System and method for accuracy certification of geographical locations on a land tract

• US 9,146,105 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WolfGIS, LLC
• Original Assignee: Wolf-Tek LLC
• Inventors: Golden, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US14/142,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20140187273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

The current invention is a system and method for certifying GPS locations on a land tract using consumer devices having standard GPS chipsets. The system takes a plurality of readings from at least four satellites into one or more sample sets. A smoothing function is used to remove outlier GPS values and a circular plot of spatial positions made. A center location of the plot is then calculated and recorded. The process is repeated and then compared to the first center calculation. If the difference is less than a predetermined certification value, the position can be certified as accurate. Various features in a land tract can be certified to the predetermined accuracy. For example, using the process to certify or correct errors in a shapefile representing the land tract, physical markers placed on the land tract, or environmental features of a land tract to lessen environmental impact during development.

Claims

1. A system for certifying a GPS location comprising a portable electronic computing device having a processor, a memory, and a GPS receiver in electrical communication with said processor;

wherein said GPS receiver is configured to receive said data from at least four GPS satellites to create a first sample set of positions and a second sample set of positions, wherein each of said first and second sample sets of positions is stored in said memory;

wherein said processor is configured to process said first and said second sample sets of positions to create a first center location position and a second center location position, respectively, for said device, and to process said first and said second center location positions to certify said GPS location, said GPS location is certified when said first and second center location positions are processed to determine an average distance for a plurality of segments between each of said positions stored in said memory and said average distance is less than a predetermined certification value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable electronic computing device is a smart cellular phone, tablet computer, or laptop computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said data is a plurality of message values from said at least four GPS satellites.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said processor further processes said plurality of message values from said at least four GPS satellites to create GPS pseudoranges values.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said processor further processes said GPS pseudoranges values to remove outlier GPS pseudoranges values.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said device further comprises one or more communications means capable of communicating over the Internet via WiFi, cellular networks, or wired connections.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said certified GPS location is recorded in a remote database in communication with said device over the Internet.

8. A system for certifying a GPS location on a land tract comprising a portable electronic computing device having a processor, a memory in electrical communication with said processor, a GPS receiver in electrical communication with said processor, a predetermined certification value stored in said memory, and means for determining at least two center location positions for said device and certifying said GPS location of said device, wherein said GPS location is certified when said at least two center location positions are processed to determine a distance between each of said at least two center location positions, said distance between each of said at least two center location positions is then averaged to determine an average distance between each position, and said average distance between each position is less than said predetermined certification value.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising one or more communications means capable of communicating over the Internet via WiFi, cellular networks, or wired connections.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a remote database.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a remote server.

12. A method for certifying a GPS location on a land tract as accurate comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a first plurality of message values from at least four GPS satellites during a first sampling period;

b. creating a first sample set with said first plurality of message values;

c. determining a first GPS pseudorange value for each message value in said first plurality of message values;

d. determining a first center location from said first GPS pseudorange values;

e. receiving a second plurality of message values from at least four GPS satellites during a second sampling period;

f. creating a second sample set with said second plurality of message values;

g. determining a second GPS pseudorange value for each message value in said second plurality of message values;

h. determining a second center location from said second GPS pseudorange values; and

i. certifying said GPS location on a land tract as accurate when an averaged distance between said first and said second center location is less than a predetermined certification value.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising smoothing said first GPS pseudorange values and smoothing said second GPS pseudorange values.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said steps of smoothing said first and said second GPS pseudorange values comprises removing outlier GPS pseudorange values and plotting spatial positions in a circular plot based on remaining said first and said second GPS pseudorange values.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of certifying said GPS location on a land tract as accurate comprises comparing said first and said second center location.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said predetermined certification value is one meter.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said predetermined certification value is less than one meter.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of loading a geospatial file representing geographic information of said land tract.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said GPS location on a land tract is a boundary of said land tract.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said GPS location on a land tract is an infrastructure feature on at least a portion of said land tract.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said GPS location on a land tract is an environmental aspect of said land tract.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein said averaged distance for said first and said second center location is determined by averaging each segment between each GPS pseudorange value of said first and said second center location.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein steps (a) through (d) are repeated at least a third time to determine at least a third center location prior to performing the certifying step.