SiRF Granted Another
Multi-Mode A-GPS Patent
(14 July 2005) SiRF Technology,
Inc., a leading supplier of GPS-enabled location technology, announced today
that it has been granted U.S. Patent No. 6,915,208 entitled "Information
Transfer in a Multi-mode Global Positioning System for Use with Wireless
Networks." The newly minted patent further enhances SiRF's portfolio of
inventions in multi-mode A-GPS (assisted-GPS) technology.
Multi-mode A-GPS technology enabled location-based services
(LBS) are designed to allow applications to "shift gears" between several
network-aided and autonomous positioning modes for greater location and
navigation accuracy, and to control network loading to achieve greater
operational efficiency.
In addition to U.S. Patent No. 6,915,208, SiRF
has other patents protecting its inventions in multi-mode A-GPS, including U.S.
Patent Nos. 6,389,291; 6,427,120; 6,519,466; 6,542,823; and 6,684,158. More
SiRF multi-mode A-GPS patents are pending. This latest patent granted by the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office brings to over 125 the total number of global
patents owned by SiRF, representing one of the largest patent portfolios in GPS
technology in the hands of a single company.
SiRF's patents cover many
of its inventions in essential GPS components and systems, core GPS receiver
architectures for fast and deep signal acquisition and tracking,
high-sensitivity signal detection algorithms, network aiding, and multi-mode
A-GPS, among other innovations. For example, SiRF also owns patents covering
inventions in GPS aiding (U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,735), GPS memory sharing (U.S.
Pat. No. 6,526,322), and GPS core receiver technology (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,297,771
and 6,496,145).
"SiRF has long recognised the importance of patents to
its business and is proud to have grown the patent portfolio to over 125
patents," said Nicolas S. Gikkas, chief intellectual property counsel for SiRF.
"We are fortunate to have on our team so many creative and talented engineers
and scientists who can conceive of these inventions. In addition to our
homegrown patents, we have acquired some very important patents as part of our
acquisitions of various businesses and product lines. A strong portfolio of
intellectual property is central to our strategy of maintaining and protecting
our cutting-edge advances in location technology."
Patented SiRFstar
chipsets and SiRFLoc software are currently being used in handsets by cellular
phone manufacturers and wireless carriers to meet the Enhanced 911 mandate set
forth by the Federal Communications Commission. Patented Multi-mode Location
Engine software is used in servers by infrastructure suppliers to enhance the
speed and accuracy of getting a location fix or to navigate. SiRF's patented
multi-mode A-GPS technology also allows for the successful implementation of
revenue-generating location based services (LBS), where consumers can benefit
from services taking advantage of accurate location information.
"SiRF's innovations enable our customers and operators to launch revenue
enhancing products and services in the location based services markets," said
Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF. "With our
multi-mode A-GPS patents, we believe that SiRF is positioned in the marketplace
as a preferred location technology provider for the mass market LBS."
In addition to its portfolio of granted patents, SiRF has well over 200 patent
applications pending in patent offices world-wide.
About SiRF
Technology, Inc.
SiRF Technology, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of
SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. that develops and markets semiconductor and
software products that are designed to enable location-awareness utilising GPS
and other location technologies in high-volume mobile consumer devices and
commercial applications. SiRF's technology has been integrated into mobile
consumer devices such as automobile navigation systems, mobile phones, PDAs,
GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS navigation devices, and into commercial
applications such as location servers, asset tracking devices and fleet
management systems. SiRF markets and sells its products in four target
platforms: automotive, consumer electronics, mobile computing, and wireless
devices. Founded in 1995, SiRF is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and has
sales offices, design centres and research facilities around the world.
(source: SiRF Technology)