PORTABLE BASE STATION NETWORK FOR LOCAL DIFFERENTIAL GNSS CORRECTIONS
First Claim
1. A method for differentially computing a rover unit location in a differential Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) comprising the steps of:
- providing a master base station with a master base GNSS antenna, a master base GNSS receiver coupled to the base GNSS antenna and a master base communication system including a master base transmitter;
providing a secondary base station with a secondary base GNSS antenna, a secondary base GNSS receiver coupled to the secondary base GNSS antenna and a secondary base communication system including a secondary base transmitter;
providing a rover unit with a rover GNSS antenna, a rover GNSS receiver coupled to the rover GNSS antenna and a rover communication system including a rover receiver;
generating a position offset corresponding to an offset between differential corrections created by said master base and said secondary base stations;
said rover transitioning from the coverage area of one said base station to the coverage area of the other said base station;
transmitting said position offset to said rover; and
correcting said rover GNSS-defined positioning with said position offset.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A DGNSS-based guidance system, wherein a rover receiver first utilizes data from a master base station transceiver, a DGNSS reference network, or some other differential source to compute a differentially corrected location to establish a reference DGNSS relationship. Using this location and data observed only at the rover, the rover computes an internal set of differential corrections, which set is stored in computer memory, updated as necessary, and applied in future times to correct observations taken by the rover. As the rover enters into areas of other base station receiver reference networks, the rover transceiver will send positional information it receives from the master base station to the new, secondary base station. The secondary base station then calibrates its own reference information using information sent from the original master base station.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for differentially computing a rover unit location in a differential Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) comprising the steps of:
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providing a master base station with a master base GNSS antenna, a master base GNSS receiver coupled to the base GNSS antenna and a master base communication system including a master base transmitter; providing a secondary base station with a secondary base GNSS antenna, a secondary base GNSS receiver coupled to the secondary base GNSS antenna and a secondary base communication system including a secondary base transmitter; providing a rover unit with a rover GNSS antenna, a rover GNSS receiver coupled to the rover GNSS antenna and a rover communication system including a rover receiver; generating a position offset corresponding to an offset between differential corrections created by said master base and said secondary base stations; said rover transitioning from the coverage area of one said base station to the coverage area of the other said base station; transmitting said position offset to said rover; and correcting said rover GNSS-defined positioning with said position offset. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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12. A method for differentially computing a rover unit location in a differential Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) comprising the steps of:
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providing a master base station with a master base GNSS antenna, a master base GNSS receiver coupled to the base GNSS antenna and a master base communication system including a master base transmitter; providing a secondary base station with a secondary base GNSS antenna, a secondary base GNSS receiver coupled to the secondary base GNSS antenna and a secondary base communication system including a secondary base transmitter; providing a rover unit with a rover GNSS antenna, a rover GNSS receiver coupled to the rover GNSS antenna and a rover communication system including a rover receiver; generating a position offset corresponding to an offset between differential corrections created by said master base and said secondary base stations; said rover transitioning from the coverage area of one said base station to the coverage area of the other said base station; transmitting said position offset to said rover; correcting said rover GNSS-defined positioning with said position offset; saving in each said base station multiple GNSS base locations; determining a current GNSS location of a respective base receiver; comparing said current GNSS base receiver location with multiple said saved GNSS base locations to retrieve a closest saved GNSS base location; if a resultant distance between said current GNSS base receiver location and the closest saved GNSS base location, as determined by said comparing step, is less than a said threshold minimum distance, identifying as a base location the saved GNSS base location which is closest to said current GNSS base receiver location; and otherwise identifying said current GNSS base receiver location as the base location and saving in said base station said current GNSS base receiver location. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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20. A method for differentially computing a rover unit location in a differential Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) comprising the steps of:
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providing a master base station with a master base GNSS antenna, a master base GNSS receiver coupled to the base GNSS antenna and a master base communication system including a master base transmitter; providing a secondary base station with a secondary base GNSS antenna, a secondary base GNSS receiver coupled to the secondary base GNSS antenna and a secondary base communication system including a secondary base transmitter; providing a rover unit with a rover GNSS antenna, a rover GNSS receiver coupled to the rover GNSS antenna and a rover communication system including a rover receiver; generating a position offset corresponding to an offset between differential corrections created by said master base and said secondary base stations; said rover transitioning from the coverage area of one said base station to the coverage area of the other said base station; transmitting said position offset to said rover; correcting said rover GNSS-defined positioning with said position offset; saving in each said base station multiple GNSS base locations; determining a current GNSS location of a respective base receiver; comparing said current GNSS base receiver location with multiple said saved GNSS base locations to retrieve a closest saved GNSS base location; if a resultant distance between said current GNSS base receiver location and the closest saved GNSS base location, as determined by said comparing step, is less than a said threshold minimum distance, identifying as a base location the saved GNSS base location which is closest to said current GNSS base receiver location; otherwise identifying said current GNSS base receiver location as the base location and saving in said base station said current GNSS base receiver location; reusing said positional offset corresponding to said previous base location for transmission to said rovers; marking field locations for said base stations; removing said base stations from said marked field locations between uses; replacing said base stations at said marked field locations for subsequent uses; providing a network of overlapping base station coverage areas; transitioning said rover among said base station coverage areas; applying a respective coverage area-specific offset to said rover as said rover transitions from one base station coverage area to another; receiving with said rover offsets from said master base station and said overlapping secondary base station; selecting an offset for use by said rover in an overlapping coverage area; moving said rover into a blocked-signal area whereat signals from a respective base station are blocked; receiving signals from another base station in said blocked-signal area; and utilizing the offset from said other base station for computing a rover GNSS-defined position in said blocked-signal area.
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Specification