Differential correction system enhancement leverages roving receivers enabled for a non-GPS, secondary PN and T signal to characterize local errors

• US 8,570,216 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gutt, Gregory M., Ayyagari, Arun, Whelan, David A., O'Connor, Michael Lee, Lawrence, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US13/114,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.44
• US Class Current: 342/357.44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/00 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/074 providing integrity data, e.g. WAAS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/12 wherein the cooperating elements are telecommunication base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

System, methods, and devices for a self-sustaining differential corrections network that employs roving reference devices (RRDs) as reference stations for improving positioning, navigation, and timing (PN&T) solutions for other enabled local roving and/or stationary receiving devices (RDs) are disclosed herein. The disclosed differential correction system enhancement leverages RRDs enabled for a non-global positioning system (non-GPS), secondary PN&T signal to characterize local errors. These local errors are then used by local RDs in combination with a signal to calculate an improved PN&T estimate for the RDs.

Claims

1. A system for providing differential corrections for positioning, the system comprising:

a roving reference device (RRD) that is aware of its geographic location via a first position-finding system, the RRD comprising;

a RRD receiver for receiving a signal from at least one transmission source associated with a second position-finding system, wherein the RRD is aware of a location of the at least one transmission source,

a RRD clock for collecting a first measurement of the signal,

a RRD memory for storing the first measurement,

a RRD processor for processing the first measurement, the location of the RRD, and the location of the at least one transmission source to generate differential correction information,

a RRD transmitter for transmitting a differential correction information signal that includes the differential correction information; and

a receiving device (RD) comprising;

a RD first receiver for receiving the signal from the at least one transmission source, wherein the RD is aware of the location of the at least one transmission source,

a RD clock for collecting a second measurement of the signal,

a RD memory for storing the second measurement,

a RD second receiver for receiving the differential correction information signal from the RRD,

a RD processor for processing the differential correction information, the second measurement, and the location of the at least one transmission source to generate a location estimate for the RD.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location because the RRD further comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for receiving GPS signals, and

a GPS processor for processing the GPS signals to obtain the location of the RRD.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location because the RRD further comprises a cell receiver to receive signals from a cell tower, and

a cell processor for processing the signals to obtain the location of the RRD.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location by using an inertial reference system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location by using at least one of mapping and terrain data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmission source is at least one of a satellite, pseudo-satellite, terrestrial transmitter, Wi-Fi transmitter, and cell tower transmitter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one satellite is at least one of a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite, medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, and geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one LEO satellite is an Iridium satellite.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD is aware of the location of the at least one transmission source because the RRD receiver receives a location signal from the at least one transmission source indicating the location of the at least one transmission source, and

wherein the RRD processor processes the location signal to obtain the location of the at least one transmission source.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD is at least one of mobile and stationary.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD transmitter transmits the differential correction information signal at least one of wirelessly or on a wired connection.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the RD is aware of the location of the at least one transmission source because the RD first receiver receives a location signal from the at least one transmission source indicating the location of the at least one transmission source, and

wherein the RD processor processes the location signal to obtain the location of the at least one transmission source.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the RRD transmitter transmits the differential correction information signal to the RD second receiver via an intermediary device.

14. A system for providing differential corrections for positioning, the system comprising:

a roving reference device (RRD) that is aware of its geographic location via a first position-finding system, the RRD comprising;

a RRD receiver for receiving a signal from at least one transmission source associated with a second position-finding system,

a RRD clock for collecting a first measurement of the signal,

a RRD transmitter for transmitting a RRD signal that includes the first measurement and the location of the RRD; and

a receiving device (RD) comprising;

a RD first receiver for receiving the signal from the at least one transmission source, wherein the RD is aware of a location of the at least one transmission source,

a RD clock for collecting a second measurement of the signal,

a RD second receiver for receiving the RRD signal from the RRD,

a RD memory for storing the first measurement, the second measurement, and the location of the RRD,

a RD processor for processing the second measurement and the location of the at least one transmission source to generate a location estimate for the RD,

for processing the first measurement, the location of the RRD, and the location of the at least one transmission source to generate differential correction information, and

for processing the differential correction information and the location estimate for the RD to generate a corrected location estimate for the RD.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location because the RRD further comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for receiving GPS signals, and

a GPS processor for processing the GPS signals to obtain the location of the RRD.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location because the RRD further comprises a cell receiver to receive signals from a cell tower, and

a cell processor for processing the signals to obtain the location of the RRD.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location by using an inertial reference system.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location by using at least one of mapping and terrain data.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the RRD is at least one of mobile and stationary.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the RRD transmitter transmits the RRD signal at least one of wirelessly or on a wired connection.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one transmission source is at least one of a satellite, pseudo-satellite, terrestrial transmitter, Wi-Fi transmitter, and cell tower transmitter.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one satellite is at least one of a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite, medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, and geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one LEO satellite is an Iridium satellite.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the RD is aware of the location of the at least one transmission source because the RD first receiver receives a location signal from the at least one transmission source indicating the location of the at least one transmission source, and

wherein the RD processor processes the location signal to obtain the location of the at least one transmission source.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the RRD transmitter transmits the RRD signal to the RD second receiver via an intermediary device.

26. A system for providing differential corrections for positioning, the system comprising:

a roving reference device (RRD) that is aware of its geographic location via a first position-finding system, the RRD comprising;

a RRD receiver for receiving a signal from at least one transmission source associated with a second position-finding system,

a RRD clock for collecting a first measurement of the signal,

a RRD transmitter for transmitting a RRD signal that includes the first measurement and the location of the RRD;

a receiving device (RD) comprising;

a RD receiver for receiving the signal from the at least one transmission source,

a RD clock for collecting a second measurement of the signal,

a RD transmitter for transmitting a RD signal that includes the second measurement; and

an intermediary device that is aware of a location of the at least one transmission source, the intermediary device comprising;

an intermediary first receiver for receiving the RRD signal from the RRD,

an intermediary second receiver for receiving the RD signal from the RD,

an intermediary processor for processing data of the RRD signal and data of the RD signal and the location of the at least one transmission source to generate a location estimate for the RD and to generate differential correction information, and

for processing the differential correction information and the location estimate for the RD to generate a corrected location estimate for the RD.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location because the RRD further comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for receiving GPS signals, and

a GPS processor for processing the GPS signals to obtain the location of the RRD.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location because the RRD further comprises a cell receiver to receive signals from a cell tower, and

a cell processor for processing the signals to obtain the location of the RRD.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location by using an inertial reference system.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the RRD becomes aware of its location by using at least one of mapping and terrain data.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the RRD is at least one of mobile and stationary.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the RRD transmitter transmits the RRD signal at least one of wirelessly or on a wired connection.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one transmission source is at least one of a satellite, pseudo-satellite, terrestrial transmitter, Wi-Fi transmitter, and cell tower transmitter.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one satellite is at least one of a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite, medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, and geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one LEO satellite is an Iridium satellite.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein the RD transmitter transmits the RD signal at least one of wirelessly or on a wired connection.