Satellite navigation system using multiple antennas
First Claim
1. A method of obtaining a position solution in a satellite navigation system for an object using a plurality of antennas, the antennas connected to at least one receiver, the antennas having a common reference clock, the method comprising:
- a. providing the common reference clock for each antenna;
b. receiving satellite signals at each antenna;
c. the receiver determining the position solution for the antennas using an external constraint in addition to the common reference clock and the satellite signals received at the antennas, wherein the external constraint is independent of received satellite signals, the determining comprising;
calculating an integer cycle ambiguity resolution for input signals to compute position at two or more antennas;
predicting signal information from all potentially visible satellites using the calculated antenna positions; and
initializing the processor of the receiver for all the potentially visible satellites using the predicted signal information; and
d. the position solution being obtained using signals from fewer than four satellites at some or all antennas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A satellite navigation system using multiple antennas for providing the position of multiple fiduciary points on an object even when fewer than four satellites are visible to some or all the antennas. Satellite signals from the multiple antennas are fed into at least one receiver. The receiver or receivers utilize constraint information, which is independent of the satellite signals. These external constraints are used to augment the signals received from the satellites, to obtain the position solution for each antenna. In a preferred embodiment, a common reference clock is used to provide an external constraint. Examples of other external constraints that can be used in the current invention are distance between the antennas, inertial measurement of attitude, rotational or linear position sensors, etc.
63 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of obtaining a position solution in a satellite navigation system for an object using a plurality of antennas, the antennas connected to at least one receiver, the antennas having a common reference clock, the method comprising:
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a. providing the common reference clock for each antenna; b. receiving satellite signals at each antenna; c. the receiver determining the position solution for the antennas using an external constraint in addition to the common reference clock and the satellite signals received at the antennas, wherein the external constraint is independent of received satellite signals, the determining comprising; calculating an integer cycle ambiguity resolution for input signals to compute position at two or more antennas; predicting signal information from all potentially visible satellites using the calculated antenna positions; and initializing the processor of the receiver for all the potentially visible satellites using the predicted signal information; and d. the position solution being obtained using signals from fewer than four satellites at some or all antennas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of obtaining a position solution for a plurality of antennas in a satellite navigation system, the antennas connected to at least one receiver, the method comprising:
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a. receiving satellite signals at each of the antennas; b. providing a common reference clock for each antenna; c. correcting any inconsistency in satellite signals between the plurality of antennas using an external constraint; d. calculating an integer cycle ambiguity resolution for the satellite signals to compute the position at two or more antennas using the signals and external constraint; e. predicting signal information from all potentially visible satellites using the calculated antenna positions; and f. initializing the receiver for all potentially visible satellites using the predicted signal information. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification