Generally, satellite positioning systems (SPSs), (e.g., the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or the European Galileo System (currently under construction)), provide an invaluable service that has perhaps exceeded the imagination of the designers of the systems. For example, SPS systems are used in military, commercial, medical, scientific, and recreational applications.
When an SPS receiver is determining a position fix, it must be able to acquire and receive signals transmitted from a certain number of SPS satellites before it can determine its position and the current time. For example, in the GPS system, a GPS receiver should be able to receive signals transmitted from at least three or four GPS satellites. Each satellite in an SPS system transmits a unique signal that can be used by an SPS receiver (in conjunction with signals from other SPS satellites) to calculate the SPS receiver's position and the SPS time. One of the most vital pieces of information that can be obtained from the SPS signal is highly accurate timing information. The differences between the timing of the various SPS signals received by the SPS receiver and its own internal clock are then used to calculate the position of the SPS receiver and the current SPS time.
While SPS systems have become widely used today, there remain problems that sometimes hinder their use in certain situations. For example, the satellites are in high-earth orbit and are typically powered by solar panels, the signals that are transmitted by the satellites are usually very weak by the time they reach a SPS receiver (signal strength being inversely proportional to distance). Additionally, SPS signals may be further attenuated by thick foliage, buildings, tunnels, etc. to a point where the SPS signals may fall below a minimum signal power threshold and become difficult or impossible for the SPS receiver to acquire and receive. Moreover, the SPS signals may be reflected and/or obstructed by any of a variety of object(s) such as, for example, a building. An SPS receiver may receive such reflected SPS signals instead of, or in addition to, direct line-of-sight SPS signals. Such reflected SPS signals are commonly referred to in the industry as multipath SPS signals and frequently occur in so called “urban canyons.” Weak SPS signals, attenuated SPS signals and/or multipath SPS signals may cause an SPS receiver to incorrectly and/or inaccurately determine its location.