Research of Indoor GPS Signals
Acquisition Algorithm
 
Yu Liu
Chongqing Three Gorges University, Department
of Physical and Electronic Engineering,
Chongqing, China
liuyu418@126.com


Abstract — The key of satellite navigation positioning
technology is weak signal detection in low-SNR environments.
In order to acquire weak GPS signals, this paper analyzes an
efficient GPS signal acquisition method, differential
correlation, where each current coherently integrated pre-
detection sample is multiplied with the complex conjugate of
the previous pre-detection sample. The products are then
accumulated. By means of mathematical model, the adapted
acquisition algorithm based on differential correlation (DF) is
derived in detail. By implementing rigorous mathematical
analysis, this paper proves that this algorithm outperforms
conventional non-coherent integration of coherent integration
results (NCH) in the detection of weak GPS signal. The
processing loss induced by NCH can be decreased through the
use of DF by approximately 3 dB at low carrier-to-noise
density ratios. This improvement decreases the acquisition
time, representing a substantial improvement in the context of
weak GPS signals. Using simulation, we compare the DF
acquisition algorithm with the NCH acquisition algorithm. The
simulation results indicate that this algorithm is superior to the
NCH acquisition algorithm in improving the sensitivity.
Keywords: GPS; indoor location; low SNR; differential
correlation
ȱ. INTRODUCTION
Global Positioning System receivers must acquire and
track the pseudorandom codes and carrier signals from
several GPS satellites. In order to track and decode the
information in GPS signal, an acquisition method must first
be used to detect the presence of the signal. Once the signal
is detected, the necessary parameters must be obtained and
passed to a tracking program. Information such as the
navigation data can be obtained from the tracking program
ˈso acquisition is the first step in GPS signal processing
scheme. However, most GPS signal acquisition techniques,
which are considered to be adequate on positioning
capability in outdoor environment are not satisfactory for
application with weak signals.
There is a great amount of attention on exploring the
techniques for location estimation in weak signal
environment. It has been investigated in that the attenuation
and interference to the received GPS signal are severe in
stringent circumstance. Different types of technique have
been proposed to overcome the problem, which can be
978-1-4244-2108-4/08/$25.00 © 2008 IEEE
Shijun Tian
University of Electronic Science and Technology
of China, School of Electronic Engineering,
Chengdu, China
tianshij@uestc.edu.cn
categorized into the Assisted-GPS methods [1], coherent
integration (COH), non-coherent integration (NCOH) and
NCH [2, 3]. The A-GPS methods primarily utilize the
messages coming from the cell-based systems to assist the
acquisition of the received GPS signal. In order to improve
signal sensitivity, the COH acquisition technique maximize
the COH period. However, for too weak signal, processing
gain obtained through COH may not be sufficient for
detection. In addition, the existence of navigation bit
transition limits the COH period to 20 ms, normally 10 ms
without the external aiding, using the current L1 signal [4],
although the block acquisition scheme proposed in [5]
alleviates the navigation bit-transition problem using the
COH method. However, the long COH time increases the
number of frequency search cells, which in turn increases
the time to first fix. Meanwhile, the COH time is also
limited by the user dynamics and the quality of the front-end
oscillator. Using NCOH and NCH techniques, integration
can be extended for much longer periods but the processing
gain suffers severely because of the squaring loss is
incurred. Squaring loss increases as pre-squaring SNR
decreases, leading to a fundamental limit to the sensitivity of
this technique.
In this paper, an adapted acquisition algorithm based on
DF is proposed for GPS acquisition under weak signal
environment. The main concept of the DF scheme is to use
differentially-coherent combining instead of non-coherent
combining of the COH results for the acquisition of GPS
signals. Although this method becomes particularly useful
within this context, as we will explain, it has not been
considered for this purpose so far.
„ ɉ. THE ADAPTED ACQUISITION ALGORITHM
BASED ON DF
The GPS signal acquisition process is a two-dimensional
search across an uncertainty region defined by a
combination of time (code phase) and frequency (Doppler)
ambiguity. For weak signal scenarios, processing gain
obtained through COH may not be sufficient for detection,
and therefore several NCOH operations are necessary to
further improve the SNR to an adequate level for decision
making. However, the large squaring loss suffered in weak
signal contexts increases the acquisition time significantly.
1
Here, the adapted acquisition algorithm based on DF is
proved capable of reducing the squaring loss by about 3dB
in low carrier-to-noise density ratios situations.
A. Mathematical Model of DF Acquisition Algorithm
The following is a model of GPS signal that has been
used in this study:
yk Ad (tk )c[(1 K )(tk  ts )]cos[wIF tk  (wDtk  M0 )]  vk (1)
In this model, the constant A is the signal amplitude. The
function d (t ) is the GPS data stream, which is an unknown
sequence of +1 and -1 with a period of 20ms. The function
c(t ) is the C/A PRN code of the received signal, which is a
pseudorandom number (PRN) code with a period of 1023
chips and rate of 1.023 MHz. The quality K is the fractional
perturbation of the chipping rate due to Doppler shift, and ts
is the start time of the PRN code, which is a measure of its
phase. The frequency wIF is the intermediate frequency
carrier to which the L1 carrier signal gets mixed in the RF
front end, and wD is the carrier signal’s Doppler shift.
Neglecting ionospheric effects, the Doppler shift and the
chipping rate perturbation are related as
6
K wD /(2S u 1575.42 u10 ) . The angle M0 is the initial
carrier phase. The term v (k ) is the noise, normally it can be
modeled as Gaussian, band-limited white noise.
B. Discussion of Signal Acquisition Using DF Processing
The goal of signal acquisition is to estimate ts and wD
based on the measurements y0 , y1 , y2 ,..., yk ,... . The standard
technique searches for the ts and wD values that maximize
the correlation between the signal and a reconstruction of it.
Suppose the signals of from both channel I and channel Q
are respectively correlated with the local C/A code, and then
the correlations are:
TCOH TS
I ¦ yk c[Kˆ (tk  tˆs )]cos[( wIF  wˆ D )tk ]
k 0
TCOH TS
Q  ¦ yk c[(1  Kˆ )(tk  tˆs )]sin[( wIF  wˆ D )tk ] (3)
k 0
Where TCOH is COH period, TS is the sampling period. For
acquisition of the GPS signal in a higher Signal-to-Noise
(SNR) circumstance, the one coherent integration period is
generally satisfactory for the detection of the code phase and
the frequency shift. However multi-period integration will
be required for detecting the peak value from the correlation
results under weak signal environments .
We can get the following general forms, derived by
substituting (1) into (2) and (3).
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sin(S + f iTCOH ) TCOH
Ii A R(W i ) Di cos(+Mi )  I ni (4)
(S + f iTCOH ) N0
sin(S + f iTCOH ) TCOH
Qi A R(W i ) Di sin(+Mi )  Qni (5)
(S + f iTCOH ) N0
Where R(W i ) is the C/A code autocorrelation function; + f
is the average frequency misalignment between the local
estimation and the Doppler of lth satellite over the kth
TCOH ; +Mi is the error of estimated carrier phase, and I ni
and Qni are random variables; Al is the square root of post-
TCOH
COH SNR, defined Al A .
N0
The unit decision variable for the conventional NCH
acquisition algorithm is formed as the sum of the square of
COH units from the I and Q channels, and is denoted by Z i
L
2 2
Zi ¦ I i  Qi (6)
i 1
From equation (6), it can be seen that NCH requires
squaring of the COH outputs. As a result, the noise is
squared and can not be cancelled by summation. This non-
linear process induces the so-called squaring loss. The
squaring loss depends on the SNR after COH and before
NCOH. The higher the SNR before NCOH, the lower the
squaring loss
Where we proposed use differentially-coherent
combining instead of non-coherent combining of the COH
results, the methods of the differentially-coherent combining
multiplies the COH results from the two adjacent COH data.
It can be observed that the differentially-coherent scheme
lessens the bit-transition problem with decreased squaring
loss in comparison with the non-coherent combing of the
COH methods. the unit decision variable for the adapted
acquisition algorithm base on DF is denoted by Z i
2
L
*
Zi ¦ [( I i 1  j Q i 1) ( I i  jQi )] (7)
i 1
Where the operator(*) represents a complex conjugate
(2)
operation. It was shown that this results in a lower combing
loss within the verification stage of a double-dwell
acquisition CDMA system than with NCOH
The use of DF decision variables can bring many
advantages. First of all, as to the GPS C/A codeˈif the time
of COH is a PRN code periodˈthat is1msˈso 1 bit time of
the GPS navigation data(20ms) contains twenty results of
COH. Analyzing the sign of Di Di 1 give the following:
when two adjacent COH results corresponds the same bits of
navigation data, or two bits with equal value ˈ we have
Di Di 1 1 ˗ when two adjacent COH results are just on the
edge of bits whose value are different, we get Di Di 1 1 .
So the number 1 in Di Di 1 will occur far more frequently
than -1. summing those conjugate product, because only few
2

positive values can be set off by negative valuesˈ the sum
would not be weaken too much. Secondly DF is to avoid the
square loss that caused by NCH. Compared with COH, the
acquisition algorithm based on DF is not sensitive to
navigation data bit transitions owing to the use of
“differential”. A longer COH time is not required for the
acquisition process owing to the “sum” after differenced. So,
the acquisition algorithm based on DF has an advantage
over COH , NCOH and NCH on the improvement of SNR.
ɒ. EXPERIMENTAL SIMULATION
The adapted acquisition algorithm based on differential
correlation have been tested using actual GPS data. In the
process of simulation, the sampling frequency is 5MHz, the
central frequency with which we does not take Doppler
effect into account, is 1.25MHz, Doppler frequency
deviation is ±10K. The GPS signal power that simulated is -
160dBī-175dB, which including three satellites, which are
6,10 and 24 separately. The power of satellite which
numbered 6 and 10 is about -160dB, and 24 is merely -
175dB. The simulation is emphasized on numbered 24
satellite. Fig.1 shows the C/A code phase of the numbered
24 satellite by traditional non-correlation integration. Fig.3
shows the every frequency of the numbered 24 satellite by
traditional non-correlation integration .From Fig.1 and
Fig.3, we can not judge whether the C/A code phase and
carrier frequency is right or not. Fig.2 shows the C/A code
phase of the numbered 24 satellite by the adapted
acquisition algorithm based on differential correlation, Fig.4
shows every frequency of the numbered 24 satellite by the
adapted acquisition algorithm based on differential
correlation. From Fig.2 and Fig.4, we can find the C/A code
phase is clearly 3169, it is the 15th frequency component. In
this process, accumulating time is 160, and threshold is
0.030.
x 10
4 correlation integration on acquisition weak signal analyzing
2 from Fig.5.
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Figure 1. The numbered 24 satellite correlation
result using non-correlation integration
4
2
x 10
1 .5
1 then cut down acquisition time.
0 .5
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Figure 2. The numbered 24 satellite correlation
result using differential correlation
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4
x 10
2
1 .5
1
0 .5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Figure 3. The numbered 24 satellite frequency
component using non-correlation integration
4
x 10
2
1 .5
1
0 .5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Figure 4. The numbered 24 satellite frequency
component using differential correlation
Fig.5 shows the comparison of the wrong acquisition
rate between traditional non-correlation integration and the
adapted acquisition algorithm based on differential
correlation when L=160 referred on the paper. The wrong
acquisition rate of differential correlation algorithm is 7%
analyzing from the chart, and the wrong acquisition rate of
non-correlation integration is 23% when GPS signal power
is -175dB. The wrong acquisition rate of non-correlation
integration increase rapidly, when GPS signal power below -
175dB. The difference of the wrong acquisition rate between
differential correlation algorithm and traditional non-
correlation integration is not obvious when GPS signal
power exceed -168dB. So the effect of differential
correlation algorithm is more excellent obviously than non-
Fig.6 shows the distribution of the wrong acquisition
rate of the adapted acquisition algorithm based on
differential correlation on different accumulation times. We
show the wrong acquisition rate of system respectively,
when the number of accumulation times is 120,160 and 200.
the wrong acquisition of the adapted acquisition algorithm
based on differential correlation varies a bit analyzing from
Fig.6, when GPS signal power varieties between -175dB
and -170dB. That is say, the accumulation after difference
makes that algorithm does not require long accumulating
time span. That can reduce the wrong acquisition rate
without increasing data length and processing-data size, and
3
 Figure 5. The comparison of the wrong acquisition
rate when accumulation time is equivalent

Figure 6. The comparison of the wrong acquisition

rate when accumulation time is not equivalent

IV. CONCLUSION
This paper present the adapted acquisition algorithm
based on differential correlation, which can acquire GPS
signal with power -175dB in a short time, and the wrong
acquisition rate below 7%. This method is satisfied with
indoor position in general. The use of differential correlation
test statistic can avoid the square loss caused by non-
correlation integration. The “accumulation” after difference
make correlation accumulation time length shorter, and this
can make the wrong acquisition rate lower without
increasing data length. In short, the adapted acquisition
based on differential correlation has an advantage again
correlation integration and non-correlation integration on the
improvement of SNR.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author wish to thank colleague of GPS laboratory of
university of electronic science and technology of china.
Thanks are due to them for their comments.

REFERENCES
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[2] Dafesh,p.A, T.Fan, “A novel approach to enhancing the sensitivity of
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[3] Norman,C.P, C.R.Cahn, “Strong signal cancellation to enhance
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[4] Choi.H, D.J.Cho and S.J.Yun, “A novel weak signal acquisition
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