Method and Apparatus for Maintaining Integrity of Long-Term Orbits in a Remote Receiver

• US 20130285851A1
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Globate Locate Incorporated
• Inventors: VAN DIGGELEN, Frank, Riben, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,963,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.66
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/20 Integrity monitoring, fault detection or fault isolation of space segment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/254 relating to Doppler shift of satellite signals
• 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 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver

Abstract

A method and apparatus for maintaining integrity of long-term-orbit information used by a Global-Navigation-Satellite-System or other positioning receiver is described. The method comprises obtaining a predicted pseudorange from a first set of long-term-orbit information possessed by a positioning receiver; obtaining, at the positioning receiver from at least one satellite, a measured pseudorange; determining validity of the predicted pseudorange as a function of the predicted pseudorange and the measured pseudorange; and excluding from the long-term-orbit information at least a portion thereof when the validity of the predicted pseudorange is deemed invalid. Optionally, the method may comprise updating or otherwise supplementing the long-term-orbit information with other orbit information if the validity of the predicted pseudorange is deemed invalid.

Claims

1-47. -47. (canceled)

48. A method, comprising:

obtaining, for a first receiver, a predicted position-fix generated using long-term-orbit information for a satellite and using measured pseudoranges between the satellite and the first receiver, wherein the long-term-orbit information is valid longer in time than first broadcast ephemeris from the;

obtaining, for the first receiver, a measured position-fix generated using second broadcast ephemeris from the satellite and using the measured pseudoranges between the satellite and the first receiver; and

determining a validity of the predicted position-fix as a function of the predicted position-fix and the measured position-fix.

49. The method of claim 48, farther comprising:

discarding the long-term-orbit information when the validity of the predicted position-fix is determined to be not valid.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein determining the validity of the predicted position-fix comprises:

determining a difference between the predicted position-fix and the measured position-fix.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

excluding at least a portion of the long-term-orbit information when the difference satisfies a given threshold.

52. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

supplementing the long-term-orbit information when the validity of the predicted position-fix is determined to be not valid.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the long-term-orbit information is supplemented the second broadcast ephemeris from the satellite.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein determining the validity of the predicted pseudorange comprises:

determining a difference between the predicted position-fix and the measured position-fix.

55. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

sending a request for supplemental orbit information when the validity of the predicted position-fix is determined to be not valid; and

receiving, in response to the request, the supplemental orbit information.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the supplemental orbit information is more current than the long-term-orbit information.

57. The method of claim 48, wherein the long-term-orbit information has a validity period greater than the second broadcast ephemeris.

58. A receiver comprising:

memory configured to store executable instructions;

a processor configured to obtain from the memory the executable instructions and execute the executable instructions to;

obtain a predicted position-fix generated using long-term-orbit information for a satellite and using measured pseudoranges between the satellite and the receiver, wherein the long-term-orbit information is valid longer in time than first broadcast ephemeris from the satellite;

obtain a measured position-fix generated using second broadcast ephemeris from the satellite and using the measured pseudoranges between the satellite and the first receiver; and

determine a validity of the predicted position-fix as a function of the predicted position-fix and the measured position-fix.

59. The receiver of claim 58, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the executable instructions to:

discard the long-term-orbit information when the validity of the predicted position-fix is determined to be not valid.

60. The receiver of claim 58, Therein the processor is further configured to execute the executable instructions to:

supplement the long-term-orbit information when the validity of the predicted position-fix is determined to be not valid.

61. The receiver of claim 60, wherein the long-term-orbit information is supplemented with the second broadcast ephemeris.

62. The receiver of claim 58, wherein the processor is configured to determine the validity of the predicted pseudorange by determining a difference between the predicted position-fix and the measured position-fix.

63. The receiver of claim 60, further comprising:

a transceiver for sending a request for the supplemental orbit information and for receiving, in response to the request, the supplemental orbit information.

64. A method, comprising:

determining a predicted position-fix generated using long-term-orbit information for a satellite and using measured pseudoranges between the satellite and a first receiver, wherein the long-term-orbit information is valid longer in time than first broadcast ephemeris from the satellite;

determining a measured position-fix generated using second broadcast ephemeris from the satellite and using the measured pseudoranges between the satellite and the first receiver; and

determining a validity of the predicted position-fix as a function of the predicted position-fix and the measured position-fix.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

discarding the long-term-orbit information when the validity of the predicted position-fix is determined to be not valid.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein determining the validity of the predicted position-fix comprises:

determining a difference between the predicted position-fix and the measured position-fix.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

excluding at least a portion of the long-term-orbit information when the difference satisfies a given threshold.