Abstract: Base data received at a rover receiver is extrapolated to a rover measurement time referenced to a clock in the rover receiver. The base data comprises a plurality of base parameters, such as pseudo-ranges and full phases, calculated at base epochs from data received from navigation satellites. Base data is decomposed into a computed component, a common component, and an information component. Only the information component is extrapolated, thereby increasing the extrapolation time interval (during which base data are missing) over which an acceptable accuracy in determination of rover coordinates may be provided. The extrapolated base data is calculated by adding the computed component updated to the rover measurement time, the information component extrapolated to the rover measurement time, and the common component. A second-order recursive digital filter is used to generate the extrapolation function.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system, method and computer program for a GNSS receiver that is operable to provide an ultra fast Time To First Fix (TTFF). The invention is implementable without requiring the decoding of a navigation message transmitted by GNSS satellite systems. The system of the present invention may comprise a parameter obtaining means, a clock obtaining means and a Fast TTFF engine. The parameter obtaining means may obtain satellite parameters of one or more GNSS satellites. The clock obtaining means may obtain a clock for estimating a GNSS time tag. The Fast TTFF engine may be linkable to a signal interface that is operable to provide I/Q samples from a GNSS antenna. The Fast TTFF engine may comprise a measurement generation utility, a coarse search utility and a fine search utility. The measurement generation utility may compute the Doppler frequency shift and the code phase of the one or more GNSS satellites based on the I/Q samples.

Abstract: An optical tracking vehicle control system includes a controller adapted for computing vehicle guidance signals and a guidance subsystem adapted for receiving the guidance signals from the controller and for guiding the vehicle. An optical movement sensor is mounted on the vehicle in optical contact with a travel surface being traversed by the vehicle. The optical movement sensor is connected to the controller and provides vehicle movement signals thereto for use by the controller in computing vehicle position. The optical movement sensor can be either mounted on a gimbal for movement independent of the vehicle, or, alternatively, multiple optical movement sensors can be provided for detecting yaw movements. GNSS and inertial vehicle position tracking subsystems are also provided. Still further, a method of tracking a vehicle with an optical movement sensor is provided.

Abstract: A method for locating GNSS-defined points, distances, directional attitudes and closed geometric shapes includes the steps of providing a base with a base GNSS antenna and providing a rover with a rover GNSS antenna and receiver. The receiver is connected to the rover GNSS antenna and is connected to the base GNSS antenna by an RF cable. The receiver thereby simultaneously processes signals received at the antennas. The method includes determining a vector directional arrow from the differential positions of the antennas and calculating a distance between the antennas, which can be sequentially chained together for determining a cumulative distance in a “digital tape measure” mode of operation. A localized RTK surveying method uses the rover antenna for determining relative or absolute point locations. A system includes a base with an antenna, a rover with an antenna and a receiver, with the receiver being connected to the antennas.

Abstract: A method for mitigating atmospheric errors in code and carrier phase measurements based on signals received from a plurality of satellites in a global navigation satellite system is disclosed. A residual tropospheric delay and a plurality of residual ionospheric delays are modeled as states in a Kalman filter. The state update functions of the Kalman filter include at least one baseline distance dependant factor, wherein the baseline distance is the distance between a reference receiver and a mobile receiver. A plurality of ambiguity values are modeled as states in the Kalman filter. The state update function of the Kalman filter for the ambiguity states includes a dynamic noise factor. An estimated position of mobile receiver is updated in accordance with the residual tropospheric delay, the plurality of residual ionospheric delays and/or the plurality of ambiguity values.

Abstract: This invention is provided to securely control use of electronic devices in aeroplanes. In one embodiment, a system including a secured electronic device provided by an aeroplane for use in a passenger compartment in the aeroplane, whereas use of the device includes downloading information such as net surfing web pages and uploading information such as sending external emails. In the embodiment, the system includes a mobile equipment of a first customer and a mobile equipment of a second customer. The system also includes an outdoor GPS and indoor GPS receivers. Further, a set of three indoor GPS signal emitters are located on separate corners of the passenger compartment are provided. Besides, a GPS antenna, a repeater, and a secured control unit are installed inside the electronic device to include a preconfigured area as an insecure area.

Abstract: A geographic tracking system with minimal power and size required at the mobile terminal collects observation data at the mobile terminal and forwards the data to a processor, which calculates the position. The mobile terminal is configured to measure both code phase and data phase of a GPS satellite signal. The code phase and data phase information enables the processor to reduce the number of candidate points to be considered.

Abstract: A computer apparatus for post positioning with a selected precision. The apparatus includes a GNSS post processor to post process reference GNSS carrier phases from a reference system and rover GNSS carrier phases from a rover receiver to compute a secure position for the rover receiver not available to a user. The apparatus includes a vector offset generator to use the selected precision to compute a dither level for offset vectors to degrade an intrinsic precision of the secure position to provide a user-available position for the rover receiver at the selected precision.

Abstract: Embodiments related to cross-talk mitigation are described and depicted.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically locating a container in a stowage location of a container ship for loading and unloading of the container ship in container terminals. The method includes the following steps: obtaining the position information of the container ship from container ship positioning units, obtaining the position information of the container from container positioning units when the container is in its stowage location, and determining the stowage location of the container in the container ship by first computing a relative position of the container in the container ship based on both the position information of the container ship and the position information of the container and then correlating the relative position with a stowage plan of the container ship.

Abstract: A method for determining a position using a GNSS system having a plurality of GNSS satellites and one or more augmentation systems, which method includes the steps of obtaining a code or phase measurement from the GNSS satellite signals, generating measurement groups, and generating corrected measurement groups by applying code or phase corrections from the augmentation systems, and applying combinations of the corrected measurements in a filter which outputs a position and ambiguity estimate.

Abstract: A processing function to monitor a horizontal delay gradient in satellite signals is provided. The processing function includes a satellite differencing module, a double differencing module, and a gradient estimator module. The satellite differencing module receives carrier phase measurements for at least two satellites from at least two reference receivers that have a known geometric relationship to each other. The satellites include a monitored satellite and at least one other satellite. The satellite differencing module determines differences in the carrier phase measurements between signals from the monitored satellite and at least one other satellite. The double differencing module forms double-differences between pairs of the at least two reference receivers; compensates the double-differences between the pairs for the known difference-in-position of the reference receivers; and averages the double differences.

Abstract: A method for mitigating atmospheric errors in code and carrier phase measurements based on signals received from a plurality of satellites in a global navigation satellite system is disclosed. A residual tropospheric delay and a plurality of residual ionospheric delays are modeled as states in a Kalman filter. The state update functions of the Kalman filter include at least one baseline distance dependant factor, wherein the baseline distance is the distance between a reference receiver and a mobile receiver. A plurality of ambiguity values are modeled as states in the Kalman filter. The state update function of the Kalman filter for the ambiguity states includes a dynamic noise factor. An estimated position of mobile receiver is updated in accordance with the residual tropospheric delay, the plurality of residual ionospheric delays and/or the plurality of ambiguity values.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to positioning systems and location determination using measurement stitching.

Abstract: In a method for accuracy estimation of network based corrections for a satellite-aided positioning system, with a network of reference stations code and phase measurements are recorded by the reference stations and transferred to a network processing centre. The measurements are converted to observables and single-differences between a master station and at least one auxiliary station selected for each reference station are calculated. Estimates of single-difference between each reference station and the corresponding master station are generated and slant residuals for each reference station and satellite are calculated by using the difference between calculated single-differences and estimates. Subsequently double-differences are formed by differencing satellite s and the slant residuals of a reference satellite k, leading to zenith residuals calculated by mapping the double-differences to a zenith value.

Abstract: A method of geolocating a stationary transmitter observed by a fixed receiver device and at least two receiver devices, at least one of the receiver devices moving includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements between pairs of receiver devices, and obtaining a result lattice of possible locations of the transmitter, one location more probable than the remainder. A method of geolocating a moving transmitter observed by a plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices, and a moving receiver device, includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements from the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a shape of the transmitter trajectory, measuring the phase difference between the moving receiver device and at least one of the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a phase error residual, and moving an estimated starting point of the transmitter to obtain a best-fit residual.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of processing Global Positioning System (GPS) carrier phase and pseudorange information. Dual-frequency carrier phase and pseudorange measurements from GPS receivers are processed by specifying separate oscillator parameters for the carrier phase and pseudorange measurements. Carrier phase estimates of errors of the oscillator are arbitrarily biased with respect to the pseudorange estimates, and ambiguity parameters are constrained to be integer-valued. Isolating the ambiguities as integer valued parameters provides extra information that can be exploited to maximize the use of GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems.

Abstract: A satellite-based positioning receiver includes processing channels, each processing channel being associated with a respective satellite from among N satellites, and an extended Kalman filter for performing a vector tracking for the set of satellites using signals received from the satellites. The extended Kalman filter performs a resetting on the basis of the phase error and code error received directly from the phase and code discriminators, of each channel, and the receiver includes first means for calculating the code-wise and carrier-wise control signals for the said code phase and carrier phase numerically-controlled oscillators, on the basis of data provided by the said extended Kalman filter, for each channel.

Abstract: Methods and systems find position solutions using GNSS carrier phase. A plurality of integer cycle ambiguity candidates associated with the carrier phase are found as a function of corrected carrier phases. Positions and position error estimates are derived from the plurality of integer cycle ambiguity candidates.

Abstract: A satellite positioning receiver. The receiver comprises: an RF front end, for receiving satellite positioning signals; an analogue to digital converter, for sampling the received signals to generate signal samples; a memory; and a processor, for processing the signal samples to derive code-phases and pseudo-ranges and to calculate a position fix. The processor has a first mode in which it is operable to process the samples as they are generated, to calculate the position fix. It also has a second mode in which it is operable to store the samples or the code-phases or pseudo-ranges in the memory for later processing.

Abstract: In a method of mitigating errors in satellite navigation measurements at a satellite navigation receiver, respective single-frequency signals are received from respective satellites in a plurality of satellites in a satellite navigation system. Pseudorange and carrier-phase measurements corresponding to respective received single-frequency signals are calculated. These calculations include filtering the pseudorange and carrier-phase measurements in a Kalman filter having a state vector comprising a plurality of states, including a position state, a receiver clock state, and a plurality of bias states. Each bias state corresponds to a respective satellite in the plurality of satellites. The filtering includes updating the state vector. An estimated position of the satellite navigation receiver is updated in accordance with an update to the state vector.

Abstract: A method and system for approximating a position using a Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS) having a plurality of GNSS satellites and an augmentation system, the method including the steps of obtaining an initial code pseudorange measurement and an initial carrier phase measurement from a signal transmitted by a GNSS satellite in the GNSS system, receiving a code correction from the augmentation system, using the code correction to correct the initial code pseudorange measurement and the initial carrier phase measurement to mitigate for errors in the signal, to result in a corrected code pseudorange measurement and a corrected carrier phase measurement, and using a code dominated measurement in a filter which outputs apposition and ambiguity estimate.

Abstract: The inter-mobile body carrier phase positioning device according to the invention includes: a first observation data acquisition means that acquires observation data concerning a phase accumulation value observed in a first mobile body; a second observation data acquisition means that acquires observation data concerning a phase accumulation value observed in a second mobile body; a satellite pair determination means that determines pairs of satellites used for carrier phase positioning; and a carrier phase positioning means that takes, between each of the pairs of the satellites determined by the satellite pair determination means, a single or double difference between the observation data acquired by the first observation data acquisition means and the observation data ac quired by the second observation data acquisition means, and determines relative positional relation between the first mobile body and the second mobile body by carrier phase positioning using the single or double difference of the observa

Abstract: In a case in which three or more movable objects, each of those detecting the relative position with respect to another movable object, are able to communicate with each other: a reference movable object obtains observation data and transmits the observation data to non-reference movable objects; one non-reference movable object calculates the relative position with respect to the reference movable object by performing interferometric positioning using the observation data obtained by the observation data obtaining means and data including observation data received from the reference movable object, and also transmits data including an integer bias calculated as interferometric positioning results to another non-reference movable object and receives reliability determination results regarding the interferometric positioning; and the another non-reference movable object receives data including the integer bias from the one non-reference movable object and determines the reliability of the interferometric posit

Abstract: A global navigation satellite sensor system (GNSS) control system and method for irrigation and related applications is provided for a boom assembly with main and extension boom sections, which are hingedly connected and adapted for folding. The control system includes an antenna and a receiver connected to the antenna. A rover antenna is mounted on the boom extension section and is connected to the receiver. A processor receives GNSS positioning signals from the receiver and computes locations for the antennas, for which a vector indicating an attitude of the extension boom section can be computed. Various boom arrangements and field configurations are accommodated by alternative aspects of the control system.

Abstract: A navigation receiver processes signals transmitted by global navigation satellites and received by a set of antenna units. Each antenna unit is connected to a separate input port of an antenna multiplexer switch. Satellite signals received from each antenna unit are consecutively switched to the input of a common radiofrequency processing module. A common signal correlator generates a common in-phase correlation signal from the satellite signals received from all the antenna units. The common in-phase correlation signal is processed by a data processing module to demodulate information symbols from the received satellite signals. The common in-phase correlation signal is also processed by phase-lock loops and delay-lock loops to generate carrier phases and code delays from the received satellite signals. Embodiments are described in which, along with the common in-phase correlation signal, common functional blocks or hardware are used to process the satellite signals received from all the antenna units.

Abstract: An optical tracking vehicle control system includes a controller adapted for computing vehicle guidance signals and a guidance subsystem adapted for receiving the guidance signals from the controller and for guiding the vehicle. An optical movement sensor is mounted on the vehicle in optical contact with a travel surface being traversed by the vehicle. The optical movement sensor is connected to the controller and provides vehicle movement signals thereto for use by the controller in computing vehicle position. The optical movement sensor can be either mounted on a gimbal for movement independent of the vehicle, or, alternatively, multiple optical movement sensors can be provided for detecting yaw movements. GNSS and inertial vehicle position tracking subsystems are also provided. Still further, a method of tracking a vehicle with an optical movement sensor is provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus which characterize the ionospheric error across a network of GNSS reference stations are presented. The method relies on dual-frequency phase measurements in a geometry-free linear combination. The data are filtered for ambiguities and the characteristic parameters of the ionosphere. In combination with filter results from other combinations of phase measurements (ionosphere free combination), the physically-based model provides rapid and reliable ambiguity resolution.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multiple carrier smoothing method for navigation satellite signals, in particular a three carrier smoothing method for Galileo signals. It provides a smoothed code solution, which is ionosphere-free to the first order and whose noise is reduced to sub-decimeter level. The method involves integer ambiguities, which can be resolved reliably. The sensitivity of the new method to receiver biases and ionospheric delays of the second order is small. The performance of the three carrier smoothing method allows to reduce the averaging interval to ?-th of its current standard value. The results refer to pseudo ranges and are geometry independent.

Abstract: An on-board communication equipment on each of two vehicles receives a radio wave from two or more GPS satellites, and determines a carrier wave phase of the received radio wave. Then, the on-board communication equipment on one vehicle receives, from the other vehicle, information on the carrier wave phase observed in the other vehicle. Further, the on-board communication equipment calculates a relative position of a self vehicle relative to the other vehicle by a Carrier-Phase DGPS positioning based on a difference between two carrier wave phases (e.g., single difference, double difference or the like), that is, one from the self vehicle and one from the other vehicle, both having the same observation time, from among the available carrier wave phases.