Apparatus for improved integrity of wide area differential satellite navigation systems

• US 6,826,476 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hartman, Randolph G., Ahlbrecht, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/286,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 701/300, 701/301, 342/357.02, 342/357.13, 342/357.12, 342/357.03, 342/357.06
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/074 providing integrity data, e.g. WAAS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/08 providing integrity information, e.g. health of satellites or quality of ephemeris data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236

Abstract

An arrangement and appertaining method utilizing the arrangement provides a cost effective way to implement an accurate and cost effective satellite positioning differential augmentation system. This hybrid system integrates a network of Ground Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS) with a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS), permitting the high integrity features of the GBAS to be utilized with the much broader coverage area of the SBAS system without requiring significant expenditures that would be required for upgrading either of the systems independently.

Claims

1. A ground based augmentation system (GBAS) network, comprising:

a navigation satellite;

an interconnecting system communication network;

at least a first GBAS and a second GBAS, each GBAS comprising;

a GBAS receiver that is configured to receive navigation satellite data from the navigation satellite and covert it into GBAS raw augmentation data;

a GBAS processor that is configured to receive GBAS raw augmentation data from the GBAS receiver and to format it into formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data; and

a GBAS transmitter configured to send GBAS differential correction and integrity data to the interconnecting system communication network;

the GBAS processor of the first GBAS being configured to receive GBAS differential correction and integrity data produced by the second GBAS and to include this data in its own formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data.

2. An integrated satellite based augmentation system (SBAS)-GBAS comprising:

a navigation satellite;

an interconnecting system communication network;

one or more GBASs, each GBAS comprising;

a GBAS receiver that is configured to receive navigation satellite data from the navigation satellite and covert it into GBAS raw augmentation data;

a GBAS processor that is configured to receive GBAS raw augmentation data from the receiver and to format it into formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data; and

a GBAS transmitter configured to send GBAS differential correction and integrity data to the interconnecting system communication network;

the integrated SBAS-GBAS system further comprising;

an SBAS, comprising;

an SBAS satellite that is configured to transmit SBAS correction and integrity data to a user;

an SBAS receiver that is configured to receive navigation satellite data from the navigation satellite and convert it into SBAS augmentation data;

an SBAS master station that is configured to receive the SBAS augmentation data from the receiver, to receive GBAS differential correction and integrity data from the interconnecting system communication network, and to transmit processed SBAS correction and integrity data that includes the received GBAS differential correction and integrity data to the SBAS satellite.

3. The integrated SBAS-GBAS system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send GBAS differential correction and integrity data to a GBAS user.

4. An integrated SBAS-GBAS system comprising:

a navigation satellite;

an interconnecting system communication network;

one or more GBASs, each GBAS comprising;

a receiver that is configured to receive navigation satellite data from the navigation satellite over a navigation satellite to GBAS receiver communication path and convert the navigation satellite data into GBAS raw augmentation data;

a processor that is configured to receive GBAS raw augmentation data over a receiver to processor communication path, the processor comprising;

a network input connected to a GBAS to interconnecting system communication network communication path that is configured to receive formatted integrated system data from the communication network;

a receiver input connected to a GBAS receiver to GBAS processor communications path that is configured to receive the raw augmentation data from the receiver;

an augmentation data database;

a Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) message receiver that is configured to receive the formatted integrated system data from the network input, convert the integrated system data, and store it in the augmentation data database;

a GBAS receiver augmentation data receiver that is configured to receive the raw augmentation data from the receiver input, convert the raw augmentation data, and store it in the augmentation data database;

an integrity monitor checker that is configured to read data from the augmentation data database;

a receiver status database that is configured to store receiver status data;

an LAAS message formatter that is configured to accept information from at least one of the augmentation data database, the integrity monitor checker and the GBAS receiver status database, and is configured to create at least one of LAAS messages for output;

a network output that is configured to accept LAAS messages from the LAAS message formatter and output them to the GBAS to interconnecting system communication network communication path;

a transmitter/user output that is configured to accept LAAS messages from the LAAS message formatter and output them to at least one of a local transmitter and user;

the integrated SBAS-GBAS system further comprising;

an SBAS, comprising;

an SBAS satellite that transmits SBAS correction and integrity data to a user over an SBAS satellite to SBAS user communication path;

a receiver that is configured to receive navigation satellite data from the navigation satellite over a navigation satellite to SBAS receiver communication path and convert the navigation satellite data into SBAS augmentation data;

a master station that is configured to receive the SBAS augmentation data from the receiver over an SBAS receiver to SBAS master station communication path, the master station further comprising;

a network input connected to an SBAS to interconnecting system communication network communication path that is configured to receive formatted integrated system data from the communication network;

a receiver input connected to an SBAS receiver to SBAS master station communications path that is configured to receive SBAS augmentation data from the receiver;

an augmentation data database;

an SBAS LAAS message receiver that is configured to receive the formatted integrated system data from the network input, convert the integrated system data, and store it in the augmentation data database;

an SBAS receiver augmentation data receiver that is configured to receive the SBAS augmentation data from the receiver input, convert the SBAS augmentation data, and store it in the augmentation data database;

an SBAS integrity processor that is configured to receive the SBAS augmentation data that is stored in the augmentation data database and configured to process integrity data;

a correction processor that is configured to receive augmentation data from the augmentation database and the integrity data and produce SBAS correction and integrity data;

an output that is configured to accept the SBAS correction and integrity data from the correction processor and output them to the SBAS satellite via the SBAS master station to SBAS satellite communication path.

5. A method for operating a networked GBAS system, comprising:

receiving navigation satellite data by a first GBAS;

formatting navigation satellite data by the first GBAS into formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data;

transmitting the formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data to an interconnecting system communication network;

receiving the formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data from the interconnecting system communication network by a second GBAS;

formatting navigation satellite data by the second GBAS into further formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data, utilizing the received formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data from the first GBAS; and

transmitting the further formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data to at least one of the interconnecting system communication network and a GBAS user.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

calculating improved inherent accuracy data by the second GBAS processor utilizing measurement data provided by the first GBAS.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

calculating improved integrity data by the second GBAS processor utilizing integrity data provided by the first GBAS.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

calculating at least one of measurement and integrity parameters that vary over a long baseline by the second GBAS processor utilizing data provided by the first GBAS.

9. A method for transmitting SBAS correction and integrity data to an SBAS satellite, comprising:

producing, by a GBAS processor, formatted integrated system data comprising GBAS raw augmentation data;

receiving, by an SBAS master station, SBAS augmentation data from an SBAS receiver and the formatted integrated system correction and integrity data from a communication network;

formatting, by the SBAS master station, SBAS correction and integrity data using the SBAS augmentation data and the GBAS differential correction and integrity data; and

transmitting the SBAS correction and integrity data to an SBAS satellite by the SBAS master station.

10. A method for operating an integrated SBAS-GBAS system that comprises a GBAS and an SBAS, the method comprising:

receiving navigation satellite data by a GBAS receiver and an SBAS receiver;

formatting GBAS raw augmentation data from the navigation satellite data by the GBAS receiver;

transmitting, by the GBAS receiver, GBAS raw augmentation data to a GBAS processor;

formatting GBAS raw augmentation data into formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data by the GBAS processor;

transmitting the formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data to an interconnecting system communication network;

formatting SBAS augmentation data from the navigation satellite data by the SBAS receiver;

transmitting, by the SBAS receiver, SBAS augmentation data to an SBAS master station;

receiving, by the SBAS master station, formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data from the interconnecting system communication network;

formatting, by the SBAS master station, SBAS correction and integrity data using the SBAS augmentation data and the GBAS differential correction and integrity data; and

transmitting the SBAS correction and integrity data to an SBAS satellite by the SBAS master station.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the formatted GBAS differential correction and integrity data to a GBAS user.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

calculating differential correction parameters by the SBAS master station utilizing differential correction parameters provided by the GBAS.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

calculating integrity to corrections by the SBAS master station utilizing integrity data provided by the GBAS.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

calculating at least one of measurement and integrity parameters that vary over a long baseline by the SBAS master station utilizing data provided by the GBAS.

15. A method for operating an integrated satellite navigation system comprising a high precision narrow area component and a low precision wide area component, the method comprising:

receiving satellite navigation data transmitted by a navigation satellite by the high precision component and the low precision component;

formatting, by the high precision component, the navigation satellite data into high precision augmentation data;

formatting, by the low precision component, the navigation satellite data into low precision navigation data;

combining, by at least one of the high precision component and low precision component, the high precision augmentation data and the low precision navigation data; and

retransmitting, by at least one of the high precision component and low precision component, the combined data.

16. An integrated satellite based augmentation system comprising:

a navigation satellite;

a high precision narrow area component comprising a receiver that is configured to receive navigation satellite data from the navigation satellite, the high precision component being configured to convert the navigation satellite data into high precision augmentation data;

a low precision wide area component comprising a receiver that is configured to receive navigation satellite data from the navigation satellite, the low precision component being configured to convert the navigation satellite data into low precision navigation data; and

a transmitter comprising an input to receive the high precision augmentation data and an input to receive the low precision navigation data, and a processor that combines the high precision augmentation data and the low precision navigation data, the transmitter being configured for retransmitting the combined data.