Trimble Navigation Limited

Trimble Inc.

Nicholas Charles Talbot

James M Janky

Ulrich Vollath

Peter Van Wyck Loomis

Shawn D Weisenburger

Richard W Rudow

Robert Wold

Venkateswaran Kasirajan

Michael V McCusker

Rodrigo Leandro

Markus Glocker

Xiaoming Chen

Bruce D Riter

John F Cameron

Mark Edward Nichols

David G Bird

Gary Lynn Cain

Gregory Craig Wallace

Jean-Charles Delplace

James F Gottman

Michael Timo Allison

Peter V Loomis

Kevin Legendre

Bruno M Scherzinger

Geoffrey R Kirk

Arthur James Taylor

Eric C Krantz

Scott David Dreier

Gang Lu

William Lentz

Chad McFadden

Stefan Junker

Leandro Leandro

Methods and apparatus for processing of GNSS signals are presented. These include GNSS processing with obtaining GNSS data derived from signals received at a rover antenna, obtaining correction data, maintaining a time sequence of at least one rover position and at least one rover position difference with associated time tags, using the time sequence to determine at least one derived rover position by, starting from a position determined using corrections synchronous with rover data as an anchor position at a time tag, deriving a new anchor position for the time tag of the anchor position and at least one other estimated rover position at the time tag of the anchor position, and/or reporting the new anchor position and/or a new derived rover position.

GNSS processing with selecting and/or blending anchor positions

Methods and apparatus for processing of GNSS signals are presented. These include GNSS processing with predicted precise clocks, GNSS processing with mixed-quality data, GNSS processing with time-sequence maintenance, GNSS processing with reduction of position jumps in low-latency solutions, GNSS processing with position blending to bridge reference station changes, and GNSS processing with delta-phase correction for incorrect starting position.

GNSS processing with jump reduction

The invention relates to a method carried out by a navigation satellite system (NSS) receiver or a processing entity receiving data therefrom, for estimating parameters useful to determine a position. The NSS receiver observes NSS signals from NSS satellites. Two filters, called 'robustifier' and 'main estimator' respectively, both use state variables and compute the values thereof based on: NSS signals observed by the NSS receiver, and/or information derived therefrom. The robustifier identifies, within the input data, measurements that do not match a stochastic model assigned thereto. For each identified measurement, the robustifier rejects the measurement, adjusts the stochastic model assigned to the measurement, and/or corrects the measurement. The robustifier uses fewer state variables than the main estimator. A corresponding system is also disclosed.

Outlier-tolerant navigation satellite system positioning method and system

A GNSS receiver for generating distance estimates from multiple GNSS satellites. The GNSS receiver includes an antenna and an RF front end coupled to the antenna configured to generate a plurality of samples related to a received signal. The GNSS receiver includes a correlator coupled to the RF front end configured to perform various operations including performing three correlations on the plurality of samples with three local code to generate three correlation results, where the three local codes are shifted in time or distance with respect to each other. The GNSS receiver includes a processor for defining a first slope using the first correlation result and the second correlation result, defining a second slope using the second correlation result and the third correlation result, and defining a code discriminator as a sum of the first slope and the second slope.

GNSS multipath mitigation using slope-based code discriminator

The invention relates to a method carried out by a navigation satellite system (NSS) receiver or a processing entity receiving data therefrom, for estimating parameters useful to determine a position. The NSS receiver observes NSS signals from NSS satellites over multiple epochs. A first filter, called 'timely estimator', and second filter, called 'precise estimator' and delayed with respect to the timely estimator, are operated. The estimators use state variables, and make use of NSS signals observed by the NSS receiver or information derived therefrom. The precise estimator further computes its state variable values based on observations that are not derived from NSS signals observed by the NSS receiver. The values of some of the state variables computed by the timely estimator are recurrently replaced by values from the precise estimator. A corresponding system is also disclosed.

Advanced navigation satellite system positioning method and system using delayed precise information

A radio frequency component receives and digitizes a first plurality of L1 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and a second plurality of L2C GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites. A software defined GNSS receiver operating on a processor of a cellular telephone separate from the radio frequency component derives carrier phase measurements from the first plurality of L1 GNSS signals and the second plurality of L2C GNSS signals during an epoch. A wireless message from a communication device located at a base location is received conveying pseudorange and carrier measurements derived from the first plurality of L1 GNSS signals from said plurality of GNSS satellites during the epoch. The cellular telephone determines a distance from the base location to said first location.

Electronic tape measure on a cellphone

A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset embedded within the cellular device is accessed. The GNSS chipset calculates raw observables that include raw pseudoranges and carrier phase information. The raw observables are extracted from the GNSS chipset for processing elsewhere in the cellular device outside of the GNSS chipset. Smoothed pseudoranges are provided by smoothing the raw pseudoranges based on the carrier phase information. The accessing, the extracting and the providing are performed by one or more hardware processors located in the cellular device and outside of the GNSS chipset.

Position determination of a cellular device using carrier phase smoothing

A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset embedded within the cellular device is accessed. The GNSS chipset calculates raw pseudoranges. The raw pseudoranges are extracted from the GNSS chipset for processing elsewhere in the cellular device outside of the GNSS chipset. A position fix is determined based on the raw pseudoranges. Locally measured cellular device movement information is obtained from at least one sensor that is in a known physical relationship with the cellular device. The locally measured cellular device movement information is applied to the position fix.

Locally measured movement smoothing of position fixes based on extracted pseudoranges

A multiband antenna apparatus for high-precision GNSS positioning is proposed. The multiband antenna apparatus comprises a first antenna configured for reception of GNSS signals in a first multiband of electromagnetic spectrum, a second multiband antenna configured for reception of GNSS signals in a second multiband of electromagnetic spectrum, and an antenna phase reference point configured to represent an integrated electric phase data. The antenna phase reference point is related to a physical reference point of the antenna apparatus.

Satellite navigation using side by side antennas

A first process and a second process are executed concurrently by one or more hardware processors located in the cellular device and outside of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset embedded in the cellular device. The first process determines a first set of one or more position fixes based on extracted raw pseudorange information. The second process determines carrier phase smoothed pseudoranges based on carrier phase information and determines a second set of one or more position fixes based on the carrier phase smoothed pseudoranges. One or more of the first set of position fixes are provided to a user while a predetermined amount of carrier phase information is not available for performing carrier phase smoothing. One or more of the second set of position fixes are provided to the user while a predetermined amount of carrier phase information is available for performing carrier phase smoothing.

Concurrent dual processing of pseudoranges with corrections

Methods and apparatus provide for positioning of a rover antenna from GNSS data derived from multi-frequency signals and correction data derived from a network of reference stations. At each of a plurality of epochs, the GNSS data and correction data are used to estimate values defining a rover antenna position and a set of multi-frequency ambiguities. An ionospheric-free carrier-phase ambiguity per satellite is estimated based on a known rover antenna position. The estimated ionospheric-free carrier-phase ambiguity is combined with an estimated widelane ambiguity and with an estimated ionospheric-free ambiguity and with values defining the known rover antenna position to obtain values defining an aided rover antenna position and aided multi-frequency ambiguities.

GNSS signal processing with known position for reconvergence

Method to estimate parameters derived at least from GNSS signals useful to determine a position, including obtaining at least one GNSS signal observed at a GNSS receiver from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites; receiving global correction information useful to correct at least the obtained GNSS signals from a first set of GNSS satellites, wherein the global correction information includes correction information which is independent from the position to be determined; receiving local correction information useful to correct at least the obtained GNSS signals from a second set of GNSS satellites, wherein the local correction information includes correction information which is dependent on the position to be determined; processing the obtained GNSS signals from the first set of GNSS satellites by using the global correction information; and processing the obtained GNSS signals from the second set of GNSS satellites by using the local correction information.

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) positioning using precise satellite data

Methods and apparatus for determining a precise position of a rover located within a region are presented using rover observations comprising code observations and carrier-phase observations of GNSS signals on at least two carrier frequencies over multiple epochs. Correction data is received for each of the epochs at least one code bias per satellite. Synthetic reference data is generated for each of the epochs from the correction data for a synthetic station location. A determination is made for each epoch whether a cycle slip has occurred. Upon determining that a cycle slip has occurred, values of any variables of a set of state variables which are affected by the cycle slip are reset. Each epoch of rover observations and correction data is used to estimate updated values for the set of state variables including a set of ambiguities and coordinates of a precise rover position.

Combined cycle slip indicators for regionally augmented GNSS

Methods and apparatus provide for positioning of a rover antenna from GNSS data derived from multi-frequency signals and correction data derived from a network of reference stations. Rover antenna position and multi-frequency ambiguities are estimated at each epoch. An ionospheric filter models variation in ionospheric bias per satellite. A set of ionospheric carrier-phase ambiguities is estimated at least when the multi-frequency ambiguities have attained a predetermined precision. The estimated ionospheric carrier-phase ambiguities are cached. After detecting interruption of signal at the rover antenna and determining reacquisition of signals at the rover antenna, an ionospheric bias per satellite over an interruption interval is predicted. For each satellite, a cached ionospheric carrier-phase ambiguity is combined with a predicted ionospheric bias to obtain a post-interruption ionospheric ambiguity estimate. The post-interruption ionospheric ambiguity estimates are used to aid estimation of rover antenna position after signal reacquisition.

GNSS signal processing with ionospheric bridging for reconvergence

A plurality of images are captured by an image capturing device that is an integral part of the mobile data collection platform from at least two different perspectives that depict a point of interest in a scene. Coincident with capture of each of the plurality of images, orientation information is obtained via orientation sensors of the mobile data collection platform, a position fix of an antenna associated with the mobile data collection platform is determined, and a position of an entrance pupil of the image capturing device is calculated. Scale information associated with at least one of the images is captured. Scene data comprises the images, the orientation information and the entrance pupil positions. A three dimensional position of the point of interest at the scene is determined based on photogrammetric image processing of the scene data.

Growing community of inventors

Ashburton, Australia

Nicholas Charles Talbot