Method of mobile radio positioning aided by single fan self-surveying laser transmitter

• US 7,808,626 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Nichols, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ratcliffe; Luke D
• Application Number:
  US12/002,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 356 301- 285
• US Class Current: 356/139.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/04 providing carrier phase data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/44 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method

Abstract

A method of mobile radio positioning aided by a single fan self-surveying laser transmitter (SF_SS_LT), wherein a rover comprises a mobile radio positioning system (Mobile_RADPS) integrated with a mobile laser detector; and wherein THE SF_SS_LT comprises a single fan laser transmitter and a positioning system integrated with the single fan laser transmitter. The method comprises: (A) performing self-surveying of the (SF_SS_LT); (B) generating a single fan laser beam by using the single fan laser transmitter; (C) detecting the single fan beam by using the mobile laser detector; and (D) timing the fan laser beam strike at the rover'"'"'s location and using the timing of the fan laser beam strike at the rover'"'"'s location to improve an accuracy in determination of position coordinates of the rover.

Claims

1. A method of mobile radio positioning aided by a single fan self-surveying laser transmitter (SF_SS_LT), wherein a rover comprises a mobile radio positioning system (Mobile_RADPS) integrated with a mobile laser detector;

and wherein said SF_SS_LT comprises a single fan laser transmitter and a positioning system integrated with said single fan laser transmitter;

wherein said positioning system is configured to obtain the coordinate measurements of said single fan laser transmitter;

said method comprising;

(A) performing self-surveying of said (SF_SS_LT);

(B) generating a single fan laser beam by using said single fan laser transmitter;

(C) detecting said single fan beam by using said mobile laser detector;

(D1) measuring the time difference between the time instance when said light pulse corresponding to said single sloping fan laser beam strike at said rover'"'"'s location is received and the latest main reference crossing time corresponding to the time instance when said known position of said laser beam passes said main reference mark at the location of said laser transmitter; and

(D2) calculating a height of said rover with improved accuracy based on position coordinates of said rover and based on said time difference measured at said step (D1), wherein said position coordinates of said rover are interpolated position coordinates interpolated between position coordinates taken at GPS time Epoch immediately preceding said laser strike and position coordinates taken at GPS time Epoch immediately after said laser strike.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of (D2) further comprises:

(D2, 1) providing a differential mobile radio positioning system (Mobile_RADPS);

(D2, 2) receiving a second plurality of external radio signals broadcasted by at least one radio source selected from the group consisting of;

GPS;

GLONASS;

combined GPS/GLONASS;

GALILEO;

Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS); and

a pseudolite transmitter by using said differential mobile radio positioning system (Mobile_RADPS); and

(D2, 3) receiving a second set of differential corrections data broadcasted by at least one source selected from the group consisting of;

a Base Station, an RTK Base Station;

a Virtual Base Station (VBS); and

a pseudolite transmitter by using said differential mobile radio positioning system (Mobile_RADPS);

wherein said differential mobile radio positioning system (Mobile_RADPS) is configured to utilize said second plurality of external radio signals and said second set of differential corrections data to obtain position coordinates of said rover.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(D3) optimizing said improved height calculation of said rover.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step (D3) further comprises:

(D3, 1) calculating a set of sensitivity parameters selected from the group consisting of;

a partial derivative of said rover'"'"'s height with respect to a laser beam rotation frequency;

a partial derivative of said rover'"'"'s height with respect to a horizontal distance from said rover to said laser transmitter;

a partial derivative of said rover'"'"'s height with respect to a time difference between said actual laser strike time and said expected laser strike time; and

a partial derivative of said rover'"'"'s height with respect to a vertical angle.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said step (D3) further comprises:

(D3, 2) calculating said variable laser beam rotation frequency by using said plurality of time tags corresponding to time-tagging of said laser beam to each said additional reference mark at said laser transmitter location.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(D4) calibrating said improved height calculation of said rover for planar errors affecting the planarity of said single fan beam.