Positioning system utilizing GPS satellites

• US 5,931,890 A
• Filed: 02/19/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Seiji, Ito, Takeshi, Yamamoto, Tomohiro, Suwa, Yoshihisa, Yasuda, Tomio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US08/808,955
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 701/216, 342/347, 342/357, 455/3.2, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/22 Multipath-related issues
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A positioning system is disclosed in which a rate of change ΔΔf in a Doppler shift Δf of the radio wave transmitted from a GPS satellite is detected in order to determine whether or not an extraordinary radio wave as caused by a multi-path or the like is being received, and a GPS satellite from which an extraordinary radio wave is received is excluded from a group of GPS satellites which are utilized in a positioning calculation. A difference Δf between a signal frequency f0 transmitted from a GPS satellite and a signal frequency fR receiver is calculated, and a rate of change ΔΔf in the difference Δf is also calculated. The position of a receiver is calculated on the basis of information transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change ΔΔf is equal to or less than a first threshold value, or ΔΔf≦30 Hz/s, and the azimuth of a traveling direction of the receiver is calculated on the basis of information transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change ΔΔf is equal to or less than a second smaller threshold value or ΔΔf≦15 Hz/s.

Claims

1. A positioning system utilizing GPS satellites comprising

receiving means for receiving information from a plurality of GPS satellites which transmit their respective orbital information and timing information;

deviation calculation means for calculating a difference Δ

f between a signal frequency transmitted by one of the GPS satellites and a signal frequency received by the receiving means;

variation calculation means for obtaining a rate of change Δ

Δ

f in the difference Δ

f;

and positioning calculation means for determining the position of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f remains within a preselected range.

2. A positioning system utilizing GPS satellites according to claim 1 in which the positioning calculation means determines the position of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a first threshold value, and determines the azimuth of a traveling direction of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a second threshold value which is less than the first threshold value.

3. A positioning system utilizing GPS satellites according to claim 1 in which the positioning calculation means selects a plurality of GPS satellites and enter them into a registration table on the basis of Almanac data relating to a plurality of GPS satellites and the position of the receiving means, performs a tracking of each GPS satellite in the registration table utilizing the receiving means, removes from the registration table any GPS satellite which resulted in a failure of tracking and those GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is outside the preselected range, and whenever the number of GPS satellites which remain in the registration table is reduced below a given value, a GPS satellite or satellites which are not entered in the registration table, except GPS satellites which are removed, is added to the registration table.

4. A positioning system utilizing GPS satellites according to claim 3 in which the positioning calculation means determines the position of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a first threshold value, determines the azimuth of a traveling direction of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a second threshold value which is less than the first threshold value, and removes a GPS satellite or satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f exceeds the first threshold value from the registration table.

5. A positioning system utilizing GPS satellites comprising

receiving means for receiving information from a plurality of GPS satellites which transmit their orbital information and timing information;

an altitude sensor for detecting the altitude of the receiving means;

deviation calculation means for calculating a difference Δ

f between a signal frequency transmitted by one of the GPS satellites and a signal frequency by the receiving means;

variation calculation means for determining a rate of change Δ

Δ

f in the difference Δ

f;

and positioning calculation means for determining the position of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from the GPS satellites when the number of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f remains within a preselected range is equal to four or greater, and for determining on the basis of information received by the receiving means from the GPS satellites and an altitude detected by the altitude sensor when the number of GPS satellites for the rate of change Δ

Δ

f remains within the preselected range is three.

6. A positioning system according to claim 5 in which the positioning calculation means determines the position of receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a first threshold value, and determines the azimuth of a traveling direction of the receiving on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a second threshold value which is less than the first threshold value.

7. A positioning system according to claim 5 in which the positioning calculation means selects a plurality of GPS satellites and write them into a registration table on the basis of Almanac data for a plurality of GPS satellites and the position of the receiving means, tracks each of the GPS satellites in the registration table with the receiving means, removes a GPS satellite or satellites which failed to be tracked and a GPS satellite or satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is outside the preselected range from the registration table, and in the event the number of GPS satellites which remain in the registration table reduces below a given value, adds a GPS satellite or satellites which are not entered on the registration table, except for the removed GPS satellites, to the registration table.

8. A positioning system according to claim 7 in which the positioning calculation means determines the position of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a first threshold value, and determines the azimuth of a traveling direction of the receiving means on the basis of information received by the receiving means from a plurality of GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f is equal to or less than a second threshold value which is less than the first threshold value, and removes a GPS satellites for which the rate of change Δ

Δ

f exceeds the first threshold value from the registration table.