Analyzing system for global positioning system and general satellite tracking

• US 5,963,167 A
• Filed: 03/13/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Heflin, Michael, Zumberge, James, Bertiger, William I., Yunck, Thomas, Bar-Sever, Yoaz, Hurst, Kenneth, Muellerschoen, Ronald J., Wu, Sien-Chong, Lichten, Stephen M., Blewitt, Geoff, Thornton, Catherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/816,260
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/357.06, 701/214
• US Class Current: 342/357.59
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver

Abstract

An improved analyzing system based on GIPSY-OASIS II software package developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for Global Positioning System, general satellite tracking, orbit determination and trajectory studies. New features and functions include yaw compensation, precise satellite positioning by high-rate GPS clocks, enhanced data filtering and smoothing, a new user interface for controlling orientation of a satellite and its components, and no-fiducial approach to global geodesy. The present invention allows a fully automatic operation and delivery of validated daily solutions for orbits, clocks, station locations and others with no human intervention. A 3D GPS orbit accuracy of 15 cm and the daily repeatability of the 3D global geocentric station location in better than 1 cm have been achieved.

Claims

1. A method for GPS positioning, comprising:

collecting broadcast signals of a plurality of earth-orbiting satellites with a plurality of earth-fixed receivers, said broadcast signals being indicative of timing and positioning of said satellites;

converting said broadcast signals into raw data in digital form;

editing said raw data to remove an amount of data points based on a data selection criterion and to detect carrier phase breaks therein based on a phase criterion, thus producing refined data indicative of pseudoranges of said satellites;

computing a plurality of forces acting on said satellites;

estimating effects of earth geometric factors and a plurality of transmitting delays of said broadcast signals;

performing a yaw compensation on yawing of said satellites according to orbital positions of said satellites;

computing orbiting trajectories of said satellites by using a priori model and said refined data with information indicative of said forces, said effects of earth geometric factors, said transmitting delays, and said yawing;

processing said refined data by Kalman-type filtering according to said orbiting trajectories of said satellites so as to produce updated data having information indicative of said timing and said positioning of satellites;

predicting orbits of said satellites with said updated data and information from said yaw compensation to produce updated orbits of said satellites; and

verifying said updated orbits of said satellites.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said yaw compensation is carried out according to motion of said satellites in a plurality of orbital phases.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein said yaw compensation comprises biasing said yawing of said satellite with a fixed amount of yaw angle.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein said yaw compensation includes stimulating behaviors of said satellites by:

using a plurality of analytical formulas to characterize behaviors of yawing and orbiting of each satellite in each of said phases and to predict said yawing of said satellite in said phases; and

adjusting said yawing of said satellite to a desired yawing according to predicted yawing in each of said phases.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein said yaw compensation includes:

generating a set of analytical formulas to describe an ideal yawing of said satellites by referencing to said updated orbits of said satellites in said orbital phases,

predicting said yawing based on information from said analytical formulas, and

controlling said yawing to minimize a difference between said yawing and said ideal yawing.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said Kalman-type filtering includes processing said refined data by using a square-root information filter with a UDU smoother.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said smoother operates to produce a plurality of time-varying parameters including orbital states, atmospheric delays, and clock parameters.

8. A method as in claim 6, wherein said Kalman-type filtering includes adding process noise to a processing parameter.

9. A method as in claim 6, wherein said Kalman-type filtering includes modeling a processing parameter as both process noise and a constant processing parameter in a single run of data processing.

10. A method as in claim 6, wherein said Kalman-type filtering comprises estimation of errors by including covariance studies, consider analysis, and simulations.

11. A method as in claim 6, wherein said Kalman-type filtering removes white noise parameters from data processing to improve CPU operation efficiency and to reduce usage of system memory.

12. A method as in claim 6, wherein said Kalman-type filtering is operable to model troposphere signal delays.

13. A method as in claim 6, wherein said Kalman-type filtering is based on a factorized algorithm.

14. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

mapping said updated data of said satellites in time domain to produce continuous and smoothed state information of said satellites; and

resolving carrier phase ambiguities to increase accuracy of said timing and positioning of said satellites.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said resolving of phase ambiguities is performed by use of a multi-function module including said smoother, a module operable to perform said mapping, and a module for performing said resolving of phase ambiguities, said multi-function module increasing throughput, reducing usage of system memory and allowing an automated operation in resolving phase ambiguities.

16. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

causing a correlation among clocks of said earth-fixed receivers relative to one another to generate a timing reference by using said earth-fixed receivers and a frequency reference;

increasing temporal resolution of said timing of said satellites by referencing said clocks of said satellites to said timing reference to generate a set of high-resolution timing data for said satellites;

using said updated orbits of said satellites to produce a set of corresponding positioning data with respect to said high-resolution timing data; and

outputting said high-resolution timing data and said corresponding positioning data to GPS users.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein each of said clocks of said earth-fixed receivers has a smooth solution of a type which can be used to interpolate a low-timing resolution data for a higher timing resolution.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein said higher timing resolution is indicated by a timing duration smaller than 30 seconds.

25. A method as in claim 4, wherein said plurality of orbital phases include:

a nominal attitude phase in which said satellite is in view of the sun;

a shadow crossing phase in which said satellite is in the shadow of the earth;

a post-shadow maneuver phase including a period from shadow exiting of said satellite to regaining said desired yawing; and

a noon maneuver phase including a duration during which said satellite is closest to the sun and a maximal yawing rate thereof is smaller than a desired yawing rate therein.

26. A method as in claim 4, further comprising using selected data indicative of attitude of said satellite in said analytical formulas to estimate said yawing.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein said selected data includes position, velocity and timing of shadow crossings of said satellite.

28. A method as in claim 1, wherein said yaw compensation is performed by limiting a yaw rate and a yaw acceleration of each satellite below a maximum yaw rate and a maximum yaw acceleration, respectively.

19. A method for obtaining global ground positioning and velocity information, comprising:

obtaining geodetic information including global positions and velocities from daily solutions;

applying a set of minimal constraints to said geodetic information and thereby removing uncertainties therein; and

transforming said geodetic information from a first reference frame to a second reference frame using said global positions and velocities.

20. A global positioning system for locating a target, comprising:

a plurality of satellites, orbiting around the earth, each of said satellites operating to broadcast radio wave signals having information indicative of timing and positioning of said satellites relative to a preselected reference;

a GPS receiver at said target to receive said radio wave signals broadcasted from said satellites;

an attitude control module in each of said satellites for determining yawing of each of said satellites, having a pair of solar sensors arranged relative to each other on surfaces of solar panels in said attitude control module, operating to induce a fixed biasing in an output of said pair of solar sensors, thereby yielding a biasing yawing in said yawing of said satellites; and

a control module, configured to communicate with said satellites and said GPS receiver and a digital computer with input and output devices, said computer having a readable storage medium that is configured with a computer program and operating to control said satellites and said attitude control module, said control module processing said information indicative of said timing and said positioning from said satellites by predicting trajectories of said satellites with previously existing information indicative of said orbiting of said satellites, with yawing status from said control module, and with external force information indicative of an effect selected from a group consisting of gravitational effects, solar pressure, atmospheric drag, thermal radiation, and gas leaks,

whereby said positioning system determines three-dimensional position parameters of said GPS receiver relative to said preselected reference.

21. A positioning system as in claim 20, further comprising:

a global network of reference GPS receivers, said reference GPS receivers operating to correlate with each other by referencing to a common frequency reference, generating a timing reference for said timing of said satellites; and

said control module using said timing reference of said reference GPS receivers to decrease time interval of said timing and said positioning of said satellites and thereby to increase accuracy of said locating said target.

22. A positioning system as in claim 21, wherein said reference GPS receivers in combination with said frequency reference allow said time interval to less than 30 seconds.

23. A positioning system as in claim 20, wherein said fixed biasing in said output of said pair of solar sensors is at a minimal value that is allowed by said control module.

24. A positioning system as in claim 20, wherein said computer program includes an interfacing subprogram for causing said control module to orientate said satellites and to control the orientation of components in said satellites, said interfacing subprogram having capability of using input commands in plain English words and mathematical symbols to carry out a sequence of instructions to control said control module.