Patent ID: 6901265

Claim:
Mobile communication apparatus having a position-fixing capability, wherein the apparatus comprises: a two-way communications subsystem having a first signal source for producing a signal having a precision reference frequency; a training signal generator for generating a pilot signal at an output thereof, the training signal generator having an input coupled to an output of the first signal source so that the pilot signal is linked to the reference frequency; and a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver subsystem comprising: at least one signal path; a coupling between the signal path and the training signal generator output; an antenna for applying to the signal path positioning signals received from SPS transmitters; a carrier signal replica generator for generating a replica signal being a replica of a positioning signal received from an SPS transmitter; and a control system operable to cause the carrier signal replica generator to bring the replica signal into alignment with the pilot signal when the pilot signal is received by the SPS receiver subsystem and to store information representative of a setting of the replica generator occurring at the time of said alignment; the control system being further operable to cause the SPS receiver subsystem to search for positioning signals transmitted by a said SPS transmitter according to said setting information.