Method and apparatus for guided acquisition and tracking in global navigation satellite system receivers

A portable device, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive at least satellite navigational system signals;
• one or more processors;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored therein, the program instructions configured to have the one or more processors perform the steps of:
• retrieving mask information corresponding to a current location of the portable device;
• and
• setting a visibility mask for the satellite navigational system signals based on the retrieved mask information corresponding to the current location of the portable device.

A mobile terminal, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive at least satellite navigational system signals;
• a mobile telecommunication network transceiver configured to at least transmit and receive signals of a mobile telecommunications network;
• one or more processors;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored therein, the program instructions configured to have the one or more processors perform the steps of:
• transmitting a request for mask information via the mobile telecommunications network to a mask database server, the request comprising information indicating the current location of the mobile terminal;
• receiving, in response, the mask information from the mask database server;
• and
• setting a visibility mask for the satellite navigational system signals based on the received mask information corresponding to the current location of the mobile terminal.

A mask database server, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored therein, the program instructions configured to have the one or more processors perform the steps of:
• receiving requests from portable devices regarding mask information corresponding to specific locations;
• retrieving mask information corresponding to the specific locations from one or more mask databases;
• and
• transmitting mask information corresponding to specific locations to the requesting portable devices.

A system for providing mask information to portable devices capable of receiving satellite navigational system signals, comprising:

• one or more mask database servers configured to store mask information according to a corresponding area;
• a plurality of portable devices connected to at least one mobile telecommunication network, each of the plurality of portable devices configured to receive and transmit data to and from the one or more mask database servers via the at least one mobile telecommunication network, each of the plurality of portable devices comprising:
• at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored therein, the program instructions configured to have the one or more processors perform the steps of:
• transmitting a request for mask information via the mobile telecommunications network to at least one mask database server, the request comprising information indicating a current location of a portable device;
• receiving, in response, mask information corresponding to an area comprising the current location from the at least one mask database server;
• and
• setting a visibility mask for the satellite navigational system signals based on the received mask information corresponding to the current location of the portable device.