Method and system for initiating real-time kinematic network operations

• US 7,515,100 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Briggs, Graham, Gradine, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull; Fred H
• Application Number:
  US11/588,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.03, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 342/357.41
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention recite methods and systems for expediting the initiating of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) network operations. In one embodiment, an RTK base station is disposed at a known location. A broadcast position of the RTK base station is then determined. In embodiments of the present invention, the determining of the broadcast position does not require using the geographic coordinates of said known location.

Claims

1. A method for expediting the initiating of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) network operations, said method comprising:

disposing an RTK base station at a known location;

determining a broadcast position for said RTK base station and wherein said determining does not require using the geographic coordinates of said known location.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said determining comprises:

determining an autonomous position fix of said RTK base station.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

automatically determining said autonomous position fix in response to initiating said RTK base station.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

automatically broadcasting said autonomous position fix in response to said determining said autonomous position fix.

5. A method for performing Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) network operations;

said method comprising;

autonomously determining a position fix of an RTK base station which has been positioned at a known location and wherein said autonomously determined position fix does not require using a first set of geographic coordinates describing said known location; and

automatically broadcasting said autonomously determined position fix for use in determining an RTK rover unit'"'"'s location.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

determining a vector describing said RTK rover unit'"'"'s location with respect to said RTK base station.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

using a portable electronic device to determine a second set of geographic coordinates describing said RTK rover unit'"'"'s location based upon said vector and said autonomously determined position fix.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said using said portable electronic device to determine said second set of geographic coordinates further comprises:

said portable electronic device receiving said vector and autonomously determined position fix from said RTK rover unit;

said portable electronic device automatically comparing said autonomously determined position fix with said first set of geographic coordinates describing said known location; and

said portable electronic device identifying said known location based upon said comparing.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said identifying further comprises:

determining that said autonomously determined position fix is within a pre-determined radius from said first set of geographic coordinates describing said known location.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

assigning said first set of geographic coordinates as the starting point of said vector.

11. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

determining said second set of geographic coordinates without requiring use of an estimated position fix generated by said RTK rover unit.

12. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

said RTK base station automatically determining said autonomous position fix of said RTK base station in response to initiating power for said RTK base station.

13. A method for determining a geographic position;

said method comprising;

receiving a vector from an RTK base station to an RTK rover unit and an autonomous position fix of said RTK base station from said RTK rover unit, and wherein said autonomous position fix does not comprise a first set of geographic coordinates describing a known location proximate to said RTK base station;

using said autonomous position fix to determine said first set of geographic coordinates describing said known location; and

using said vector in conjunction with said first set of geographic coordinates to determine a second set of geographic coordinates describing said RTK rover unit'"'"'s location.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising:

receiving an estimated position fix of said RTK rover unit; and

ignoring said estimated position fix.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising:

assigning said first set of geographic coordinates as a starting point of said vector.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said using said autonomous position fix to access said first set of geographic coordinates for said known location further comprises:

accessing a database comprising said first set of geographic coordinates;

comparing said autonomous position fix with said first set of geographic coordinates; and

associating said autonomous position fix with said first set of geographic coordinates.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said associating said autonomous position fix with said first set of geographic coordinates further comprises:

determining that said autonomous position fix is within a pre-determined radius from said first set of geographic coordinates.

18. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said receiving said autonomous position fix of said RTK base station further comprises:

receiving said autonomous position fix from an RTK base station configured to automatically broadcast said autonomous position fix in response to determining said autonomous position fix.

19. A Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) position determining system comprising:

a vector collecting unit;

an autonomous position fix receiver communicatively coupled with said vector collecting unit; and

a position determiner communicatively coupled with said vector collecting unit and with said autonomous position fix receiver and comprising a comparator for comparing an autonomous position fix received via said autonomous position fix receiver with a first set of geographic coordinates stored in said database describing a known location at which an RTK base station is located; and

a database communicatively coupled with said position determiner.

20. The Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) position determining system of claim 19 wherein said comparator is further for determining that said autonomous position fix is within a pre-determined radius of said first set of geographic coordinates.

21. The Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) position determining system of claim 20 wherein said vector collector is for collecting a vector describing the location of an RTK rover unit with relative to said autonomous position fix.

22. The Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) position determining system of claim 21 wherein said position determiner further comprises:

a vector assigner for assigning said first set of geographic coordinates as a start position for said vector.

23. The Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) position determining system of claim 22 further comprising:

a geographic position generator coupled with said vector assigner for generating a second set of geographic coordinates based upon said first set of geographic coordinates and said vector.