Positioning satellite system for measuring position of signal source

• US 6,680,696 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chiba Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Chiba Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Hayashi, Tomonao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULL, FRED H
• Application Number:
  US10/089,348
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.16, 342/357.05, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/357.07, 701/226
• US Class Current: 342/357.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial

Abstract

A satellite system includes a signal source located on a surface of the earth, a surface of water, or in air; an orbiting satellite for measuring a position of the signal source, having a GPS receiver which receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite system to measure the position of the orbiting satellite, a frequency measuring device for receiving the radio wave signal emitted from the signal source to measure the frequency thereof, a memory for storing frequency data and position data, and a transmitting device for transmitting the data stored in the memory toward the earth; and a ground station, having a signal receiving device for receiving the data transmitted from the orbiting satellite, including a computer for calculating the position of the signal source based on the data received by the signal receiving device.

Claims

1. A satellite system comprising:

a signal source located on or in at least one of a surface of the earth, a surface of water, and the air, said signal source including an emitter device for emitting a radio wave signal having a predetermined frequency;

an orbiting satellite for measuring a position of said signal source, said orbiting satellite including a GPS receiver which receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite system to measure the position of said orbiting satellite, a frequency measuring device for receiving the radio wave signal emitted from the signal source to measure the frequency of said radio wave signal, a memory for storing frequency data measured and obtained by the frequency measuring device and position data measured and obtained by the GPS receiver upon measurement of the frequency of said radio signal, and a satellite transmitting device for transmitting from said orbiting satellite the data stored in said memory toward the earth'"'"'s surface; and

a ground station having a ground-station signal receiving device for receiving said data transmitted from said orbiting satellite, said ground station comprising a computer for calculating the position of said signal source based on the received data of said signal receiving device, and a ground-station transmitting device for transmitting a specific command to send the data stored in said memory of the orbiting satellite;

said orbiting satellite including a satellite signal receiving device for receiving the radio wave signal emitted from the ground station; and

said orbiting satellite transmitting the data stored in the memory via the satellite transmitting device upon receipt of the specific command through the satellite signal receiving device.

2. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein said frequency measuring device comprises a phase-lock loop receiver.

3. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein said frequency measuring device and said GPS receiver carry out several measurements of the radio wave signals emitted from the same signal source during the movement of said orbiting satellite, on and along the same orbit, on which the frequency measuring device and the GPS receiver are provided so that the measurement data of each measurement if stored in said memory.

4. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein said orbit of the orbiting satellite is one of a polar orbit and a sub-recurrent orbit.

5. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein said computer measures the position of the signal source based on reference frequency data of the radio wave signal emitted from the signal source;

wherein the frequency data is measured by the frequency measuring device, and the position data of the orbiting satellite is measured by the GPS receiver.

6. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein when the radio wave signal of the predetermined frequency is emitted, said signal source sends an identification signal to identify the signal source by the radio wave signal.

7. A satellite system comprising:

a signal source located on or in at least one of a surface of the earth, a water surface, and the air; and

an orbiting satellite for measuring a position of said signal source, said orbiting satellite including a GPS receiver which receives a GPS signal from a GPS stationary satellite, a frequency measuring device for receiving a radio wave signal emitted from a ground signal source on the earth to measure the frequency of the radio wave signal, a memory for storing frequency data measured and obtained by the frequency measuring device and position data measured and obtained by the GPS receiver upon measurement of said frequency, and a satellite transmitting device for transmitting the data stored in the memory toward a ground station;

wherein

said orbiting satellite comprises a satellite signal receiving device for receiving the radio wave signal emitted from the ground station;

said ground station comprises a ground-station transmitting device for transmitting a specific command to send the data stored in the memory of the orbiting satellite; and

said orbiting satellite transmits the data stored in the memory through the satellite transmitting device upon receipt of the specific command through the satellite signal receiving device.

8. A satellite system according to claim 7, wherein said frequency measuring device comprises a phase-lock loop receiver.

9. A satellite system according to claim 7, wherein said frequency measuring device and said GPS receiver carry out several measurements of said radio wave signals emitted from the same signal source during the movement of the orbiting satellite, on and along the same orbit, on which the frequency measuring device and the GPS receiver are provided so that the measurement data of each measurement is stored in the memory.

10. A satellite system according to claim 9, wherein the orbit of the orbiting satellite is a polar orbit.

11. A satellite system according to claim 9, wherein when the radio wave signal of the predetermined frequency is emitted, said signal source sends an identification signal to identify the signal source by the radio wave signal.