Multiple frequency antenna structures and methods for receiving navigation or ranging signals

• US 7,315,278 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Novariant Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Izadian, Jamal, Cobb, H. Stewart, Zimmerman, Kurt R., Bauregger, Frank N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull; Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US10/909,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20070285308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.14, 342/450, 342/457, 342463-464
• US Class Current: 342/357.27
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/44 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type

Abstract

In a local positioning system, augmentation of the land-based system is provided by receiving signals from a GNSS. The signals from the land-based positioning system have a code phase accuracy better than one wavelength of a carrier of the signals from the GNSS. Different decorrelation may be used for signals from a satellite than from a land-based transmitter, such as using a digital decorrelator for signals from the satellite and an analog decorrelator for signals from a land-based transmitter. The receivers may include both a GNSS antenna and a local antenna. The phase centers of the two antennas are within one wavelength of the GNSS signals from each other. The local antenna is sized for operation in the X or ISM-bands of frequencies. The GNSS antenna is a patch antenna where the microwave antenna extends away from the patch antenna in at least one dimension.

Claims

1. An antenna system for a positioning system, the antenna system comprising:

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antenna having a first phase center and capable of receiving GNSS signals, said signals having a wavelength;

a microwave antenna positioned adjacent to the global navigation satellite system antenna, the microwave antenna having a second phase center, the first phase center within at most one wavelength of the global navigation satellite system signals from the second phase center; and

a receiver connected with a machine of an open pit mine, the microwave antenna and the global navigation satellite system antenna, the receiver operable to determine a position as a function of signals from both the global navigation satellite system antenna and the microwave antenna, the signals from the microwave antenna being from land-based transmitters of the open pit mine;

wherein the microwave antenna comprises a helix antenna sized for operation at X-band frequencies.

2. The antenna system of claim 1 wherein the global navigation satellite system antenna comprises a microstrip patch antenna.

3. The antenna system of claim 1 wherein the global navigation satellite system antenna comprises an L1 antenna, an L2 antenna or both an L1 and L2 antenna.

4. The antenna system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is operable to determine a differentially corrected position as a function of the signals.

5. The antenna system of claim 1 wherein the helix antenna has greater than ½

turns.

6. An antenna system for a positioning system, the antenna system comprising:

a global navigation satellite system antenna having a first phase center; and

a microwave antenna positioned adjacent to the global navigation satellite system antenna, the microwave antenna having a second phase center, the first phase center within at most one wavelength of the global navigation satellite system signals from the second phase center, the microwave antenna sized for operation at X-band frequencies.

7. The antenna system of claim 6 wherein the microwave antenna is a helix antenna having a diameter of less than a quarter of an inch and a height of less than 0.4 inches.

8. The antenna system of claim 6 wherein the global navigation satellite system antenna comprises a microstrip patch antenna and the microwave antenna has a center axis extending through a center of the microstrip patch antenna.

9. The antenna system of claim 6 wherein the microwave antenna extends away from the microstrip patch antenna in at least one dimension.

10. The antenna system of claim 6 wherein the microwave antenna comprises a microstrip patch antenna.

11. An antenna system for a positioning system, the antenna system comprising:

a patch antenna having a first phase center and being sized for operation at a first frequency;

a microwave antenna positioned adjacent to the patch antenna, the microwave antenna having a second phase center, the first phase center within at most one wavelength of the first frequency from the second phase center, the microwave antenna extending away from the patch antenna in at least one dimension; and

a receiver connected with the patch antenna and the microwave antenna, the receiver operable to determine a position as a function of signals from the patch antenna and the microwave antenna;

wherein the microwave antenna is sized for operation at an X-band frequency.

12. The antenna system of claim 11 wherein the microwave antenna extends substantially orthogonally to the patch antenna at a center of the patch antenna.

13. The antenna system of claim 11 wherein the microwave antenna comprises a quadrifilar helix antenna.

14. The antenna system of claim 11 wherein the microwave antenna comprises at least one loop printed on a microwave laminate.

15. A method of receiving ranging signals in different frequency bands, the method comprising:

(a) receiving first ranging signals at a first frequency band with a first antenna, the first antenna having a first phase center and being on an open pit mine machine;

(b) receiving second ranging signals at a second frequency band with a second antenna, the second antenna comprising a helix antenna, the second frequency band different than the first frequency band, the second antenna being a microwave antenna, being on the open pit mine machine, and having a second phase center, the second phase center being within a wavelength of a center frequency of the first frequency band from the first phase center; and

(c) determining a position of the open pit mine machine as a function of both the first and second ranging signals;

wherein (b) comprises receiving x-band signals with a helix antenna.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein (c) comprises determining the position as a function of the first and second ranging signals as well as an additional ranging signal associated with an additional frequency band different than the first and second frequency bands.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein (a) comprises receiving global positioning signals with a microstrip patch antenna.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein (c) comprises determining a differentially corrected position as a function of the first and second signals.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein (c) comprises receiving the second ranging signals at the second frequency band, the second frequency band being at least twice the first frequency band.

20. A method of receiving ranging signals in different frequency bands, the method comprising:

(a) receiving global navigation satellite signals with a first antenna having a first phase center; and

(b) receiving an x-band signal with a second antenna having a second phase center, the second phase center within a wavelength of the global navigation satellite signals of the first phase center.