Patent ID: 7372888

Claim:
An apparatus for performing spread spectrum-based communication and navigation, the apparatus comprising: a receiver configured to receive spread spectrum-based communication signals and satellite navigation signals from a wireless communication channel, the receiver having a plurality of programmable tracking units; and a processor in communication with the receiver to control the apparatus, wherein the tracking units are programmable in a navigation mode to act independently to receive and process the satellite navigation signals or in a communication mode to receive and process the spread spectrum-based communication signals, wherein each programmable tracking unit is assigned to receive one of the wirelessly communicated spread spectrum-based communication signals or satellite navigation signals, and wherein the processor is arranged to control the reconfiguration of at least one of the plurality of tracking units from the navigation mode to the communication mode and vice versa, and wherein at least one of the plurality of programmable tracking units comprises: a downconverter receiving a controllable carrier frequency signal; a descrambler receiving the downconverted signal and producing descrambled signals; a programmable scrambling code generator receivably connected to the descrambler; and a plurality of despreaders receiving the descrambled signals.