Many wireless communication devices include hardware modules and/or software modules to provide support for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The United States government provides a Global Positioning System (GPS) that typically uses 31 satellites orbiting the Earth broadcasting specialized GPS signals in a 1.6 GHz frequency band. Other global positioning systems such as the Russian GLONASS and the Chinese Beidou systems function in approximately the same manner. The term GNSS can be used to refer to satellite based positioning systems in general, and the terms GNSS and GPS can be used synonymously herein to indicate satellite based global positioning systems and signals without loss of generality.
Wireless communication device based GNSS systems can try to determine a position of the wireless communication device by receiving GNSS satellite signals. Oftentimes, the position of the wireless communication device can be presented to a user of the wireless communication device through a map displayed on the wireless communication device or on a display to which the wireless communication device is coupled. The wireless communication device can attempt to determine a position based on information obtained while in poor GNSS operating conditions, which can adversely affect the accuracy of position determination and information provided for map location display. GNSS signals are prone to fade, can suffer multipath or may be blocked by structural objects such as tunnels and/or tall buildings. In these cases, a GNSS determined position may be inaccurate.
Therefore, what is desired is an enhancement of the performance of GNSS determined positioning, particularly when the wireless communication device operates in conditions that can result in poor reception of GNSS signals.