ( 16) or output to an external device through the external device connection unit 18. In addition, the controller 14 performs a registration procedure with another GPS receiver to create a location exchange device list, which is a list of devices for exchanging location information, and with reference to the GPS time data and the location exchange device list. The operation timing of the RF communication unit 11, that is, the transmission and reception timing are set. Then, by operating the RF communication unit 11 in accordance with the transmission and reception timing, it transmits its own location information to other GPS receivers in the transmission timing, and other GPS receivers transmitted from other GPS receivers at the reception timing. Location information is received.

In addition, the controller 14 outputs location information of another GPS receiver to the display unit 15, the memory 16, or the external device connection unit 18.

Next, the display unit 15 displays information informing various operation states including GPS reception information under the control of the control unit 14. In particular, the display unit 15 displays the location information of the GPS receiver itself, or displays the location information of another GPS receiver that has been exchanged and informs the user.

The memory 16 stores data including the calculated position information and position information of another GPS receiver under the control of the controller 14.

The input unit 17 includes various input buttons for selecting a function of a device including a location measurement function and a location information sharing function with another GPS receiver, and controls the user's command according to the user's operation. Enter For example, the input unit 17 may include a power on / off button, a mode switching button, up, down, left and right movement buttons, one or more function buttons, and the like.

The external device connection unit 18 is for connecting and using an external device having various functions, for example, a memory card, to the GPS receiver as needed, and various input / output such as a USB port, a serial port, and a CF port. It can be implemented as an input / output interface according to the standard. By connecting with the external memory card, it is possible to transfer the stored data of the memory 16 to the external memory, or to connect with a PC (Personal Computer) through the USB port, and to transfer data to the PC, other serial port You can connect with external devices and also expand optional devices via the CF port.

The power control unit 19 provides the operating power of the above-described GPS receiver and manages the battery state. That is, the battery charge and battery status display are controlled.

In the GPS receiver configured as described above, when the power is applied and the user operates the input unit 17 to select the position measuring function, the GPS receiver 13 operates to receive the GPS satellite signal and then displays the current position. The control unit 14 outputs the calculated position through the display unit 15, stores it in the memory 16, or outputs the external device connection unit 18. Here, since the position calculation using the GPS satellite signal is generally well known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, when the user selects a location information sharing function with another GPS receiver through the input unit 17, the GPS receiver recognizes this, and according to the set transmission / reception timing, the RF communication unit ( 11) and the data encryption unit 12, and the RF communication unit 21 performs RF communication with other GPS receivers located nearby to exchange mutual position information, and the data encryption unit 12 Encrypt and decrypt the exchanged location information. The control unit 14 reads its own location information from the memory 16 and provides it to the data encryption unit 12 for transmission to other GPS receivers, and the other GPS receivers transmitted from the data encryption unit 12. The position information is received and output to the display unit 15, the memory 16, or the external device connection unit 18.

In the above description, the display unit 15, the memory 16, and the external device connection unit 18 may be selectively provided as necessary.

In addition, in the present embodiment, a GPS receiver device to which a single positioning method of measuring a position using only GPS satellite signals is applied as an example, but the GPS receiver device may calculate a position by a relative positioning technique. Communication means for receiving the position error correction information of the DGPS may be further included.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of exchanging location information between GPS receivers according to the present invention. Here, it is assumed that each GPS receiver has a unique ID that can be distinguished from each other, and that each GPS receiver is identified through the ID.

Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit 14 of the GPS receiver receives GPS satellite signals through the GPS receiver 13 prior to transmission and reception of position information to obtain GPS time data (S201).

In addition, the controller 14 exchanges position information which is a list of one or more other GPS receivers to exchange position information by performing a registration procedure by communicating with one or more other GPS receivers prior to the transmission and reception of the position information. A target list is created (S202).

Then, the controller 14 sets the transmission and reception timing for transmitting and receiving the location information based on the GPS time data and the information of one or more other GPS receivers registered in the location information exchange target list (S203). .

Then, the GPS time data is checked, and when the set transmission timing is reached, the transmitter circuit of the RF communication unit 11 is operated to transmit its own position information (S204). When the set reception timing is reached, the RF communication unit The receiving circuit of (11) is operated to receive the positional information transmitted from the other registered GPS receiving apparatus (S205).

The interval between the transmission timing and the reception timing may be set according to the amount of data to be transmitted between the GPS receiver and one or more other GPS receivers registered in the location exchange device list, and the transmission and reception timing may be set by the GPS receiver. And at least one other GPS receiver transmits the location information in turn, and at the time when the other GPS receiver transmits the location information, it is set to receive the location information of the other GPS receiver. For example, if the transmission order of the GPS receiver is set in advance, the control unit 14 can know its own transmission order by checking the GPS receiver currently registered in the position exchange device list. Timing and reception timing can be set. Here, it is preferable that the interval of the transmission / reception timing, that is, the transmission / reception period, is set in advance so as to be the same for all the GPS receivers.

3 is a timing diagram showing an example of exchanging position information between three GPS receivers A, B, and C, (a) is a transmission and reception timing diagram of device A, (b) is a transmission and reception timing diagram of device B, (c) is a transmission / reception timing diagram of the device C. FIG.

Referring to this, a transmission / reception period is set at regular intervals, and in the first transmission / reception period T0, the device A operates in a transmission mode and transmits its own location information D1. At this time, the device B and the device C operate in the reception mode to receive the location information D1 of the device A. In the next setting period T1, the device B operates in the transmission mode to transmit its own location information D2, and the remaining devices A and C operate in the reception mode to receive the location information D2 of the device B. Finally, in the setting period T3, the device C operates in the transmission mode to transmit its own location information D3, and the remaining devices A and B operate in the reception mode to receive the location information D3 of the device C.

The above-mentioned transmission / reception timing is set based on GPS time data.

That is, the GPS time data is received by all the GPS receivers, and accordingly, all the GPS receivers are time-synchronized to operate in the transmission mode or the reception mode at the same time.

Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts illustrating an operation process of each of a transmission mode and a reception mode in the method of exchanging position information of a GPS receiver according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the GPS receiver according to the present invention operates GPS based data after acquiring GPS time data through the GPS receiver 13 (S401).

First, a time interrupt for transmission is set in accordance with the transmission timing set in the control unit 14 (S402). Then, it is checked whether the transmission timing has been reached (S403).

When the GPS time reaches the transmission timing, an interrupt is generated (S403, S404), and the control unit 14 applies power to an RF transmitter (not shown) of the RF communication unit 11 and turns it on (S405). Then, the position information calculated by the GPS receiver 13 is provided to the data encryption unit 12 and the RF communication unit 11 to transmit its own position information (S406).

When the transmission of the location information is completed (S407) or exceeds the set operation time (S408), the power applied to the RF transmitter (not shown) of the RF communication unit 11 is cut off to terminate the RF and the transmission operation ( S409).

Referring to FIG. 5, the GPS reception apparatus according to the present invention operates GPS based data after acquiring GPS time data through the GPS receiver 13 (S501).

First, a time interrupt for reception is set according to the reception timing set in the control unit 14 (S502). Then, it is checked whether the reception timing has been reached (S503).

When the GPS time reaches the reception timing, an interrupt is generated (S504), whereby the controller 14 turns on by applying power to an RF receiver (not shown) of the RF communication unit 11 (S505). Then, location information is received through the RF receiver (S506).

When reception of the location information of the other device is completed (S507) or exceeds the set operation time (S508), the location information of the received other device is displayed on the display unit 15 or the memory 16 or the external device connection unit 18. (S509), the power applied to the RF receiver (not shown) of the RF communication unit 11 is cut off, and the RF and reception operation is terminated (S510).

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and it is common in the art that various substitutions, modifications, and changes can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a GPS receiver to which the present invention is applied.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of exchanging position information of a GPS receiver according to the present invention.

3 is a diagram illustrating position information transmission and reception timing of PGS receivers A, B, and C according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for transmitting device location information in a GPS receiver according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for receiving device location information in a GPS receiver according to the present invention.

Claims (10)

A method for a GPS receiver to exchange location information with one or more other GPS receivers, the method comprising: Based on the location exchanger list, which is a list of one or more other GPS receivers to exchange GPS time data and location information, the timing of transmission to send the location information to one or more other GPS receivers and the location from the one or more other GPS receivers. A setting step of setting a reception timing for receiving information; A transmission step of checking the GPS time data and operating the RF transmission circuit when the set transmission timing is reached to transmit its location information; And Checking the GPS time data, and when the set reception timing is reached, operating an RF receiver circuit to receive location information transmitted from the one or more other GPS receivers. . The method of claim 1, And obtaining GPS time data by receiving a GPS satellite signal prior to the setting step. The method of claim 1, And registering the location switching device list by performing a registration procedure by communicating with one or more other GPS receiving devices before the setting step. The method of claim 1, And the setting period of the transmission timing and the reception timing is set according to the amount of data to be transmitted between the GPS receiver and one or more other GPS receivers. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the setting step, The GPS receiver and the one or more other GPS receivers transmit location information in sequence, and when the other GPS receiver transmits the location information, the transmission and reception timing is set to receive the location information of the other GPS receiver. Position information exchange method of the GPS receiver, characterized in that. RF communication unit for transmitting and receiving data including location information between one or more other GPS receiver; A data encryption unit for encrypting and decrypting transmission / reception data between the RF communication unit and the control unit; A GPS receiver for receiving a GPS satellite signal, calculating a current position, and obtaining GPS time data; And Set the transmission / reception timing of the location information based on the location exchange device list, which is a list of one or more other GPS receivers to exchange the GPS time data and the location information, and calculate the current at the GPS receiver according to the set transmission / reception timing. And a control unit which controls the RF communication unit to transmit a location of the mobile station or to receive location information from another GPS receiving device. The method of claim 6, A display unit displaying an operation state and an operation result including a current position calculated by the GPS receiver and position information of the other GPS receiver according to the control of the controller; A memory for storing data including a current position calculated by the GPS receiver and position information of the other GPS receiver under control of the controller; An input unit for inputting a user selection or a user command to the control unit according to a user's operation; An external device connection unit connected to an external device and transferring the current location calculated by the GPS receiver and location information of the other GPS receiver to an external device under control of the controller; And The GPS receiver further comprises a power control unit for providing an operating power of the GPS receiver and managing a power state. The method of claim 6, wherein the RF communication unit, GPS receiver, characterized in that for transmitting and receiving data to and from another GPS receiver located within about 1km using the 400MHz ~ 2.4GHz band. The method of claim 6, The control unit performs a registration procedure between one or more other GPS receivers to construct a list of location information exchange targets, and with reference to the location information exchange target list, the controller to determine location information in a set order. Sequentially transmitting and setting the transmission and reception timing to receive the location information when the location information of another GPS receiver is transmitted. The method of claim 6, And the setting period of the transmission timing and the reception timing is set according to the amount of data to be transmitted between the GPS receiver and one or more other GPS receivers.

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