Geo-referencing radio position determination systems using co-located antennas

• US 6,218,984 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Longaker, Harold Lewis, Nelson, Nancy, Sheynblat, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US09/216,009
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.11, 342/357, 342/14, 342/357.1, 701/226, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/430, 343/904, 343/905, 343/906, 343/720, 343/700.MS
• US Class Current: 342/357.27
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for establishing a common datum georeferenced position of the phase centers of the antennas used by a system. The system includes a GPS receiver and an auxiliary transmitter. An auxiliary antenna of the auxiliary transmitter is co-located with a GPS antenna of the GPS receiver. The auxiliary antenna is at a known spatial relationship with the GPS antenna. An auxiliary position of the auxiliary antenna is determined based on the known spatial relationship.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

co-locating an auxiliary antenna of an auxiliary transmitter at a known spatial relationship with a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna of a GPS receiver; and

determining an auxiliary position of the auxiliary antenna based on the known spatial relationship.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein co-locating comprises:

using a common antenna for the auxiliary transmitter and the GPS receiver.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein co-locating comprises:

placing the auxiliary antenna at a predetermined location relative to the GPS antenna.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein co-locating comprises:

placing auxiliary transmitter and the auxiliary antenna in a moving platform.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the moving platform is a satellite.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the known spatial relationship includes a predetermined distance and relative attitude.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving GPS signals via a GPS antenna;

an auxiliary transmitter for transmitting auxiliary signals via an auxiliary antenna, the auxiliary antenna being co-located at a known spatial relationship with the GPS antenna of the GPS receiver; and

wherein an auxiliary position of the auxiliary antenna is determined based on the known spatial relationship.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the GPS antenna and the auxiliary antenna are combined into a common antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the auxiliary antenna is placed at a predetermined location relative to the GPS antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the auxiliary transmitter and the auxiliary antenna are placed in a moving platform.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the moving platform is a satellite.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprises:

an attitude determining device for determining the spatial relationship.