Method and system for acquiring ephemeris information

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a user terminal, positioning data from a base station, wherein the positioning data is received in a second format, wherein the second format was derived from ephemeris data broadcast via a global positioning system (GPS) in a first format, and wherein the second format results from one or more of preprocessing and compression of the first format of the positioning data, and includes satellite position data and satellite velocity data;

converting, by the user terminal, the positioning data from the second format into a third format that is compatible with a protocol of the GPS system; and

determining, by the user terminal, a first fix using the third format of the positioning data.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the satellite position data and the satellite velocity data are specified, at least in part, in Earth Centered Earth Fixed (ECEF) coordinates.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the first format of the positioning data includes Keplerian parameters.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the conversion of the positioning data from the second format into the third format comprises:

applying a conversion algorithm to convert the ECEF coordinates for the satellite position data and the satellite velocity data into the Keplerian parameters of the first format of the positioning data.

5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting the third format of the positioning data to a GPS processor of the user terminal.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the second format of the positioning data is transmitted from the base station to the user terminal via communications links over a communications satellite.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver module configured to receive positioning data from a base station, wherein the positioning data is received in a second format, wherein the second format was derived from ephemeris data broadcast via a global positioning system (GPS) in a first format, and wherein the second format results from one or more of preprocessing and compression of the first format of the positioning data, and includes satellite position data and satellite velocity data; and

a processor configured to convert the positioning data from the second format into a third format that is compatible with a protocol of the GPS system, and to determine a first fix using the third format of the positioning data.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the satellite position data and the satellite velocity data are specified, at least in part, in Earth Centered Earth Fixed (ECEF) coordinates.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first format of the positioning data includes Keplerian parameters.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the conversion of the positioning data from the second format into the third format comprises:

applying a conversion algorithm to convert the ECEF coordinates for the satellite position data and the satellite velocity data into the Keplerian parameters of the first format of the positioning data.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to output the third format of the positioning data to a GPS processor of the user terminal.

12. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first format of the GPS data originates from one or more GPS satellites.

13. A system comprising a base station, wherein the base station comprises:

a receiver configured to receive positioning data from one or more global positioning system (GPS) satellites of a GPS system, wherein the positioning data is in a first format and comprises ephemeris information;

a processor configured to convert the positioning data from the first format into a second format, wherein the second format is based on one or more of preprocessing and compression of the first format of the positioning data, and includes satellite position data and satellite velocity data; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the positioning data in the second format to one or more user terminals.

14. A system according to claim 13 , further comprising at least one user terminal, wherein the at least one user terminal comprises:

a receiver configured to receive the positioning data from the base station, wherein the positioning data is received in the second format; and

a processor configured to convert the positioning data from the second format into a third format that is compatible with a protocol of the GPS system, and to determine a first fix using the third format of the positioning data.

15. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the satellite position data and the satellite velocity data are specified, at least in part, in Earth Centered Earth Fixed (ECEF) coordinates.

16. A system according to claim 15 , wherein the first format of the positioning data includes Keplerian parameters.

17. A system according to claim 16 , wherein the conversion of the positioning data from the second format into the third format comprises:

applying a conversion algorithm to convert the ECEF coordinates for the satellite position data and the satellite velocity data into the Keplerian parameters of the first format of the positioning data.

18. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the processor of the at least one user terminal is further configured to output the third format of the positioning data to a GPS processor of the user terminal.