METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING MULTIPATH SIGNAL IN GPS ARCHITECTURE
First Claim
1. A method, including:
- a) receiving a first GPS signal at a mobile object from a first satellite vehicle;
b) determining a distance characteristic relating a first reflecting object to the mobile object;
c) determining at least one inertial characteristic associated with the mobile object;
d) predicting at least one multipath signal characteristic associated with reflection of the first GPS signal by the first reflecting object toward the mobile object; and
e) determining the first GPS signal received in a) includes a first multipath signal associated with reflection of the first GPS signal by the first reflecting object toward the mobile object.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for constructive use of a multipath signal in GPS signal processing is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: a) receiving a GPS signal at a mobile object from a satellite vehicle, b) determining a distance characteristic relating a reflecting object to the mobile object, c) determining at least one inertial characteristic associated with the mobile object, d) predicting at least one multipath signal characteristic associated with reflection of the GPS signal by the reflecting object toward the mobile object, and e) determining the GPS signal received in a) includes a multipath signal associated with reflection of the GPS signal by the reflecting object toward the mobile object. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes: a GPS receiver, a storage device, an inertial measurement device, and a controller. In another embodiment, the apparatus also includes a distance measurement device.
76 Citations
40 Claims
-
1. A method, including:
-
a) receiving a first GPS signal at a mobile object from a first satellite vehicle; b) determining a distance characteristic relating a first reflecting object to the mobile object; c) determining at least one inertial characteristic associated with the mobile object; d) predicting at least one multipath signal characteristic associated with reflection of the first GPS signal by the first reflecting object toward the mobile object; and e) determining the first GPS signal received in a) includes a first multipath signal associated with reflection of the first GPS signal by the first reflecting object toward the mobile object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. An apparatus, including:
-
a GPS receiver adapted to receive a first GPS signal from a first satellite vehicle; a storage device adapted to store at least a first parameter associated with a distance between a first reflecting object and the apparatus; an inertial measurement device adapted to measure at least one parameter associated with movement of the apparatus; and a controller in communication with the GPS receiver, distance measurement device, and inertial measurement device, the controller being adapted to i) determine a first distance characteristic relating the first reflecting object to the apparatus, ii) determine at least one inertial characteristic associated with the apparatus, iii) predict at least one multipath signal characteristic associated with reflection of the first GPS signal by the first reflecting object toward the apparatus, iv) determine the first GPS signal received by the GPS receiver includes a first multipath signal associated with reflection of the first GPS signal by the first reflecting object toward the apparatus, v) track the first satellite vehicle based at least in part on a first carrier frequency component of the first multipath signal, and vi) use at least one of carrier frequency, carrier phase, and GPS data from the first satellite vehicle based at least in part on at least one of a first GPS carrier component and a first GPS data component of the first multipath signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A method of using signals from a plurality of radio navigation satellites while a receiver is mobile, comprising:
-
(a) receiving direct signals from a first set of the plurality of radio navigation satellites; (b) providing direct satellite data corresponding to the direct signals received from the plurality of radio navigation satellites; (c) receiving multipath signals from a second set of the plurality of radio navigation satellites; (d) providing multipath satellite data corresponding to the multipath signals received from the plurality of radio navigation satellites; (e) providing inertial data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU); (f) providing position data for some structures in the vicinity of the receiver, which structures may have reflecting surfaces that provide some multipath reflections of direct signals from the plurality of radio navigation satellites; and (g) using the direct satellite data, if any, and the multipath satellite data and the inertial data and the position data to perform continuous carrier phase tracking of the radio navigation satellite signals, including continuous carrier phase tracking of low CNR multipath signals, from the plurality of radio navigation satellites, while the receiver is moving through regions where structures prevent direct observation of some direct signals from the plurality of radio navigation satellites. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A receiver for using signals, including low carrier-to-noise ratio (“
- CNR”
) multipath signals, from a plurality of radio navigation satellites while the receiver is mobile, comprising;(a) a radio frequency (RF) front-end that provides satellite data corresponding to signals received directly from some of the plurality of radio navigation satellites and that provides multipath data corresponding to multipath signals received from some of the plurality of radio navigation satellites; and (b) an inertial measurement unit (EMU) that provides inertial data; (c) position data for some structures in the vicinity of the receiver, which structures may have reflecting surfaces that provide some multipath reflections of the low CNR signals from the plurality of radio navigation satellites; and (d) a processor circuit in circuit communication with the RF front end and the IMU, the processor circuit being capable of using the satellite data and the multipath data and the inertial data and the position data to perform continuous carrier phase tracking of radio navigation satellite signals, including low CNR multipath signals, from the plurality of radio navigation satellites while the receiver is moving through regions where structures prevent direct observation of some signals from the plurality of radio navigation satellites. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
- CNR”
Specification