Method and apparatus for forming a dynamic model to locate position of a satellite receiver

• US 6,937,187 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Locate Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles, van Diggelen, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US10/461,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20040027277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.12, 701/213, 701/214
• US Class Current: 342/357.62
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

Method and apparatus for locating position of a satellite signal receiver is described. In one example, pseudoranges are obtained that estimate the range of a satellite signal receiver to a plurality of satellites. An absolute time and a position are computed using the pseudoranges at a first time. The absolute time is then used to compute another position at a subsequent time. In another example, a plurality of states associated with a satellite signal receiver are estimated, where the plurality of states includes a time tag error state. A dynamic model is then formed relating the plurality of states, the dynamic model operative to compute position of the satellite signal receiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

estimating a plurality of states associated with a satellite signal receiver, the plurality of states including a time tag error state, the time tag error state relating a local time associated with said satellite signal receiver and an absolute time associated with signals from a plurality of satellites; and

forming a dynamic model relating the plurality of states, the dynamic model operative to compute position of the satellite signal receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of states further include a state related to a common mode error and at least one state related to the position of the satellite signal receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining pseudoranges that estimate the range of the satellite signal receiver to the plurality of satellites;

updating the plurality of states within the dynamic model using the pseudoranges; and

computing a position of the satellite signal receiver using the dynamic model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic model is formed within a sequential estimator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

obtaining time-of-week information;

estimating a known value for the time tag error state within the dynamic model using the time-of-week information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

decoding the time-of-week information from ephemeris data transmitted by the plurality of satellites.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining time-of-week information;

removing the time tag error state from the dynamic model in response to the time-of-week information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

decoding the time-of-week information from ephemeris data transmitted by the plurality of satellites.

9. A mobile device, comprising:

a satellite signal receiver for providing pseudoranges that estimate the range of the mobile device to a plurality of satellites; and

a sequential estimator having a plurality of states associated with the satellite signal receiver, the plurality of states including a time tag error state, the time tag error state relating a local time associated with said satellite signal receiver and an absolute time associate with signals from the plurality of satellites.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the sequential estimator is a Kalman filter.