Generalized divergence-free carrier smoothing and dual frequency differential GPS architecture implementing the same

• US 7,570,204 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: McGraw, Gary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US11/513,454
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.03
• US Class Current: 342/357.27
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/32 Multimode operation in a single same satellite system, e.g. GPS L1/L2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/44 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method

Abstract

A method of generating differentially-corrected smoothed pseudorange data in a differential global positioning system (DGPS) includes generating, at a base station, non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data. The non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data is then provided to a remote receiver. At the remote receiver, one of a plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation is selected for use in generating differentially-corrected smoothed pseudorange and carrier phase data. The differentially-corrected smoothed pseudorange and carrier phase data is then generated by the remote receiver using the selected one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation, and as a function of the non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data received from the base station.

Claims

1. A method of generating differentially-corrected smoothed pseudorange data in a differential global positioning system (DGPS), the method comprising:

generating at a base station non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data;

providing the non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data to a remote receiver;

selecting one of a plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation to use in the remote receiver to generate mode-specific smoothed pseudorange data; and

generating the differentially-corrected smoothed pseudorange data at the remote receiver, using the selected one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation, as a function of the non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data received from the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation further comprises selecting the one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation to optimize pseudorange errors.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

selecting a different one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation to use in the remote receiver to generate mode-specific smoothed pseudorange data; and

generating the differentially-corrected smoothed pseudorange data at the remote receiver, using the selected different one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation, as a function of the non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data received from the base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one divergence free smoothing (DFS) processing mode of operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one wide-lane (WL) processing mode of operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one iono-free processing mode of operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one iono-divergence monitoring mode of operation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one back-up single frequency processing mode of operation.

9. A differential global positioning system (DGPS) comprising:

a base station configured to generate non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data; and

a remote receiver configured to implement one or more of a plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation, using the non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data, to generate smoothed pseudorange data.

10. The DGPS of claim 9, and further comprising a data link between the base station and the remote receiver, the non-mode specific pseudorange and carrier phase correction data being transmitted to the remote receiver over the data link.

11. The DGPS of claim 9, wherein the remote receiver is configured to generate the smoothed pseudorange data using a selected one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation.

12. The DGPS of claim 11, wherein the remote receiver is configured to select the one of the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation which will optimize pseudorange errors.

13. The DGPS of claim 11, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one divergence free smoothing (DFS) processing mode of operation.

14. The DGPS of claim 11, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one wide-lane (WL) processing mode of operation.

15. The DGPS of claim 11, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one iono-free processing mode of operation.

16. The DGPS of claim 11, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one iono-divergence monitoring mode of operation.

17. The DGPS of claim 11, wherein the plurality of specific smoothing modes of operation includes at least one back-up single frequency processing mode of operation.