Terrestrial position and timing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429639-B2
Application number	US-201313832749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	May 1, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A terrestrial positioning and timing system (TPTS) comprising a ground segment and user segment is disclosed that is comprised of a spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference signal, with respect to a reference time, transmitted by an antenna over a broad region of space; and a spread-spectrum based bearing variable signal with bearing specific modulation referenced to a reference time, transmitted using a scanning antenna over a spatial region of space that is more narrow than the spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference signal transmission spatial area. Various embodiments enable the TPTS station and user to support various position, velocity or time services. Most notably, an embodiment with a single TPTS station, active interrogation/transponder reply, and data delivery subsystem can provide a position, velocity, and time solution for the user. Additional embodiments disclosed provide varying levels of user solutions to include bearing, position, velocity, or time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terrestrial positioning and timing system (TPTS) station comprised of:
a) an antenna capable of transmitting a spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference signal (RBR), with respect to a TPTS reference time, over a broad region of space; and
b) a scanning antenna capable of transmitting a spread-spectrum based bearing variable (BV) signal with bearing specific modulation referenced to a TPTS reference time, over a spatial region of space that is more narrow than the spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference signal transmission spatial area.

2. The TPTS station of claim 1 , further comprising, a monitor antenna adapted to receive a spread-spectrum based TPTS signal and provide monitor information data to:
a) TPTS control site; or
b) a data delivery subsystem.

3. The TPTS station of claim 1 , further comprising a data delivery subsystem adapted to provide TPTS system information to a TPTS user.

4. The TPTS station of claim 1 wherein the spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference (RBR) signal is adapted to be transmitted in reply to an active interrogation signal from a TPTS user.

5. The TPTS station of claim 1 interrogates a TPTS user and processes the reply with user measurement data to determine the bearing of the TPTS user from the TPTS station.

6. The TPTS station of claim 1 wherein the spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference (RBR) signal is adapted to be implemented using code division multiple access (CDMA).

7. The TPTS station of claim 1 wherein the spread-spectrum based bearing variable (BV) signal is adapted to be implemented using CDMA.

8. The TPTS station of claim 7 wherein:
a) the CDMA based bearing variable (BV) signal code rate is adapted to be varied proportional to the bearing specific modulation; and
b) the code deviation is adapted to be varied proportionally to a desired code offset, with respect to a TPTS reference time.

9. The TPTS station of claim 7 wherein:
a) the CDMA based bearing variable (BV) signal carrier rate is adapted to be varied proportionally to the bearing specific modulation; and
b) the carrier rate is adapted to be varied proportionally to a desired carrier offset, with respect to a TPTS reference time.

10. The TPTS station of claim 1 wherein said antenna over a broad region is an omni-directional antenna in a given plane or a sector antenna.

11. The TPTS station of claim 1 wherein said scanning antenna is a directional antenna.

12. The TPTS station of claim 11 wherein transmissions using the directional antenna are adapted to be scanned over a specific region in space over time, with respect to a TPTS reference time.

13. The TPTS station of claim 3 wherein the data delivery subsystem is adapted to utilize data encoded onto a communications link.

14. The TPTS station of claim 13 wherein the communications link is adapted to utilize data encoded onto a TPTS signal.

15. A method executed by a TPTS station, comprising the steps of:
a) utilizing a time reference;
b) utilizing a spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference (RBR) signal, with respect to the time reference for the system, transmitted by an antenna over a broad region of space; and
c) utilizing a spread-spectrum based bearing variable (BV) signal with bearing specific modulation, with reference to the time reference for the system, transmitted using an antenna, with reference to the bearing specific modulation, over a region of space that is more narrow than the spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference signal transmission spatial area.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of receiving monitor information from a TPTS monitor antenna and providing to a data delivery system.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the steps of utilizing a data delivery systems to provide TPTS systems information to a TPTS user.

Assignees

• Bartone Chris G
• Univ Ohio

Inventors

• Bartone Chris G

Classifications

• G01S1/50

  wherein the phase angle of the direction-dependent envelope signal is compared with a non-direction-dependent reference signal, {e.g. VOR} · CPC title

• G01S13/785

  Distance Measuring Equipment [DME] systems · CPC title

• G01S1/02 Primary

  using radio waves (G01S19/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S1/045 Primary

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S1/0428 Primary

  Signal details · CPC title