Apparatus, method, and system of transferring correction information

• US 20020068997A1
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation), Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vannucci, Giovanni, Agashe, Parag
• Granted Patent: US 6,778,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems of transferring correction information are described. In certain implementations, correction factors relate to stored or calculated values, and a correspondence between a correction factor and a value is indicated by a predetermined order of the correction factors. In one application, a method according to an embodiment of the invention is used to transmit correction factors relating to the positions of physical objects. For example, such a method may be used to transmit correction factors relating to the positions of space vehicles within a Global Positioning Satellite (‘GPS’) system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating a plurality of correction factors, each correction factor relating to a position of at least a corresponding one among a set of physical objects; and

transmitting said plurality of correction factors in a predetermined order,

wherein said correspondence of each among said plurality of correction factors with at least one among the set of physical objects is indicated at least in part by said predetermined order.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one among said plurality of correction factors relates to a correction to a determination of a position.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one among said plurality of correction factors relates to a correction to a determination of a position at a predetermined future time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined order relates to a relative arrangement of the physical objects.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said relative arrangement is effective at a future time.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said relative arrangement relates to elevation angles of the physical objects.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined order is determined at least in part by a relative order of the elevation angles of the physical objects.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one among said plurality of correction factors is based at least in part on a signal received from at least one among the set of physical objects.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one among the set of physical objects is a space vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein each among the set of physical objects is a space vehicle, each space vehicle having an identification number relating to a Global Positioning System, and

wherein said predetermined order is determined at least in part by a relative order of the identification numbers of the space vehicles.

11. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising transmitting information relating to a time of validity of said plurality of correction factors.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said calculating a plurality of correction factors comprises:

computing a reference position of each among the set of physical objects; and

computing a supplemental position of each among the set of physical objects,

wherein each among said correction factors is based at least in part on a difference between said corresponding reference and supplemental positions.

13. The method according to claim 12, said method further comprising determining the existence of a potential ambiguity between at least two of said reference positions.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said potential ambiguity relates to a relation between elevation angles of at least two among the set of physical objects.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said potential ambiguity relates to a relation between an elevation mask angle and an elevation angle of at least one among the set of physical objects.

16. The method according to claim 12,

wherein each among said reference positions is based at least in part on almanac information, and

wherein each among said supplemental positions is based at least in part on ephemeris information.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said almanac information is received from at least one of said space vehicles.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said calculating a plurality of correction factors comprises:

computing a reference position of each among the set of physical objects; and

computing a supplemental position of each among the set of physical objects,

wherein each among said correction factors is based at least in part on a difference between said corresponding reference and supplemental positions.

18. An apparatus comprising a data storage medium, said data storage medium having machine-readable code stored thereon, the machine-readable code including instructions executable by an array of logic elements, the instructions defining a method including:

calculating a plurality of correction factors, each correction factor relating to a position of at least a corresponding one among a set of physical objects; and

transmitting said plurality of correction factors in a predetermined order,

wherein said correspondence of each among said plurality of correction factors with at least one among the set of physical objects is indicated at least in part by said predetermined order.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a reference position calculator configured and arranged to calculate a reference position for each among a plurality of physical objects;

a supplemental position calculator configured and arranged to calculate a supplemental position for each among the plurality of physical objects; and

a correction factor calculator configured and arranged to receive said reference positions and said supplemental positions and to output a plurality of correction factors in a predetermined order,

wherein each correction factor relates to a position of at least a corresponding one among the plurality of physical objects, and

wherein said correspondence of each among said plurality of correction factors with at least one among the plurality of physical objects is indicated at least in part by said predetermined order.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein at least one among the set of physical objects is a space vehicle.

22. A system comprising:

a receiver configured and arranged to receive signals from at least one among a plurality of physical objects;

a position determining entity including

a reference position calculator configured and arranged to calculate a reference position for each among the plurality of physical objects;

a supplemental position calculator configured and arranged to calculate a supplemental position for each among the plurality of physical objects; and

a correction factor calculator configured and arranged to receive said reference positions and said supplemental positions and to output a plurality of correction factors, and

a transmitter configured and arranged to transmit the plurality of correction factors,

wherein said plurality of correction factors is transmitted in a predetermined order, and

wherein each correction factor relates to a position of at least a corresponding one among the plurality of physical objects, and

wherein said correspondence of each among said plurality of correction factors with at least one among the plurality of physical objects is indicated at least in part by said predetermined order.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein at least one among the set of physical objects is a space vehicle.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein at least one among the set of physical objects is a space vehicle.

24. A method comprising:

receiving information relating to a position of at least one among a set of physical objects;

determining a reference position of one among the set of physical objects, said determining being based at least in part on said information;

receiving a plurality of correction factors in a predetermined order; and

applying a corresponding one among said plurality of correction factors to said reference position,

wherein said correspondence between said corresponding one among said plurality of correction factors and said reference position is indicated at least in part by said predetermined order.