Signal Processor and Signal Processing Method
AssigneeNemerix SA
InventorPhil Young
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Signal processor for a GNSS receiver, in particular a GPS receiver, characterized by the use of un-refreshed volatile dynamic memory as a storage element for real-time digital data. The invention takes advantage from the facts that many memory units are used to store real-time data and are constantly overwritten at a rate which can conveniently shorter than a mean retention time of a DRAM cell. Moreover several memories are used to store noise-dominated data which are then statistically analyzed in a way can tolerate a small rate of retention errors. Thus the automatic refresh circuitry can be disposed of without adverse effect.
Claims15
A signal processor for a GNSS receiver, comprising a volatile dynamic memory configured as a non-refresh storage element for real-time digital data.
A method of manufacturing a GNSS receiver, comprising providing a non-refresh dynamic memory and a digital signal processor;
- configuring the non-refresh dynamic memory to store real-time digital data;
- and configuring the digital signal processor, when data buffering is required, to address periodically the non-refresh dynamic memory with a repetition period shorter than a retention time of the non-refresh dynamic memory.
A method of providing a signal processor for a GNSS receiver, comprising the steps of:
- identifying memory resources which are used to store real-time data,
- configuring the receiver such that some of the memory resources which are used to store real-time data are read at least at a read rate,
- implementing at least part of the memory resources which are read with dynamic memory lacking a refresh circuitry, wherein the period of the read rate is shorter than a retention time of the dynamic memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.