Method and reciever using a low earth orbiting satellite signal to augment the global positioning system
First Claim
1. A method in a GPS receiver system for using a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite signal from a LEO satellite for augmenting the global positioning system for computing a location vector, comprising steps of:
- receiving a GPS satellite signal having a GPS carrier from a GPS satellite with a GPS user receiver;
determining a GPS/user carrier phase for said GPS satellite signal;
receiving said LEO satellite signal having a LEO carrier from said LEO satellite with said GPS user receiver;
determining a LEO/user carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal;
receiving a reference data signal including reference data for a GPS/reference carrier phase for said GPS satellite signal received at a GPS reference receiver and a LEO/reference carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal received at said GPS reference receiver;
computing a GPS user-reference phase corresponding to a difference between said GPS/user carrier phase and said GPS/reference carrier phase;
computing a LEO user-reference phase corresponding to a difference between said LEO/user carrier phase and said LEO/reference carrier phase; and
computing said location vector, based upon said GPS user-reference phase and said LEO user-reference phase, for a geographical location of said GPS user receiver with respect to a geographical location of said GPS reference receiver.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and an apparatus using a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite signal to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS) for finding a location vector between a GPS user receiver and a GPS reference receiver. The GPS user receiver computes a LEO user-reference carrier phase difference and a GPS user-reference carrier phase difference for the LEO satellite signal and a GPS satellite signal, respectively, received simultaneously at the GPS user receiver and the GPS reference receiver. Carrier phase double differences are computed from a difference between the GPS user-reference carrier phases from two GPS satellites and either the LEO user-reference carrier phases from two LEO satellites or the GPS user-reference carrier phase from one GPS satellite and the LEO user-reference carrier phase from one LEO satellite. The location vector is computed from a difference between the double differences for two satellite geometries. The GPS reference receiver communicates the reference carrier phase data to the GPS user receiver through the LEO satellite. An ionospheric delay model is determined by tracking the LEO satellite signal as the LEO satellite traverses the sky. An optional calibrator corrects for measurement delay in determining the carrier phases in the GPS user receiver and the GPS reference receiver.
60 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method in a GPS receiver system for using a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite signal from a LEO satellite for augmenting the global positioning system for computing a location vector, comprising steps of:
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receiving a GPS satellite signal having a GPS carrier from a GPS satellite with a GPS user receiver; determining a GPS/user carrier phase for said GPS satellite signal; receiving said LEO satellite signal having a LEO carrier from said LEO satellite with said GPS user receiver; determining a LEO/user carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal; receiving a reference data signal including reference data for a GPS/reference carrier phase for said GPS satellite signal received at a GPS reference receiver and a LEO/reference carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal received at said GPS reference receiver; computing a GPS user-reference phase corresponding to a difference between said GPS/user carrier phase and said GPS/reference carrier phase; computing a LEO user-reference phase corresponding to a difference between said LEO/user carrier phase and said LEO/reference carrier phase; and computing said location vector, based upon said GPS user-reference phase and said LEO user-reference phase, for a geographical location of said GPS user receiver with respect to a geographical location of said GPS reference receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of augmenting the global positioning system, comprising steps of:
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receiving a global positioning system (GPS) satellite signal having a GPS carrier from a GPS satellite with a GPS reference receiver; determining a GPS/reference carrier phase for said GPS satellite signal; receiving a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite signal having a LEO carrier from said LEO satellite with said GPS reference receiver; determining a LEO/reference carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal; and issuing a reference data signal including reference data for said GPS/reference carrier phase and said LEO/reference carrier phase for use in a differential carrier phase measurement of a location vector. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A GPS user receiver for computing a location vector between a geographical location of the GPS user receiver and a geographical location of a GPS reference receiver, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) section for a) receiving a GPS signal having a GPS carrier and determining a GPS/user carrier phase for said GPS signal, b) receiving a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite signal having a LEO carrier from a LEO satellite and determining a LEO/user carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal, and c) issuing an intermediate signal including information for said GPS/user carrier phase and said LEO/user carrier phase; and a processor coupled to the RF section for a) receiving said intermediate signal, b) receiving reference data including a GPS/reference carrier phase for said GPS signal received at said GPS reference receiver and a LEO/reference carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal received at said GPS reference receiver, and c) for computing said location vector using both of (i) a GPS user-reference phase corresponding to a difference between said GPS/user carrier phase and said GPS/reference carrier phase and (ii) a LEO user-reference phase corresponding to a difference between said LEO/user carrier phase and said LEO/reference carrier phase. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A GPS reference receiver, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) section for a) receiving a GPS signal having a GPS carrier and determining a GPS/reference carrier phase for said GPS signal, b) receiving a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite signal having a LEO carrier from a LEO satellite and determining a LEO/reference carrier phase for said LEO satellite signal, and c) issuing an intermediate signal including information for said GPS/reference carrier phase and said LEO/reference carrier phase; and a processor coupled to the RF section for receiving said intermediate signal and issuing a reference data signal including reference data for said GPS/reference carrier phase and said LEO/reference carrier phase for use in a differential carrier phase measurement of a location vector. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification