Method and apparatus for satellite-based relative positioning of moving platforms

• US 6,961,018 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Gauksheim, Kristoffer, Heppe, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US10/960,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20050110676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.02, 342/357.03, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.34
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/04 providing carrier phase data
• 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 19/13 Receivers

Abstract

The present invention is directed to the determination of a relative position between moving platforms, using satellite-based navigation techniques and equipment installed on said platforms. It combines the concepts of observation-space and navigation-space differential systems, and operates a DGNSS base station in a time-varying mode, in order to rely on the built-in differential positioning and navigation capabilities of particular GNSS receivers while minimizing datalink loading and computational load in auxiliary processors. The invention achieves accurate relative positioning and navigation with respect to a moving base station, using DGNSS equipment that assumes it is stationary when operated in a reference station mode.

Claims

1. A method for providing information for calculating a baseline between a moving base station and a moving rover station, the method comprising:

collecting navigation-domain information indicating current position of the base station at navigation-domain times; and

collecting observation-domain information indicating current position of the base station at observation-domain times

wherein the observation-domain times are less frequent than the navigation domain times.

2. The method of claim 1 including after collecting information, transmitting information derived from the collected information to the rover station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the times are at fixed intervals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting of navigation-domain information includes setting a positioning receiver to operating in rover mode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting of navigation-domain information includes setting a positioning receiver to provide navigation-domain information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting of observation-domain information includes setting a positioning receiver to operating in reference mode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting of observation-domain information includes setting a positioning receiver to provide observation-domain information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting of navigation-domain information includes setting a positioning, receiver to provide navigation-domain information and the collecting of observation-domain information includes setting a positioning receiver to operating in reference mode.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the positioning receiver is a GPS-based receiver.

10. A method for calculating relative position between a moving base station and a moving rover station, the method comprising:

receiving navigation-domain information indicating current position of the base station at navigation-domain times;

receiving observation-domain information indicating current position of the base station at observation-domain times;

when observation-domain information is received, calculating a relative position of based on the received observation-domain information; and

when navigation-domain information is received, calculating a relative position of based on a previously calculated relative position and the received navigation-domain information

wherein the observation-domain times are less frequent than the navigation domain times.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the navigation-domain information and observation-domain information are received at the rover station from the base station.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the times are at fixed intervals.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the navigation-domain information is collected by setting a positioning receiver to operating in rover mode.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the navigation-domain information is collected by setting a positioning receiver to provide navigation-domain information.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the observation-domain information is collected by setting a positioning receiver to operating in reference mode.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the observation-domain information is collected by setting a positioning receiver to provide observation-domain information.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the navigation-domain information is collected by setting a positioning receiver to provide navigation-domain information and the observation-domain information is collected by setting a positioning receiver to operating in reference mode.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the positioning receiver is a GPS-based receiver.