Method and apparatus for providing reference frequency aiding among peers operating in a direct communication mode

A method of acquiring a positioning signal from a global positioning satellite at a positioning receiver of an uncorrected mobile communication device, comprising:

• detecting a signal transmitted by a corrected mobile communication device, the signal being at an uncorrected nominal frequency of the corrected mobile communication device, the uncorrected nominal frequency being offset from a nominal frequency due to a frequency error of the corrected mobile communication device, the detecting performed by the uncorrected mobile communication device;
• tuning a communications transceiver of the uncorrected mobile communication device to the uncorrected nominal frequency of the corrected mobile communication device from an uncorrected nominal frequency of the uncorrected mobile communication device;
• determining a tuning offset between the uncorrected nominal frequency of the uncorrected mobile communication device and the uncorrected nominal frequency of the corrected mobile communication device, determining the tuning offset performed at the uncorrected mobile communication device;
• receiving a frequency correction message at the uncorrected mobile communication device from the corrected mobile communication device at the uncorrected nominal frequency of the corrected mobile communication device, the frequency correction message including reference oscillator offset information of the corrected mobile communication device;
• extracting the reference oscillator offset information of the corrected mobile communication device from the frequency correction message at the uncorrected mobile communication device;
• comparing the reference oscillator offset information of the corrected mobile communication device and the tuning offset to determine a reference offset of a reference oscillator of the uncorrected mobile communication device from the nominal frequency;
• providing the reference offset of the reference oscillator of the uncorrected mobile communication device to the positioning receiver of the uncorrected mobile communication device, the positioning receiver sharing the reference oscillator with the communication receiver;
• and
• adjusting a positioning receiver tuning in response to the reference offset to receive the positioning signal.