Satellite signal acquisition apparatus, navigation apparatus and method of acquiring a satellite signal

1. A satellite signal acquisition apparatus comprising:

a parking detector arranged to: analyse, when in use, self-mobility behaviour for monitoring mobility of a vehicle; detect a first mobility behaviour associated with parking in a building, wherein the detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting a first predetermined event and a first predetermined corroborating event; and detect a second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building subsequent to the first mobility behaviour; and

a global navigation satellite system receiver operably coupled to the parking detector and arranged to acquire a satellite signal using predicted satellite orbit data in response to the detected first and second self-mobility behaviours;

the apparatus further comprising at least one of:

a light level measurement unit arranged to measure an ambient light level, wherein the first predetermined event comprises a change in the ambient light level by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and

a speed calculator arranged to measure a speed, wherein the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction in the speed to or below a predetermined speed.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the global navigation satellite system receiver is arranged to suspend execution of a satellite signal acquisition procedure in response to the detected first and second self-mobility behaviours comprising a predetermined event sequence.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the global navigation satellite system receiver is arranged to use the predicted satellite orbit data to acquire the satellite signal following an immediately preceding failed attempt within a preceding predetermined period of time to acquire the satellite signal using the predicted satellite orbit data.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first mobility behaviour followed by the second mobility behaviour constitutes the predetermined event sequence.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting the first predetermined event followed by a second predetermined event.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first predetermined event corresponds to entering a building.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first predetermined event is a transition of a signal strength of a satellite broadcast signal by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined signal strength change value.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second predetermined event is the signal strength of the satellite broadcast signal being at or below a predetermined unacceptable signal strength level when departure from a parking space is detected.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:

a bi-directional communications module arranged to receive, when in use, a communications signal; wherein

the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction of a signal strength of the communications signal by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined communications signal strength change value.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein detection of the second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building comprises detection of a third predetermined event, the third predetermined event being a transition of a signal strength of a satellite broadcast signal from an unacceptable signal strength level to an acceptable signal strength level.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein detection of the second mobility behaviour comprises detecting the third predetermined event and a third predetermined corroborating event.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

a bi-directional communications module arranged to receive, when in use, a telecommunications signal; wherein

the third predetermined corroborating event comprises an increase in a signal strength of the communications signal to or above a predetermined acceptable communications signal strength level.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the third predetermined corroborating event comprises a last known position being within a building.

14. A method of acquiring a satellite signal, the method comprising:

analysing self-mobility behaviour of a navigation apparatus for monitoring mobility of a vehicle;

detecting first mobility behaviour associated with parking in a building, wherein the detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting a first predetermined event and a first predetermined corroborating event;

detecting a second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building subsequent to the first mobility behaviour; and

acquiring by a global navigation satellite system receiver a satellite signal using predicted satellite orbit data in response to the self-mobility behaviour comprising a predetermined event sequence;

wherein the method further comprises at least one of:

measuring an ambient light level, by a light level measurement unit, wherein the first determined event comprises a change in the ambient light level by an amount equal to or greater that a predetermined value; and

measuring a speed, by a speed calculator, wherein the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction in the speed to or below a predetermined speed.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to execute a method of acquiring a satellite signal, the method comprising:

analysing self-mobility behaviour of a navigation apparatus for monitoring mobility of a vehicle;

detecting first mobility behaviour associated with parking in a building, wherein the detection of the first mobility behaviour comprises detecting a first predetermined event and a first predetermined corroborating event;

detecting a second mobility behaviour associated with exiting the building subsequent to the first mobility behaviour; and

acquiring by a global navigation satellite system receiver a satellite signal using predicted satellite orbit data in response to the self-mobility behaviour comprising a predetermined event sequence;

wherein the method further comprises at least one of:

measuring an ambient light level, by a light level measurement unit, wherein the first determined event comprises a change in the ambient light level by an amount equal to or greater that a predetermined value; and

measuring a speed, by a speed calculator, wherein the first predetermined corroborating event comprises a reduction in the speed to or below a predetermined speed.