Abstract:
A handheld GNSS device includes a housing, handgrips integral to the housing for enabling a user to hold the device, and a display screen integral with the housing. The device has a GNSS antenna and a communication antenna, both integral with the housing. The GNSS antenna receives position data from GNSS satellites. The communication antenna receives positioning assistance data from a base station. The GNSS antenna has a first antenna pattern, and the communication antenna has a second antenna pattern. The first and second antenna patterns are substantially separated. Coupled to the GNSS antenna, within the housing, is at least one receiver. Further, the device includes, within the housing, orientation circuitry for generating orientation data, imaging circuitry for obtaining image data, and positioning circuitry for determining a position for the point of interest based on the position data, the positioning assistance data, the orientation data, and the image data.
Abstract:
A rover processor determines position of a rover based upon the interaction between multiple antennas located at the rover and multiple antennas located at a base. The rover antennas may include a rover master antenna having a phase center located at the centroid of the antennas patterns of at least two auxiliary rover antennas. The rover processor may determine the position of the rover master antenna based upon the relative positions of at least two rover antennas (e.g., the rover master antenna and at least one rover auxiliary antenna, or at least two rover auxiliary antennas) with respect to at least two antennas of a base transceiver.
Abstract:
Prediction methods for navigation message symbols of satellite systems, such as GPS (Global Positioning System) and GLONASS (Global Orbiting Navigation System), that use information repetition in navigation data messages are disclosed. The methods enable one to eliminate the impact of symbol modulation for a received signal on the threshold performance of any navigation receiver, thereby permitting its operation in severe environments when the carrier-to-noise ratio C/N0 of “weak” satellite signals falls to levels below C/N0=20 dB*Hz.
Abstract:
Disclosed are electronic plumb indicators for monopoles, survey poles, global positioning antennas and the like. A exemplary plumb indicator comprises a substrate, a plumb bob suspended by a thread (e.g., wire, cable, string, etc.) and disposed over a first surface of the substrate, and a probe. The substrate has an array of conductive pads disposed over its first surface, preferably in a regular pattern. The probe has a first body portion held by the plumb bob but allowed to move freely in the vertical direction, and a conductive tip disposed between the plumb bob and the first surface of the substrate. The probe tip makes contact with the first surface of the substrate, and contacts one or more pads in normal operation. The pads may be scanned electronically to determine the location of the probe tip and plumb bob with respect to the substrate.
Abstract:
A receiver of a radio frequency signal having a pseudo-random noise (PRN) code, and techniques of processing such a signal that are especially adapted for ranging applications. A signal corresponding to the PRN code is locally generated and used for decoding the received signal in a manner to reduce ranging errors that can result when multipath (delayed) versions of the radio frequency signal are also present. A significant application of the receiver and signal processing techniques of the present invention is in a Global Positioning System (GPS), wherein a number of such signals from several satellites are simultaneously received and processed in order to obtain information of the position, movement, or the like, of the receiver. A delay locked loop (DLL) correlator, provided in each of the receiver's multiple processing channels, locks onto a line of sight signal from one of the satellites with the effect of any multipath signal(s) being significantly reduced.
Abstract:
A knocked-down portable geodetic surveying station in kit form is disclosed which utilizes a GPS antenna attached to the top portion of a surveyor's stake, or other type monopole. By positioning the bottom portion of the monopole directly upon a desired ground location, and adjusting the angular position of the monopole so that it is precisely vertical, the GPS antenna may be quickly and accurately positioned level and directly above the desired ground location. The GPS antenna and monopole are designed to be used in conjunction with a newly designed geodetic surveying tripod which can be quickly and conveniently set up to support the monopole in its vertical position directly above the desired ground location. The tripod of the present invention includes a tripod head which comprises a base platform, a first housing slidably mounted on the platform to permit the first housing to move along a first directional path, and a second housing slidably mounted within the first housing to permit the second housing to move along a second directional path, generally orthogonal to the first directional path. Mounted pivotally within the second housing is a gimbal which includes a central cavity for receiving the shaft of the monopole. The gimbal allows the angular position of the monopole and GPS antenna to be adjusted independently of the angular position tripod platform.
Abstract:
A global positioning system (GPS) receiver having a common radio frequency section and a separate digital signal processing channel for each of a plurality of satellite signals which are simultaneously being received and processed by the receiver in order to calculate the position, velocity or other desired parameters of the receiver. The radio frequency section receives and processes both of the standard satellite signals on different frequency L1 and L2 carriers in order to provide the multi-channel digital section signals from which the relative phase of the carriers from each of the plurality of satellites may be determined. Particular mutually coherent local oscillator and digital clock frequencies are selected in order to minimize the complexity of the receiver without creating any undesired side effects. A high resolution relative phase measurement is made in each digital section by averaging the number of phase shifting pulses over a period of time that are generated by a phase locked loop that is locked onto an L-band carrier frequency, that average incremental phase being added to a base phase measurement obtained simultaneously in each of the digital processing channels.