Global positioning system having postprocessed realtime corrected data

• US 6,049,303 A
• Filed: 06/07/1999
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Biacs, Zoltan, Farmer, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/327,041
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.02, 342/357.03, 342/357.09, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity

Abstract

A method for determining an improved position fix by performing postprocessing on a realtime differentially corrected GPS position. A remote rover unit containing a GPS receiver is used to determine a differentially corrected position according to measured pseudoranges and realtime pseudorange correction vectors is broadcast by a base station. The rover unit applies realtime corrections to measurements to determine a more accurate realtime differential position. It then stores the realtime differential position and the realtime pseudorange correction vector. Subsequently, postprocessing is performed to determine a postprocessed pseudorange correction vector. A difference vector representing the difference between the realtime pseudorange correction vector and the postprocessed pseudorange correction vector is then determined. This difference vector is applied to the realtime differential position to calculate a more accurate, improved position fix. This same process can be applied to determine velocities as well.

Claims

1. A method for determining a position by performing postprocessing of a realtime differential GPS position, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a realtime pseudorange correction vector;

b) adjusting non-differential measurements according to the realtime pseudorange correction vector to determine a realtime differential position;

c) storing the realtime differential position and the realtime pseudorange correction vector;

d) performing postprocessing to determine a postprocessed pseudorange correction vector;

e) adjusting the realtime differential position as a function of a difference between the realtime pseudorange correction vector and the postprocessed pseudorange correction vector to produce a postprocessed realtime differential GPS position;

f) displaying the postprocessed realtime differential GPS position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a remote rover unit containing a GPS receiver is used to receive the realtime pseudorange correction vector, determine the realtime differential position, and store the realtime differential position and the realtime pseudorange correction vector in the field.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

computing position from pseudoranges;

computing velocity from pseudorange rates;

correcting real time differential positions and velocities to post-processed differential positions and velocities from pseudorange corrections and range rate corrections.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a realtime pseudorange rate correction vector;

adjusting a non-differential pseudorange rate measurements according to the realtime pseudorange rate correction vector to determine a realtime differential velocity;

storing the realtime differential velocity and the realtime pseudorange rate correction vector;

performing postprocessing to determine a postprocessed pseudorange rate correction vector;

adjusting the realtime differential velocity as a function of a difference between the realtime pseudorange rate correction vector and the postprocessed pseudorange rate correction vector to produce a postprocessed realtime differential GPS velocity;

displaying the postprocessed realtime differential GPS velocity.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of simultaneously adjusting the realtime differential position with a plurality of sets of base station data.

6. A method for determining improved positions by performing postprocessing on realtime differential GPS positions, comprising the steps of:

reading data that was stored in the field, comprising realtime differential positions and realtime measurement corrections;

reading a database containing GPS information generated from at least one base station;

calculating postprocessed measurement corrections according to the GPS information from the database;

adjusting the realtime differential positions according to the realtime measurement corrections and the postprocessed measurement corrections to determine the improved positions;

outputting the improved positions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a remote rover unit containing a GPS receiver and a memory is used to process and store the realtime differential positions and the realtime measurement corrections.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

reading data that was stored in the field, comprising realtime differential velocities and realtime measurement corrections corresponding to the velocities;

reading a database containing GPS information generated from at least one base station;

calculating postprocessed measurement corrections according to the GPS information from the database;

adjusting the realtime differential velocities according to the realtime measurement corrections and the postprocessed measurement corrections to determine improved velocities;

outputting the improved positions.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of simultaneously adjusting the realtime differential position with a plurality of sets of base station data.

10. An apparatus for determining a postprocessed position by performing postprocessing on a realtime differential GPS position, comprising:

an input/output interface for accepting a realtime differential position and a realtime pseudorange correction vector that was processed and stored by a rover unit while in the field;

a memory coupled to the input/output interface for storing computer code instructions relating to a GPS postprocessing procedure;

a mass storage device coupled to input/output interface for storing GPS information generated by a base station;

a processor coupled to the input/output interface that performs postprocessing on the GPS information according to the computer code instructions to determine a postprocessed pseudorange correction vector, wherein the postprocessed position is determined by applying a difference vector, representing a difference between the realtime pseudorange correction vector and the postprocessed pseudorange correction vector, to the realtime differential position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a rover unit detachable coupled to the input/output interface containing a GPS receiver and a memory, wherein the rover unit is used to determine the non-differential position, determine the realtime differential position, and store the realtime differential position and the realtime pseudorange correction vector.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor performs postprocessing on the GPS information according to the computer code instructions to determine a postprocessed velocity correction vector, wherein a postprocessed velocity is determined by applying a difference vector, representing a difference between a realtime velocity correction vector and a postprocessed velocity correction vector, to the realtime differential velocity.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor simultaneously adjusts the realtime differential position with a plurality of sets of base station data stored in the mass storage device.