Network system and method for a remote reference receiver system

• US 6,567,041 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: OʼDell, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US09/837,402
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.03, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile

Abstract

A position determining system using a first communication network, a second communication network, and a positioning system. The system may include at least one reference station that has known position coordinates and that is operable to receive first position signals from the positioning system. The reference station further may transmit position data via the first communication network in response to the first position signals and the known position coordinates. A remote central host communicatively coupled to the reference station via the first communication network can receive and store the position data transmitted from the reference station and generate and transmit correction data via the first or second communication network to provide either real-time or archived position corrections to a rover. The rover can receive its own positioning signals and, using the correction data and the position signals, can accurately determine its position.

Claims

1. A differential GPS system (DGPS) using a first communication network, a second communication network, and a positioning system, the DGPS system comprising:

at least one real reference station, the at least one real reference station having known position coordinates and being operable to receive first position signals from the positioning system, the at least one real reference station being further operable to transmit position data via the first communication network in response to the first position signals and the known position coordinates; and

a remote central host communicatively coupled in parallel to at least the first communication network and the second communication network, the remote central host being operable to receive and store the position data transmitted from the at least one real reference station and being further operable to transmit, via the second communication network, correction data in response to the first position signals and the known position coordinates of the at least one real reference receiver

wherein the correction data is correction data for the at least one real reference station;

wherein a rover that is bidirectionally, communicatively coupled to at least the second communication network and operable to receive second position signals from the positioning system uses the correction data and the second position signals to determine the rover'"'"'s position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication network comprises a parallel connection of at least two networks selected from the group consisting of a cellular communications network, a circuit-switched network, and a packet-switched network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first position signals comprise time-of-arrival data received by the remote positioning receiver from a plurality of satellites;

and

the correction data comprises pseudorange corrections for each satellite in view of the remote positioning receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication network comprises a frame relay network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second communication network comprises a circuit-switched network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication network comprises a cellular telephone network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication network comprises a packet-switched network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the correction data is real-time kinematic data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second communication network comprises a packet-switched network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the packet-switched network is the Internet.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the correction data comprises archived data.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the rover comprises a carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the rover comprises a carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver and the at least one real reference station comprises a carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver.

14. A method of determining a position of at least one rover within a positioning system, the method comprising:

receiving first position signals from the positioning system at at least one real reference station having known position coordinates and being operable to transmit correction data via a packet-switched network in response to the first position signals and the known position coordinates;

receiving the correction data from the at least one real reference station at a remote central host via the packet-switched network, the remote central host being operable to responsively store and transmit the correction data via a second communication network, the remote central host also being communicatively coupled in parallel to at least the packet-switched network and the second communication network;

wherein the correction data is correction data for the at least one real reference station;

establishing a bidirectional connection between the at least one rover and the remote central host via the second communication network;

transmitting the correction data from the remote central host to the at least one rover via the second communication network;

receiving the correction data at the at least one rover;

receiving second position signals at the at least one rover; and

using the correction data and the second position signals to determine the position of the rover.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first position signals comprise time-of-arrival data received by the remote positioning receiver from a plurality of satellites;

and

the correction data comprises pseudorange corrections for each satellite in view of the remote positioning receiver.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the rover comprises a carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the rover comprises a carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver and the reference station comprises a carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the packet-switched network comprises a frame relay network.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second communication network comprises a circuit-switched network.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the second communication network comprises a cellular telephone network.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the second communication network comprises a packet-switched network.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the correction data comprises real-time kinematic data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second communication network comprises a packet-switched network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the packet-switched network is the Internet.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the correction data comprises archived data.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the second communication network comprises a parallel connection of at least two networks selected from the group consisting of a cellular communications network, a circuit-switched network, and a packet-switched network.

27. A method of determining a position of at least one rover within a positioning system, the method comprising:

establishing the position coordinates of at least one real reference station by mathematically averaging position signals received at the at least one real reference station over a period of time, the at least one real reference station being operable to transmit correction data via a packet-switched network;

receiving correction data from the at least one real reference station at a remote central host via the packet-switched network, the remote central host being operable to store and transmit correction data for the at least one real reference station in response to the position data and the established position coordinates of the at least one real reference station, the remote central host also being communicatively coupled in parallel to at least the packet-switched network and a second communication network;

establishing a bidirectional connection between the at least one rover and the remote central host via the second communication network;

transmitting the correction data from the remote central host to the at least one rover via the second communication network;

receiving the correction data at the at least one rover;

receiving second position signals at the at least one rover; and

using the correction data and the second position signals to determine the position of the at least one rover.

28. A differential GPS system (DGPS) using a frame relay network, a circuit switched network, and a positioning system, the DGPS system comprising:

at least one carrier-phase tracking GPS reference station, the at least one carrier-phase tracking GPS reference station having known position coordinates and being operable to receive first position signals from the positioning system, the at least one carrier-phase tracking GPS reference station being further operable to transmit position data via the frame relay network in response to the first position signals and the known position coordinates; and

a remote central host communicatively coupled in parallel to at least the frame relay network and the circuit switched network, the remote central host being operable to receive and store the position data from the at least one carrier-phase tracking GPS reference station and being further operable to transmit, via the circuit switched network, correction data in response to the first position signals and the known position coordinates of the at least one carrier-phase tracking GPS reference receiver

wherein the correction data is correction data for the at least one carrier-phase tracking GPS reference station; and

wherein a carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver that is bidirectionally, communicatively coupled to at least the circuit switched network and operable to receive second position signals from the positioning system uses the correction data and the second position signals to determine the carrier-phase tracking GPS receiver'"'"'s position.