Abstract: A method of communicating satellite tracking information among a network of global navigation satellite system receivers is described. The method includes determining at a first GNSS receiver which satellites in a constellation of satellites have been continuously tracked over a preceding selected time period, and for each such satellite determining its elevation with respect to the zenith. Only the elevation value for the lowest satellite in the set of satellites for which all satellites of higher elevation values have been continuously tracked over the selected time period is then transmitted to the second GNSS receiver. That receiver can then reconstruct the set of satellites which have been continuously tracked.

Abstract: A diversity antenna system with electrical tilt has two dual polarized, tilt adjustable antenna stacks (44A) and (44B) with physical separation providing space diversity. Each antenna stack (44A) or (44B) has two polarizations associated with independently adjustable electrical tilt angles. The electrical tilt angles of each antenna stack (44A) or (44B) are controlled to be equal to those of the other antenna stack to provide co-polarization or anti-polarization tilt coupling. The antenna system (40) may operate with multiple carrier frequencies each associated with a respective pair of polarizations of different antenna stacks (44A) and (44B) with co-polarization or anti-polarization tilt coupling. Antenna tilt angles are controllable so that different carrier frequencies are associated with independently adjustable angles of electrical tilt. The system may be used with groups of both contiguous and non-contiguous carrier frequencies.

Abstract: The number of GPS satellites from which radio waves are received and the intensities of radio waves received from the GPS satellites are acquired. In a first state in which radio waves of a first signal intensity are received from four GPS satellites in a first predetermined time, orbit/time information are acquired from the respective GPS satellites. The time information indicates a radio-wave emission GMT clock time at the satellite when the radio waves were emitted from the satellite. In a second state in which radio waves of a second signal intensity lower than the first intensity are received from one or more GPS satellites within a second time longer than the first predetermined time, the time information is acquired from the respective GPS satellites. In the first state, a current time and a current position of the GPS timepiece is calculated based on the time/orbit information. In the second state, a current time is calculated based on the time information.

Abstract: In a method for optimizing the accuracy of position determination, and/or for reducing the integrity risk, of a receiver in a global satellite navigation system having a plurality of satellites, for at least one satellite that is visible to the receiver (E), a deviation error (AF) is determined which is a function of the geometric orientation of the satellite relative to the receiver, and of at least one system parameter. The deviation error is determined based on an additional deviation error generated by an error projection into a coordinate system of the receiver. A first or a second value, whichever is smaller of the two, is used as the deviation error. The first value for the at least one system parameter is determined using a respective specified parameter value.

Abstract: A Master Antenna Controller is provided comprising a RET Master which may replace several devices, provide full RET control based on the AISG 1.1 and 2.0 standards, provide extensive, screen-guided, intuitive RET diagnostics functionality, and provide an alignment tool free from the problems of magnetic deviation and cumbersome differential GPS antennae. The RET diagnostics functionality may include measurements of voltage, current, and AISG protocol commands. The RET Master may also include multiple different pre-defined tests (e.g. test one actuator, test one RET cable, test AISG signal from TMA) and also some standard electrical tests, e.g. measuring voltage, current etc. Users will be guided on the screen about how to test and what steps to do and the software will guide the user through several steps for an easy and quick trouble-shooting process.

Abstract: A proximity probe, for use in determining a distance to a probe target, includes a first antenna configured to wirelessly receive a radio-frequency signal at a first predetermined frequency and a converter configured to convert the received signal to a driving signal and to an electrical signal. The proximity probe also includes a second antenna configured to receive power via the driving signal and to generate a signal indicative of a distance from the proximity probe to the probe target, and a third antenna configured to transmit the generated signal.

Abstract: A smart antenna system may exploit space diversity by employing an array of antennas whose radiation pattern can be aligned in a direction of arrival (DoA) of a specific signal to be decoded. Smart antennas can be installed on a base station side and/or on a user terminal side. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for computationally efficient and accurate searching of the DoA of a specific transmitted signal. The proposed methods utilize Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) coordinates to determine the DoA.

Abstract: Techniques for interfacing a set of active elements with an antenna array. In one exemplary embodiment, the active elements include a plurality of signal paths, each signal path including a mixer coupled to a local oscillator (LO) signal having an adjustable phase. When the active elements are to be interfaced with an unbalanced antenna, the phase of the LO signal for each signal path coupled to the unbalanced antenna may be adjusted independently of the other signal paths. When the active elements are to be interfaced with a balanced antenna, the phases of the LO signals for the two signal paths coupled to the balanced antenna are adjusted to differ by ? radians from each other. The techniques may be applied in either receiver or transmitter applications to provide a flexible interface between an antenna array and an integrated circuit (IC) without the use of baluns.

Abstract: A location estimation method using label propagation. The achieved location estimation method is robust to variations in radio signal strengths and is highly accurate by using the q-norm (0<q<1), especially, for calculating the similarities among radio signal strength vectors. The accuracy in location estimation is further improved by putting more importance on the time-series similarities. Specifically, the time-series similarity is calculated by using time-series values indicating the temporal order of radio signal strengths during the measurement. If the time-series similarity is larger than the similarity between the radio signal strength vectors, the time-series similarity is preferentially used. The exponential attenuation function can also be used for calculating the similarities, instead of the q norm (0<q<1).

Abstract: A signal processing system for processing satellite positioning signals is described. The system comprises at least one processor and a signal processor operating under a number of operational modes. The signal processor includes at least one of a signal processing subsystem, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) subsystem, and a memory subsystem that are each dynamically and independently configurable in response to the operational modes. Further, the system includes a controller that couples to control transfer of data among the signal processing subsystem and the FFT subsystem via the memory subsystem. Configurability of the memory subsystem includes configuring the memory subsystem into regions according to the operational modes where each region is accessible in one of a number of manners according to the operational modes.

Abstract: A method and system for delivery of location-dependent time-specific corrections. In one embodiment, a first extended-lifetime correction for a first region is generated. A distribution timetable is used to determine a first time interval for transmitting the first extended-lifetime correction to the first region. The first extended-lifetime correction is then transmitted via a wireless communication network to said first region in accordance with said distribution timetable.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for estimating the distance between a transmitter and a receiver. A method comprising obtaining a signal from a receiver; determining whether the signal more likely propagated through a line-of-sight (LOS) radio channel or a non lme-of-sight (NLOS) radio channel; using a model including parameters selected according to the radio channel to estimate the distance between the receiver and a transmitter which sent the signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method to control an antenna pattern of a wideband array antenna wherein a wideband array antenna unit comprising the wideband array antenna and transforming means is accomplished. Embodiments of the invention further include the corresponding wideband array antenna unit and transforming means arranged to control an antenna pattern of an antenna system. The separation between antenna elements in the wideband array antenna can be increased to above one half wavelength of a maximum frequency within a system bandwidth when the array antenna is arranged to operate with an instantaneously wideband waveform.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus and a navigation-related information display method acquire a plurality of orbit data from a plurality of GPS satellites, pinpoint the current geographical position of the apparatus according to the orbit data and distance data on the distances from the plurality of GPS satellites, display the acquiring progress level until completely acquiring a plurality of orbit data sufficient for pinpointing the current geographical position, count the remaining effective time of the plurality of orbit data acceptable for pinpointing the current geographical position and display the remaining effective time by means of a level mark that is provided with a gradation.

Abstract: A receiver operating with satellite navigation signals estimates its position by means of a multiplicity of signals each transmitted by another satellite. A subset of satellites is used to calculate the position estimation and checking the pseudoranges of all received satellite signals that did not contribute to this particular estimate with respect to their consensus with this estimate. The subset with the best consensus is determined by combining the subsets with respect to the consensus with all ranging sources in view. Consensus in this context refers to pseudoranges that coincide in a position solution in a consistent way. The satellites with a bias in pseudorange higher than a threshold are identified as faulty satellites, after knowing all consistent satellites. This identifying information is then used to exclude the faulty satellites for the determination of position, velocity, and time in the receiver.

Abstract: Techniques, systems and apparatus are described for tracking a satellite signal. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a tracking module to generate a satellite-based measurement result by tracking a satellite signal received from a satellite. The tracking module includes sub-tracking modules with each sub-tracking module configured to generate the satellite-based measurement result by using a different integral time.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to perform positioning at the proper positioning time and positioning precision in response to a requirement with respect to positioning.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to obtain a positioning result corresponding to the state of a receiver in less time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a position-finding method for determing the location of a mobile object. The features, for example received field strengths, of a plurality of base stations are measured, and the object position is located from these features, using a reference map. During an initialization process, a reference map is created which comprises a multiplicity of positions and the associated feature-dependent values. During use of the method, a plurality of position-finding processes are carried out, by means of each of which a measured feature-dependent value and from this, a located position of the object, are determined using the predetermined reference map. The predetermined reference map is in each case updated for at least some of the positions found, during which updates, the feature-dependent values are each corrected by a correction term at the support points of the reference map in a predetermined area surrounding an object position.

Abstract: A method for calculating a position of a moving vehicle using a first unit that performs a correlation process on a satellite signal received from a satellite to capture the satellite signal and calculate the position and velocity of the moving vehicle and a second unit capable of detecting at least the velocity of the moving vehicle includes: calculating a determination velocity which is the velocity determined using the results of the calculation by the first unit and the results of the detection by the second unit; determining a correlation integration period used when the first unit performs the correlation process using the error in the determination velocity; and calculating the position of the moving vehicle using the results of the calculation by the first unit and the results of the detection by the second unit.