GLOBALLY REFERENCED POSITIONING IN A SHIELDED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20140203964A1
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightwaves Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lightwaves Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Melick, Bruce D., Snyder, David M., Baych, Leslie D., Kennedy, Philip T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,541,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.59
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/045 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for globally referenced positioning in a shielded environment includes integrating and correlating information from a UWB receiver, a GPS receiver, and a bent-path GPS receiver adapted to extract a GPS radio frequency wave from a heterodyned GPS signal. The method, apparatus, and system is resistant to interference and can be used in a shielded environment such as indoors or behind a line-of-sight barrier.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining position that is resistant to interference and capable of use within a shielded environment comprising:

at least one position receiver;

an intelligent control operatively connected to the at least one position receiver;

at least one position receiver adapted to receive a heterodyned positioning signal comprising a positioning signal heterodyned onto a first radio frequency wave and to deheterodyne the heterodyned positioning signal to extract the positioning signal;

the intelligent control adapted to determine a globally referenced position at least partially based on integrating and correlating data received from the at least one position receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a data interface operatively connected to the intelligent control for providing a data link.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data link is wireless.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intelligent control determines positions at least partially based on data received from a differential GPS receiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intelligent control determines the globally referenced positions at least partially based on data received from a Wide Area Augmentation System.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interference is jamming.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interference is spoofing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interference is a line-of-sight barrier.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of the at least one receiver is selected from a group consisting of a GPS receiver, a bent-path GPS receiver, a radiolocation and navigation signal other than GPS, and an A-GPS receiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the globally referenced position is within the shielded environment.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the globally referenced position is outside the shielded environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the globally referenced position.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a housing and wherein the at least one receiver being disposed within the housing and selected from a group consisting of a pulse receiver, a bent path GPS receiver, a GPS receiver, and an A-GPS receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the positioning signal is heterodyned onto a carrier signal selected from a group consisting of an AM radio signal, an FM radio signal, a television signal, a maritime mobile signal, an aeronautical mobile signal, a satellite broadcast signal other than GPS, a cell phone signal, a radiolocation and navigation signal other than GPS, and a UWB signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is in direct line-of-sight of radio and positioning signal sources.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is out of direct line-of-sight of radio and positioning signal sources.