Enhancement of GNSS position determination in poor signal propagation environments
First Claim
1. A system for enhancing position determination by a rover using a satellite ranging system to ascertain their locations, the system comprising:
- A. a base station including;
one or more receivers for receiving and processing ranging signals from multiple earth-orbiting satellites and signals from one or more rovers and determining information relating to position, timing, or both, for the base station and the respective rovers, anda transmitter for broadcasting one or mere ranging signals based on the location of the base station, the base station ranging signals being timed in accordance with the satellite ranging system time at the location of the base station, the transmitter further transmitting information related to one or both of the locations of and the timing at the respective one or more rovers;
B. the one or more rovers, each rover includingone or more receivers for receiving and processing the information transmitted by the base station and the ranging signals broadcast from the satellites and the base station and determining positions, timing, or both, anda transmitter for transmitting to the base station signals that are aligned with satellite ranging system time at the location of the rover.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, for enhancing location estimates by movable rovers that use receivers for processing ranging signals from orbiting satellites, including a fixed base station that serves as a ranging signal source for the rovers'"'"' receivers. The base station may also determine and transmit the azimuthal angles of the respective rovers. The rovers use this information, along with a calculated or transmitted ranges to the base station to calculate the ranging system times at the locations of the rovers. Further, the rovers may use the information along with signals from satellites in view to determine position.
11 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for enhancing position determination by a rover using a satellite ranging system to ascertain their locations, the system comprising:
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A. a base station including; one or more receivers for receiving and processing ranging signals from multiple earth-orbiting satellites and signals from one or more rovers and determining information relating to position, timing, or both, for the base station and the respective rovers, and a transmitter for broadcasting one or mere ranging signals based on the location of the base station, the base station ranging signals being timed in accordance with the satellite ranging system time at the location of the base station, the transmitter further transmitting information related to one or both of the locations of and the timing at the respective one or more rovers; B. the one or more rovers, each rover including one or more receivers for receiving and processing the information transmitted by the base station and the ranging signals broadcast from the satellites and the base station and determining positions, timing, or both, and a transmitter for transmitting to the base station signals that are aligned with satellite ranging system time at the location of the rover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19, 20, 21)
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7. A ranging base station comprising:
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A. a receiver for receiving and processing ranging signals from multiple earth-orbiting satellites; and B. a transceiver for receiving and processing signals from one or more rovers that are aligned with satellite ranging system timing at the location of the rovers and determining information relating to positions, timing or both, of the respective rovers, broadcasting ranging signals based on the location of the transceiver and timed in accordance with the satellite ranging system time at the location of the base station, and transmitting to the respective rovers the information relating to the positions, timing or both of the respective rovers. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for enhancing position determination by rovers that use a satellite ranging system for location determination, the method comprising the steps of:
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A. providing a fixed base station having a receiver for receiving ranging signals transmitted by orbiting satellites and communication signals transmitted by the rovers; B. providing at the base station a transceiver for transmitting ranging signals to the rovers, the signals being synchronized to the satellite system time at the base station, whereby the base station serves as a ranging base for the rovers'"'"' calculation of location, and receiving signals from the rovers; C. transmitting a timing signal from the base station to the rovers; D. transmitting return timing signals by respective rovers in response to the timing signal received from the base station, the rovers transmitting the signals after predetermined delays; and E. using the elapsed time of the return timing transmission and the predetermined delay to calculate the range from the base station to the rover. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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22. A system for enhancing position determination, the system comprising:
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A. a base station including; a plurality of antennas for receiving satellites signals and signals from one or more rovers; one or more receivers for processing ranging signals from multiple earth-orbiting satellites and signals from one or more rovers to determine satellite ranging system time and direction information for respective rovers, and a transmitter for broadcasting a ranging signal based on the location of the base station, the base station ranging signal being timed in accordance with the satellite ranging system time at the location of the base station, and transmitting rover direction information separately or as part of the ranging signal; B. the one or more rovers, each rover including one or more receivers for receiving and processing ranging signals from the satellites and the ranging signal and direction information from the base station, the one or more rovers determining their respective positions and timing from at least the ranging signals received from the base station and direction information, and a transmitter for transmitting to the base station signals that are aligned with satellite or base station ranging system time at the location of the rover. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for enhancing position determination by rovers that use a satellite ranging system for location determination, the method comprising the steps of:
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A. providing a fixed base station having a receiver for receiving and processing ranging signals transmitted by orbiting satellites and communications from the rovers; B. providing at the base station a transmitter for transmitting to the respective rovers signals that are part of two-way time transfers between the rovers and the base station; and C. providing at the rovers receivers for receiving and processing ranging signals transmitted by orbiting satellites and communications from the base station that are part of the two-way time transfers; D. providing at the rovers transmitters that transmit signals that are part of the two way time transfers; and E. utilizing the two way time transfer signals in addition to the satellite ranging signals to determine positions at the rovers.
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Specification