Method for establishing coverage area and accuracy of a wide-area differential global positioning system

• US 6,324,474 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Dorsey, Arthur J., Parker, Timothy C., Beisner, Henry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/258,204
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 701/226, 455/3.2, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/456, 342/357.01, 342/357.03, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 701/215
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/072 Ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/074 providing integrity data, e.g. WAAS

Abstract

A method for measuring the effectiveness of a wide-area differential global positioning system by projecting the least-squares error covariance of the space vehicles and ground reference stations through the central control station. Through generation of the differential corrections at the central control station, the space vehicle-ground reference station error covariance is then projected onto the wide-area differential global positioning system user locations. A covariance analysis approach is then used to capture the dependencies of the space vehicle and observability of the space vehicle by the ground reference stations and to the user locations within the wide-area differential global positioning system coverage area.

Claims

1. A method for establishing coverage and accuracy of user navigation position calculations using differential correction data from a wide-area differential global positioning system comprised of a plurality of space vehicles and a plurality of ground reference stations, comprising the steps of:

converting known space vehicle position data into earth-centered, earth-fixed coordinates to form a trajectory model;

determining which ground reference stations are capable of observing a set of known space vehicles to form a navigation accuracy model;

projecting the space vehicle ephemeris and clock accuracy from the navigation model onto a user location in earth-centered, earth-fixed coordinates;

iterating the wide-area differential global positioning system calculations over a specified period of time until the desired coverage area has been evaluated; and

outputting and storing the calculated coverage and accuracy of user positions for a given wide-area differential global positioning system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein potential user position inputs comprising latitude, longitude and altitude are converted into earth-centered, earth-fixed coordinates and stored in a database;

inputting the trajectory model and navigation accuracy model into said database for storage along with the user position data;

setting a reference time and calculating new user positions and new space vehicle positions at an incremental time period from the reference time;

estimating short and long term ephemeris and clock errors in both the space vehicle and ground reference station;

predicting the space vehicle clock errors along with a covariance error matrix;

projecting an error matrix of user position to determine coverage and accuracy of user position within a wide-area differential global positioning system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a least-squares error covariance is used to predict the space vehicle clock and covariance error matrix.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the user position and space vehicle position incremental time period is about 5 minutes.