Relative GPS method and apparatus that is able to correct for momemtary signal interruption

• US 5,502,641 A
• Filed: 08/12/1994
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sokkia Co. Ltd. (Topcon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sokkia Co. Ltd. (Topcon Corporation)
• Inventors: Isomura, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US08/289,224
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 364/449, 364/443, 364/444, 364/447, 364/448, 364/457, 342/357, 342/352, 342/195, 375/1, 375/96
• US Class Current: 701/215
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/44 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method

Abstract

A GPS surveying system uses at least four GPS satellites which travel on satellite orbits and a GPS surveying system having a first receiving apparatus for receiving radio waves to be transmitted from each of the GPS satellites and a second receiving apparatus for receiving radio waves to be transmitted from each of the GPS satellites. The first receiving apparatus is disposed in a known point and the second receiving apparatus is disposed in an unknown point. An integrated carrier phase of the radio waves to be received by each of the receiving apparatuses is measured. The integrated carrier phase is recorded at every predetermined interval of time. Three-dimensional coordinate values of the unknown point are obtained based on the recorded integrated carrier phase. When interruption of receiving of the radio waves to be transmitted from the GPS satellites has occurred during the measuring and the recording step, the interruption of receiving is detected. A cycle slip included in the measured integrated carrier phase is corrected after ceasing of the interruption of receiving by adding a correction amount of an integer number value to the integrated carrier phase at a predetermined time before the integration of receiving.

Claims

1. A relative positioning GPS using at least four GPS satellites which travel on satellite orbits and a GPS surveying system having a first receiving apparatus for receiving radio waves to be transmitted from each of said GPS satellites and a second receiving apparatus for receiving radio waves to be transmitted from each of said GPS satellites, said relative positioning GPS comprising the steps of:

disposing said first receiving apparatus in a known point;

disposing said second receiving apparatus in an unknown point;

measuring an integrated carrier phase of the radio waves to be received by each of said receiving apparatuses;

recording said integrated carrier phase at every predetermined interval of time; and

obtaining three-dimensional coordinate values of the unknown point based on the recorded integrated carrier phase,

wherein, when interruption of receiving of the radio waves to be transmitted from said GPS satellites has occurred during said measuring and recording steps, said interruption of receiving is detected and a cycle slip included in said measured integrated carrier phase is corrected after ceasing of said interruption of receiving and,

wherein correction of said cycle slip comprises the steps of;

obtaining an average value of a rate of change of an integrated carrier phase at a predetermined time before said interruption of receiving and a rate of change of an integrated carrier phase at a predetermined time after ceasing of said interruption of receiving;

calculating a correction amount of a real number value by multiplying said average value by a time between said predetermined time before said interruption of receiving and said predetermined time after ceasing of said interruption of receiving;

calculating a correction amount of an integer number value by rounding said correction amount of said real number value to a nearest integer number; and

correcting said cycle slip included in said integrated carrier phase after said ceasing of said interruption of receiving by adding said correction amount of said integer number value to said integrated carrier phase at said predetermined time before said interruption of receiving.

2. A relative positioning GPS according to claim 1, wherein three-dimensional coordinate values of each unknown point are obtained by moving said second receiving apparatus among unknown points.

3. An apparatus for carrying out a relative positioning GPS using at least four GPS satellites which travel on satellite orbits, a first receiving apparatus disposed in a known point and arranged for receiving radio waves to be transmitted from each of said GPS satellites and a second receiving apparatus disposed in another point and arranged for receiving radio waves to be transmitted for each of said GPS satellites, said apparatus comprising:

means for calculating integrated carrier phases of the radio waves to be received by said first receiving apparatus and said second receiving apparatus;

means for recording said integrated carrier phases at every predetermined interval of time;

means for computing three-dimensional coordinate values of said unknown point based on said recorded integrated carrier phases,

wherein said means for calculating integrated carrier phases detects an interruption of receiving of the radio waves to be transmitted from said GPS satellites when such an interruption of receiving has occurred, corrects a cycle slip included in said measured integrated carrier phases after ceasing of said interruption of receiving, and records on said means for recording said integrated carrier phases after said correction so as to obtain three-dimensional coordinate values of said unknown point, and

wherein said means for calculating integrated carrier phases obtains an average value of a rate of change of an integrated carrier phase at a predetermined time before said interruption of receiving and a rate of change of an integrated carrier phase at a predetermined time after ceasing of said interruption of receiving,

calculates a correction amount of a real number value by multiplying said average value by a time between said predetermined time before said interruption of receiving and said predetermined time after ceasing of said interruption of receiving,

calculates a correction amount of an integer number value by rounding said correction amount of said real number value to a nearest integer number, and

corrects a cycle slip included in said integrated carrier phase after said ceasing of said interruption of receiving by adding said correction amount of said integer number value to the integrated carrier phase at said predetermined time before said interruption of receiving.

4. An apparatus for carrying out a relative positioning GPS according to claim 3, wherein said second receiving apparatus is arranged to be movable among unknown points.