Nikkei Electronics Asia -- May 2007
Cover Story
Mobile GPS Accelerates Chip Development

The market for GPS-equipped devices is quickly expanding, propelled by mobile phones and portable navigation devices (PND). Many components offer receiver sensitivities between -155dBm and -160dBm.

"The worldwide market for GPS receiver ICs is enormous. In 2007, production of one million ICs per week will be required in order to meet the rapid increase in demand. In our case alone, the annual forecast is for mass production on a scale of approximately 50 million ICs," said Naruaki Ogino, a representative of SiRF Technology Japan Office.

The application range of GPS receiver ICs is expanding quickly to include not only car navigation systems, but also portable devices such as mobile phones and personal navigation devices (PND) (Fig 1). In late 2006, Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc introduced its flagship FOMA 903i Series domestically, which is equipped with a GPS receiver module. The series features various applications, such as a navigation service that pinpoints the user's location, a location service that enables people to use their phones to monitor specific individuals such as children or the elderly, and a handset locating service that enables users to locate lost or misplaced phones. Furthermore, starting in April 2007, a new Japanese law will make it mandatory for mobile phones to identify the caller's precise location when making an emergency call, which will be a further boost to GPS-equipped mobile phones.

On the global front, Finland's Nokia Corp announced plans to feature GPS technologies in its products under a patent licensing deal with US-based Trimble Navigation Ltd, a major player in GPS technology development, in late 2006. The agreement gives Nokia a license for several hundred Trimble technologies. Additionally, during the 2007 International CES, Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, which ranks third in global market share in the mobile phone market, announced a new feature for its mobile phones that would provide users with quick and easy access to various Google applications. This feature includes Google Map, which enables users to view map information and to plot their location data on a Google map using GPS. US-based Google Inc has high expectations for greater exposure and promotion through the GPS-related market and it continues to improve the site's map information content with its ongoing addition of up-to-date, overhead photos from around the world.

Judging by these developments, there will be an increasing number of mobile phones equipped with location information display functions. For example, the global market share of mobile phones with GPS receiver functions was 12% in 2006. Kyocera Corp predicts that this share will increase to 16% in 2007, 21% in 2008 and 29% in 2009. Assuming there are one billion mobile phones in the global market, according to this forecast, approximately 300 million mobile phones with GPS functionality will be shipped in 2009 alone.

PND Market Growth
The PND market has also grown significantly in Europe, the US and Asia (Fig 2). These PNDs are generally equipped with relatively simple functionality compared to common car navigation systems used in Japan, but because of their relatively modest cost (with some units selling for as little as US$300) they are attracting attention in the market. According to SiRF Technology, worldwide shipments of PNDs in 2004 were around one million units. This reached eight million units the following year and sharply increased to about 16 million units in 2006. PNDs have proven to be a big hit in Europe and the US and SiRF Technology forecasts that global shipments will reach 27 million units in 2007.

To cite just two examples, at the 2007 International CES, Fujitsu Ten Ltd introduced a new car navigation system with a detachable display section that can be used independently as a PND in the US. Also for the US market, Korea's LG Electronics Inc is planning to release a PND with a 4.3-inch LCD screen for between US$350 and US$800.

Compact Modules, ICs
Semiconductor and component manufacturers are recognizing that the expanding market for mobile phones with GPS receiver functionality and PND devices is a significant business opportunity and are expanding product offerings for compact and sophisticated GPS receiver modules and ICs (Tables 1 and 2). The receiver IC here refers to an RF IC with a mixer and filter for reception, whereas receiver modules are equipped with a baseband processing IC, a microcontroller and an external low-noise amplifier (LNA), as well as the aforementioned RF IC. Some receiver modules are equipped only with an RF IC for miniaturization purposes.

In order to adapt to the limited footprint available for installation in a mobile device, the overall miniaturization of receiver modules has become a growing trend. Instead of traditional 10 x 10mm (or larger) modules, mass production of ultra-small modules smaller than 7 x 7mm began in late 2006.

Meanwhile, the number of receiver ICs with enhanced sensitivity targeting embedded use in mobile phones in homes or offices drastically increased. Many components already offer minimum receiver sensitivities between -155dBm and -160dBm, significantly exceeding the once-common sensitivity of -140dBm used for car navigation systems, with the aim of capturing satellite signals and locating positions even inside offices or in dense urban jungles crowded with buildings.

The miniaturization of receiver modules and feature improvements in receiver ICs are starting to create a positive growth cycle boosting their use in mobile devices. For example, when designing NTT DoCoMo's 903i Series of mobile devices, the latest compact and high-sensitivity GPS modules were built into the phone without affecting other functionality. "Old GPS technology did not provide sufficient capabilities such as receiver sensitivity, thus requiring that larger antennas be used. This restricted device functions and sometimes the rear LCD had to be foregone in order to secure a mounting footprint for the antenna," said Hitoshi Itakura, director, Product Planning Div 1, Product Dept, Product & Service Center, NTT DoCoMo.

Price Reduction
The improvement of GPS receiver modules and ICs, propelled by their use in mobile phones and PNDs, also fuels the wider use of these components in mobile digital appliances. Miniaturization and price reduction of the modules and the ICs will increase the feasibility of usage in digital cameras, for example.

According to a semiconductor manufacturer, the bulk purchasing price for a GPS receiver IC is
currently US$5-$10 with a built-in microcontroller and US$2-$3 without. A receiver module with a built-in microcontroller and temperature controlled crystal oscillators (TCXO) sells for US$15-$20.
Jose Briceno, VP, Sales & Marketing for US-based eRide Inc anticipates that the price of GPS receiver ICs will drop to around US$1 when the ICs are used in several hundred million mobile phones. "When the price drops that low, the ICs will be used in notebook computers and digital cameras, as well as watches and clothing."

Manufacturers of GPS receiver ICs and modules are very active in light of their increased use in mobile phones and the rapid growth of the PND market. Briceno from eRide predicts further growth of the GPS receiver IC market and acknowledges that the global mobile phone market, with one billion units sold annually, is the main battlefield for suppliers. Each manufacturer is redoubling its efforts to develop high-sensitivity compact components.

Miniaturization Methods
Miniaturization methods for the GPS functions used in mobile devices can be summarized as follows: 1) using a highly sensitive and compact receiver IC and compact module technology; 2) reducing the mounting footprint by having external components such as the LNA built into the receiver IC; and 3) embedding most of the GPS receiver functions into the mobile phone chipset itself.

The first method of using a highly sensitive and compact receiver IC is particularly popular with semiconductor manufacturers. A receiver IC with a high receiver sensitivity of -160dBm enables the use of a smaller antenna and the chip size for the IC itself is also smaller than the traditional type. By using this type of component, module size can also be reduced.

Many manufacturers who have not dealt in high-sensitivity components are now showing interest. STMicroelectronics, a Franco-Italian joint venture, is producing its own high-sensitivity components in 2007, targeting the rapidly growing PND market. In January 2007, German-based Infineon Technologies AG announced the successful joint development of a GPS receiver IC (Hammerhead II) measuring less than 4 x 4mm and delivering sensitivity of -160dBm with US-based Global Locate Inc.

Smaller than 10 x 10mm
Seiko Epson and Furuno Electric Co Ltd are making remarkable advancements in introducing small receiver modules with high sensitivity and compact ICs measuring far less than 10 x 10mm. Both companies use eRide's technology.

In late 2006, Seiko Epson began mass production of the industry's smallest receiver modules at 7 x 6 x 1.28mm. This module was used in NTT DoCoMo's 903i Series, which was also introduced in late 2006.

eRide is a GPS IP core manufacturer started by former engineers from Trimble Navigation. Seiko Epson had been promoting technical cooperation with eRide, which resulted in the development of a compact GPS baseband IC. Seiko Epson's receiver module consists of this baseband IC and an RF IC developed by NEC Electronics.

eRide and Seiko Epson seem to be going their separate ways, however. The companies now have individual brand names for their modules and no longer use a common brand name. eRide has announced plans to produce its own ICs and could become a competitor of Seiko Epson.

Modules from Furuno
Furuno Electric is working closely with eRide, using its technology for the production and distribution of new compact receiver modules. Furuno's GM-83, a compact module featuring eRide technology, achieved a size of 6.1 x 8.6 x 1.2mm. Upon hearing the government's announcement regarding emergency caller location notification, Furuno Electric began to search for a partner in manufacturing compact and high-sensitivity modules. eRide met several of Furuno's key criteria and Furuno now aims to enter the global mobile device market.

Kyocera and Murata Manufacturing Co Ltd have also announced trial production of compact receiver modules. Kyocera, for example, has already shipped its 12 x 10 x 2mm variety on a trial basis and plans to begin mass production by June 2007. Kyocera uses ICs produced by US-based SiRF Technology for its modules. SiRF's ICs include an RF receiver circuit, a baseband processing circuit and also a microcontroller. Thus, when embedded into mobile devices, they do not require any of the host microprocessor's data processing capacity. The use of SiRF's ICs is expanding to devices that require a relatively low level of data processing capability, such as PNDs. In fact, Ogino of SiRF Technology asserted that "roughly 90% of products in the global PND market use our GPS receiver ICs".

Meanwhile, Murata Manufacturing hasn't disclosed any new development details. When electronic component manufacturers capable of compact module production for mobile phones make full-scale entry to the market, the production of even more compact modules will result.

The second miniaturization method is to reduce the mounting footprint by having external components such as the LNA built into the receiver IC. For example, Canada-based SiGe Semiconductor Inc supplies RF ICs with a built-in LNA and a chip size of just 4 x 4mm. With no external LNA required, SiGe aims to reduce mounting footprints, as well as prices.

Also, by utilizing a crystal controlled transmitter for the device's internal clock, the configuration of receiver modules without TXCO has become more common (Fig 3).

Integration of GPS
The third miniaturization method is to utilize the chipset capabilities of mobile phones. For instance, US-based Qualcomm Inc provides an integrated chipset including application processor and RF IC for mobile phones in the MSM Series. Most MSM Series products are preinstalled with hardware that includes a GPS RF circuit and data processing functions, such as data acquisition and calculation. Qualcomm acquired related technologies when it took over US-based SnapTrack Inc and plans to produce the majority of its platforms with GPS functionality. For this type of chipset, only a GPS antenna and a SAW filter are required to provide GPS functionality.

Other developers of application LSIs for mobile phones are also working actively to integrate GPS functionality into their products. Renesas Technology Corp, for example, announced a licensing agreement with Seiko Epson regarding A-GPS* software technology. Renesas Technology will use this technology in the SH-Mobile G2, a single-chip LSI for mobile phones. Currently under development, the SH-Mobile G2 is an HSDPA-capable application processor for mobile phones, which NTT DoCoMo plans to use for its new mobile phones to be released in the fall of 2007.

When a mobile phone application processor comes with embedded A-GPS baseband processing capability, its GPS receiver module requires only an RF circuit, making further miniaturization and cost reduction possible. Seiko Epson is moving to promote the same kind of IP core to be used in OMAP, a mobile phone platform by US-based Texas Instruments Inc. This move will significantly widen the use of Seiko Epson's GPS receiver module in a large number of mobile phones with OMAP worldwide.

Bluetooth, GPS...
As in the case of application processors with GPS functions, the move to integrate GPS functionality with other functions is also being seen in PND platform development.

STMicroelectronics is developing function consolidation technology for its own PND platforms. This consolidated interface functionality includes a microcontroller that performs image data processing, such as map display, a GPS receiver IC and other input and output ICs for PND reference designs. As such, multifunctional and compact PNDs are increasingly viable and feature such capabilities as Bluetooth interfaces and the ability to receive terrestrial digital broadcasting.

SiRF Technology is also making an earnest attempt at developing its own multifunctional PND platform. It has acquired a Bluetooth software developer and aims to produce ICs with Bluetooth, GPS and one-segment broadcasting receiver functionality. Meanwhile, Bluetooth IC manufacturers are also entering the market. UK-based CSR plc, a major manufacturer of Bluetooth ICs, acquired two GPS software developers in January 2007 and is aggressively breaking into the GPS market.

by Hiroki Yomogita

Websites:
CSR: www.csr.com
eRide: www.eride-inc.com
Fujitsu Ten: www.fujitsu-ten.co.jp/english
Furuno Electric: www.furuno.co.jp/english
Global Locate: www.globallocate.com
Google: www.google.com
Infineon: www.infineon.com
Kyocera: global.kyocera.com
LG Electronics: www.lge.com
Murata: www.murata.com
NEC Electronics: www.necel.com
Nokia: www.nokia.com
NTT DoCoMo: www.nttdocomo.com
Qualcomm: www.qualcomm.com
Renesas: www.renesas.com
Samsung Electronics: www.samsung.com
Seiko Epson: www.epson.co.jp/e/
SiGe: www.sige.com
SiRF: www.sirf.com
SnapTrack: www.snaptrack.com
SoftBank: www.softbankmobile.co.jp/corporate/en
STMicroelectronics: www.st.com
TI: www.ti.com
TomTom: www.tomtom.com.tw
Trimble Navigation: www.trimble.com

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