METHOD FOR PROVIDING SATELLITE ORBIT EPHEMERIS, SERVER, AND POSITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20090315773A1
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TOMITA, Kyoichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.620
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/33 Multimode operation in different systems which transmit time stamped messages, e.g. GPS/GLONASS

Abstract

A method for providing satellite orbit ephemeris includes: determining a positioning satellite in view of a reference position; and providing to a positioning device a satellite orbit ephemeris of the positioning satellite in view of the reference position, the satellite orbit ephemeris being valid for at least one day.

Claims

1. A method for providing satellite orbit ephemeris for positioning, comprising:

determining a positioning satellite in view of a reference position; and

providing to a positioning device a satellite orbit ephemeris of the positioning satellite in view, the satellite orbit ephemeris being valid at least for one day.

2. The method for providing the satellite orbit ephemeris according to claim 1, wherein

a positioning satellite is determined to be in view of the reference position when the positioning satellite is visible from the reference position at a predetermined time.

3. The method for providing the satellite orbit ephemeris according to claim 1, wherein

the reference position is a position of the positioning device, a registered district, or a predetermined district for which the satellite orbit ephemeris is to be provided.

4. The method for providing the satellite orbit ephemeris according to claim 1, further comprising;

obtaining time series data of predicted positions for positioning satellites,

extracting from the obtained time series data the time series data for the positioning satellite in view of the reference position, and

generating the satellite orbit ephemeris of the positioning satellite in view.

5. The method for providing satellite orbit ephemeris according to claim 4, wherein

the satellite orbit ephemeris is generated in parameters of a predetermined approximate model expression based on the time series data for the positioning satellites in view of the reference position.

6. The method for providing satellite orbit ephemeris according to claim 5, wherein

the parameters of the approximate model expression are generated at each predetermined unit term, the parameters being valid for the predetermined unit term.

7. A server comprising:

a determining unit that determines a positioning satellite in view of a reference position; and

a transmitting unit that transmits a satellite orbit ephemeris of the positioning satellite to a positioning device, the satellite orbit ephemeris being valid at least for one day.

8. A positioning system comprising:

a positioning device that measures a position by performing a predetermined positioning calculation based on a satellite orbit ephemeris; and

a server that provides a satellite orbit ephemeris to the positioning device, wherein

the positioning device includes;

a transmitting unit that transmits a reference position information to the server,

a receiving unit that receives a satellite orbit ephemeris from the server, and

a positioning unit that measures the position by performing the predetermined positioning calculation based on the satellite orbit ephemeris, the server includes;

a determining unit that determines a positioning satellite in view of the reference position, and a transmitting unit that transmits a satellite orbit ephemeris of the positioning satellite to the positioning device, the satellite orbit ephemeris being valid at least for one day.