Locating a roving position receiver in a location network
First Claim
1. A method for determining the position of a roving position receiver in a positioning system comprising at least one reference transmitter, and at least one positioning-unit device, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) each of said at least one reference transmitter generating and transmitting reference positioning signals according to the timebase of said at least one reference transmitter, wherein each of said at least one reference transmitters is at a known location;
b) each of said at least one positioning-unit device;
i) receiving and interpreting signals transmitted by either said at least one reference transmitter or said at least one positioning-unit device or both said at least one reference transmitter and said at least one positioning-unit device;
ii) determining a reference positioning signal propagation delay between said at least one reference transmitter and said positioning-unit device;
iii) generating and transmitting a unique positioning signal;
iv) receiving and interpreting said unique positioning signal;
v) comparing said received and interpreted signals from step (i) and said unique positioning signal from step (iv) to deduce a transmission difference;
vi) continuously adjusting said generation and transmission of said unique positioning signal according to;
a) said deduced transmission difference from step (v); and
b) said reference positioning signal propagation delay from step (ii);
such that said unique positioning signal is chronologically synchronized to said reference positioning signals;
c) said roving position receiver receiving either;
i) said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
or ii) both said reference positioning signals and said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
and subsequently calculating its own position without the requirement of differential corrections.
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a positioning system and method for enabling a roving position receiver to determinist own position. The positioning system comprises a specialized transceiver (hereinafter termed a positioning-unit device) that receives one or more reference positioning signals from other positioning-unit devices and/or other qualified reference positioning signal sources. Each of the received reference positioning signals preferably has a carrier component, a pseudo-random code component, and a data component. The Positioning-Unit Device generates, in response to the received reference positioning signals and their known locations, a unique positioning signal. The unique positioning signal has a carrier component chronologically synchronized to one or more of the carrier components of the received reference positioning signals, a pseudo-random code component chronologically synchronized to one or more of the pseudo-random code components of the received reference positioning signals, and a data component chronologically synchronized to one or more of the data components of the received reference positioning signals. Once a Positioning-Unit Device is chronologically synchronized to a reference transmitter, other Positioning-Unit Devices entering the network can use its transmitted unique positioning signal as a reference positioning signal. The geographical distribution of these chronologically synchronized Positioning-Unit Devices creates a time-coherent network of positioning signals that propagate a reference timebase over a substantial geographical area. The positioning system also includes a roving position receiver. The roving position receiver can generate code-based single point position determinations by making range measurements for each of the received chronologically synchronized pseudorandom code and data components, and can generate carrier-based single point position determinations by making range measurements for each of the received chronologically synchronized carrier components. The roving position receiver can autonomously calculate both code and carrier-based single point position solutions and subsequently calculate its own position without the requirement for differential correction or absolute time accuracy within the network.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method for determining the position of a roving position receiver in a positioning system comprising at least one reference transmitter, and at least one positioning-unit device, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) each of said at least one reference transmitter generating and transmitting reference positioning signals according to the timebase of said at least one reference transmitter, wherein each of said at least one reference transmitters is at a known location;
b) each of said at least one positioning-unit device;
i) receiving and interpreting signals transmitted by either said at least one reference transmitter or said at least one positioning-unit device or both said at least one reference transmitter and said at least one positioning-unit device;
ii) determining a reference positioning signal propagation delay between said at least one reference transmitter and said positioning-unit device;
iii) generating and transmitting a unique positioning signal;
iv) receiving and interpreting said unique positioning signal;
v) comparing said received and interpreted signals from step (i) and said unique positioning signal from step (iv) to deduce a transmission difference;
vi) continuously adjusting said generation and transmission of said unique positioning signal according to;
a) said deduced transmission difference from step (v); and
b) said reference positioning signal propagation delay from step (ii);
such that said unique positioning signal is chronologically synchronized to said reference positioning signals;
c) said roving position receiver receiving either;
i) said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
orii) both said reference positioning signals and said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
and subsequently calculating its own position without the requirement of differential corrections. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A positioning system which enables a roving position receiver to determine its own position, said positioning system comprising:
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a) at least one reference transmitter, each of said at least one reference transmitter configured to generate and transmit reference positioning signals according to the timebase of said at least one reference transmitter;
b) at least one positioning-unit device, each of said at least one positioning-unit device comprising;
i) means for receiving and interpreting signals transmitted by either said at least one reference transmitter or said at least one positioning-unit device or both said at least one reference transmitter and said at least one positioning-unit device;
ii) means for determining a reference positioning signal propagation delay between said at least one reference transmitter and said positioning-unit device;
iii) means for generating and transmitting a unique positioning signal;
iv) means for receiving and interpreting said unique positioning signal;
v) means for comparing said received and interpreted signals from step (i) and said unique positioning signal from step (iv) to deduce a transmission difference;
vii) means for continuously adjusting said generation and transmission of said unique positioning signal according to;
a) said deduced transmission difference from step (v); and
b) said reference positioning signal propagation delay from step (ii);
such that said unique positioning signal is chronologically synchronized to said reference positioning signals;
c) means for said roving position receiver to receive either;
i) said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
orii) both said reference positioning signals and said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
and subsequently calculate its own position without the requirement of differential corrections. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for determining the position of a roving position receiver in a positioning system comprising at least one reference transmitter, and at least one positioning-unit device, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) each of said at least one reference transmitter generating and transmitting reference positioning signals according to the timebase of said at least one reference transmitter, wherein each of said at least one reference transmitters is at a known location;
b) each of said at least one positioning-unit device;
i) receiving and interpreting said at least one reference positioning signal;
ii) generating and transmitting said unique positioning signal, wherein said unique positioning signal is aligned with a frequency steerable clock;
iii) receiving and interpreting said unique positioning signal;
iv) measuring a frequency difference between said received at least one reference positioning signal (i) and said received unique positioning signal (iii);
v) adjusting the frequency of said frequency steerable clock by an amount derived from said measured frequency difference (iv) and consequently adjusting said unique positioning signal;
vi) determining a reference positioning signal propagation delay between said at least one reference transmitter and said positioning-unit device;
vii) measuring a time difference between said received reference positioning signal (i) and said received unique positioning signal (iii);
viii) offsetting the frequency of said frequency steerable clock for a period of time derived from said time difference measured in step (vii) and said propagation delay measured in step (vi) and consequently adjusting said unique positioning signal;
such that said unique positioning signal is chronologically synchronized to said reference positioning signals;
c) said roving position receiver receiving either;
i) said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
orii) both said reference positioning signals and said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
and subsequently calculating its own position without the requirement of differential corrections. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 39, 40, 43)
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34. A positioning system which enables a roving position receiver to determine its own position, said positioning system comprising:
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a) at least one reference transmitter, each of said at least one reference transmitter configured to generate and transmit reference positioning signals according to the timebase of said at least one reference transmitter;
b) at least one positioning-unit device, each of said at least one positioning-unit device comprising;
i) means for receiving and interpreting said at least one reference positioning signal;
ii) means for generating and transmitting said unique positioning signal, wherein said unique positioning signal is aligned with a frequency steerable clock;
iii) means for receiving and interpreting said unique positioning signal;
iv) means for measuring a frequency difference between said received at least one reference positioning signal (i) and said received unique positioning signal (iii);
v) means for adjusting the frequency of said frequency steerable clock by an amount derived from said measured frequency difference (iv) and consequently adjusting said unique positioning signal;
vi) means for determining a reference positioning signal propagation delay between said at least one reference transmitter and said positioning-unit device;
vii) means for measuring a time difference between said received reference positioning signal (i) and said received unique positioning signal (iii);
viii) means for offsetting said frequency steerable clock by a period of time derived from said time difference measured in step (vii) and said propagation delay measured in step (vi) and consequently adjusting said unique positioning signal;
such that said unique positioning signal is chronologically synchronized to said reference positioning signals;
c) means for said roving position receiver to receive either;
i) said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
orii) both said reference positioning signals and said chronologically synchronized unique positioning signals;
and subsequently calculate its own position without the requirement of differential corrections. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 45)
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Specification