Abstract:
A system for providing information about a plurality of GNSS data sources includes a database for storing information relating to the plurality of GNSS data sources, the database including geographic boundary information and access information associated with each GNSS data source. The system further includes one or more computing devices operative to receive a request for GNSS data source information from a requesting device, wherein the request including a geographic location of the requesting device and, using the database, identify one or more GNSS data sources with geographic boundary information that corresponds to the geographic location of the requesting device. The one or more computing devices are further operable to communicate to the requesting device information relating to the identified one or more GNSS data sources.
Abstract:
A low-latency centralized RTK system utilizes an RTK server to perform matched updates using base station GNSS measurements from one or more base stations and GNSS measurements from one or more rovers, and the one or more rovers produce RTK solutions based on the results of the matched updates. The RTK server includes one or more processors that perform the matched updates and a transmitter that transmits at least the ambiguities to the rovers. The respective rovers, which have processing power that is sufficient to quickly calculate RTK baselines, utilize the received ambiguities, the base station GNSS measurements received from either the RTK server or the base stations, known base station positions and instantaneous GNSS measurements at the rovers to readily determine and update their RTK baselines and their precise positions.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
In a method of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reference station integrity monitoring, network Real Time Kinematic (RTK) information is accessed for a location associated with a GNSS reference station. At least one aspect of GNSS information local to the location of the GNSS reference station is compared with a corresponding aspect of the network RTK information. The results of the comparing are monitored for indication of occurrence of compromise to operational integrity of the GNSS reference station.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are described for processing a set of GNSS signal data derived from code observations and carrier-phase observations at multiple receivers of GNSS signals of multiple satellites over multiple epochs, the GNSS signals having at least two carrier frequencies and a navigation message containing orbit information, comprising: obtaining precise orbit information for each satellite, determining at least one set of ambiguities per receiver, each ambiguity corresponding to one of a receiver-satellite link and a satellite-receiver-satellite link, and using at least the precise orbit information, the ambiguities and the GNSS signal data to estimate a phase-leveled clock per satellite.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are presented for improved productivity in determining static position of an antenna of a GNSS rover, such as in stop-and-go surveying. Computer- implemented methods and apparatus provide for determining a static position of an antenna of a GNSS rover from observations of GNSS signals collected at the antenna over multiple epochs and from correction data for at least one of the epochs. In some forms this comprises: acquiring first-epoch rover observations of GNSS signals received at the antenna during a first epoch, obtaining first-epoch correction data for the first epoch, determining a synchronized rover antenna position for the first epoch from the first-epoch rover observations and the first-epoch correction data, acquiring subsequent- epoch rover observations from the received GNSS satellite signals for at least one subsequent epoch for which correction data is unavailable, determining that the antenna position remained static for at least two static epochs, and determining an updated rover antenna position from the synchronized rover antenna position and the subsequent-epoch rover observations of at least one static epoch of the at least one subsequent epoch.
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:
A method of coordinating surveys of different origins and which may be projected into different coordinate systems. The method provides a translation and rotation of the surveys to be coordinated without disturbing the internal geometry of each survey. A geographic information system including a procedure for coordinating surveys of different origins and/or which surveys which projected in different coordinate systems.
Abstract:
Abstract of the DisclosureA location of a target is generated by, at each of a plurality of reference sensors, receiving signals from a plurality of positioning system satellites. A set of error measurements are generated by generating, for each of the reference sensors, one or more error measurements based on a reference location of the reference sensor and information derived from the signals received at the reference sensors from the plurality of position system satellites. Single differenced velocity corrections are also generated. At a central processing node, a meta-correction surface is generated from the set of error measurements. The meta-correction surface is then transmitted to a non-reference sensor. At the non-reference sensor, signals are received from a plurality of the positioning system satellites. The meta-correction surface and the signals received from the plurality of position system satellites are used to generate the location of the target.
Abstract:
A global navigation satellite system has at least one reference receiver station (R) having a fixed geographical location, a user's receiver station (U) having position coordinates that are to be determined and a constellation of global navigation satellites (S) of which at least a plurality are always within view of the receiver sations (R, U). The user's receiver station (U) comprises means (10) for measuring code-phase data and carrier-phase data derived from the satellites (S), means (12) for receiving code-phase data and carrier-phase data from the reference receiver station (R), means (11) for deriving from the received and measured data first double-differenced carrier-phase measurements, a respective plurality of integer ambiguity estimates for each said first double-differenced carrier-phase measurement and second double-differenced carrier-phase measurements corresponding to said first double-differenced carrier-phase measurements, a first processor (14, 15) for processing said plurality of double-differenced integer ambiguity estimates to derive a single integer ambiguity value for each said first, and the corresponding second double-differenced carrier-phase measurement, and a second processor (16) for using said second double-differenced carrier-phase measurements and said integer ambiguity values to evaluate an estimate of said position coordinates P1 .