Low power GPS receiver

A low power GPS receiver to receive a GPS signal having information for determining a location fix from one or more GPS satellites and to provide the location fix, the GPS receiver including;

• an RF section to receive a GPS signal from a GPS antenna element and to provide an intermediate frequency (IF) signal representative of the GPS signal;
• a correlator system to receive the IF signal, to correlate the IF signal for a time duration of a selected predetection interval, and to issue a correlation signal having information for location determination and signal strength;
• a microprocessor system to receive the correlation signal, to determine a duty cycle factor that reduces the signal strength without inhibiting a valid location fix, to issue information for the duty cycle factor in a power control signal, and to provide a location fix in a user output signal;
• and
• an on/off modulator, to receive power from a power source, to receive the power control signal, and to on/off modulate the operating power to the RF section, the on/off modulation to have an off time duration of less that the predetection interval and to have a duty cycle responsive to the duty cycle factor.