Terrestrial position and timing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9851429-B2
Application number	US-201615223875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	May 1, 2012
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

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) user antenna/receiver, adapted to utilize a TPTS station transmission to determine an estimate of TPTS user solution relative to a TPTS station, comprised of:
a) a user antenna adapted to receive and process at least a TPTS transmitted spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference (RBR) signal to determine a signal correlation with respect to a TPTS reference time;
b) a user antenna adapted to receive and process at least a TPTS transmitted spread-spectrum based bearing variable (BV) signal to determine a signal correlation with respect to a TPTS reference time; and
c) a processor adapted to process the signal correlation information from the RBR signal and the BV signal to determine an estimate of bearing from the TPTS station.

2. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein the TPTS user antenna/receiver is adapted to actively interrogate the TPTS station to process a signal reply from the TPTS station.

3. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 wherein the TPTS user antenna/receiver is adapted to reply to an active interrogation from the TPTS station and provide user measurement information.

4. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein a user solution further comprises at least one estimate of a range from the TPTS station, a position, a velocity of the TPTS user antenna/receiver, or a time solution.

5. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 4 , wherein the TPTS user antenna/receiver is adapted to receive and process data broadcast from the TPTS station to determine a user solution.

6. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein the RBR signal is adapted to be processed as a code division multiple access (CDMA) signal to determine the signal correlation.

7. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein the BV signal is adapted to be processed as a code division multiple access (CDMA) signal to determine the signal correlation.

8. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein:
the RBR signal is adapted to be implemented using code division multiple access (CDMA);
the BV signal is adapted to be implemented using CDMA; and
the processor is adapted to estimate a time difference between the RBR and the BV signal correlation information to determine the estimate of bearing from the TPTS station.

9. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to process at least one of the RBR and BV signals by averaging code measurement data using carrier phase measurement data for a user solution.

10. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to process the signal correlation information using code correlation and carrier correlation measurement information such that a carrier phase is estimated for a user solution.

11. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 10 , wherein the carrier phase is estimated and used for a fine bearing estimation from the TPTS station.

12. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to process the signal correlation information to estimate carrier phase of at least one of the RBR and BV signals for a user solution.

13. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to estimate bearing from the TPTS station by utilizing a difference between the RBR and BV signal correlation information and a difference between RBR and BV carrier phase measurement data.

14. A terrestrial positioning and timing system (TPTS) user antenna/receiver, adapted to utilize a TPTS station transmission to determine an estimate of TPTS user solution relative to a TPTS station, comprised of:
a) a user antenna adapted to receive and process at least a TPTS transmitted code division multiple access (CDMA) spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference (RBR) signal to determine a signal correlation with respect to a TPTS reference time;
b) a user antenna adapted to receive and process at least a TPTS transmitted CDMA spread-spectrum based bearing variable (BV) signal to determine a signal correlation with respect to a TPTS reference time; and
c) a processor adapted to process the signal correlation information from the RBR signal and the BV signal to determine an estimate of bearing from the TPTS station.

15. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 , wherein the TPTS user antenna/receiver is adapted to actively interrogate the TPTS station to process a signal reply from the TPTS station.

16. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 wherein the TPTS user antenna/receiver is adapted to reply to an active interrogation from the TPTS station and provide user measurement information.

17. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 , wherein a user solution further comprises at least one estimate of a range from the TPTS station, a position, a velocity of the TPTS user antenna/receiver, or a time solution.

18. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 17 , wherein the TPTS user antenna/receiver is adapted to receive and process data broadcast from the TPTS station to determine a user solution.

19. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 , wherein the processor is adapted to estimate a time difference between the RBR and the BV signal correlation information to determine the estimate of bearing from the TPTS station.

20. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 , wherein the processor is adapted to process at least one of the RBR and BV signals by averaging code measurement data using carrier phase measurement data for a user solution.

21. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 , wherein the processor is adapted to process the signal correlation information using code correlation and carrier correlation measurement information such that a carrier phase is estimated for a user solution.

22. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 21 , wherein the carrier phase is estimated and used for a fine bearing estimation from the TPTS station.

23. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 , wherein the processor is adapted to process the signal correlation information to estimate carrier phase of at least one of the RBR and BV signals for a user solution.

24. The TPTS user antenna/receiver of claim 14 , wherein the processor is adapted to estimate bearing from the TPTS station by utilizing a difference between the RBR and BV signal correlation information and a difference between RBR and BV carrier phase measurement data.

25. A method, implemented by a terrestrial positioning and timing system (TPTS) user antenna/receiver, to utilize a TPTS station transmission to determine an estimate of TPTS user solution relative to a TPTS station, comprising the steps of:
a) receiving and processing at least a TPTS transmitted spread-spectrum based range and bearing reference (RBR) signal to determine a signal correlation with respect to a TPTS reference time;
b) receiving and processing at least a TPTS transmitted spread-spectrum based bearing variable (BV) signal to determine a signal correlation with respect to a TPTS reference time; and
c) processing the signal correlation information from the RBR signal and the BV signal to determine an estimate of bearing from a TPTS station.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising the step of actively interrogating the TPTS station to process a signal reply from the TPTS station.

27. The method of claim 25 further comp

Assignees

• Univ Ohio

Inventors

• Bartone Chris G

Classifications

• G01S13/785

  Distance Measuring Equipment [DME] systems · CPC title

• G01S5/10

  Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements {, e.g. omega or decca systems}(G01S5/12 takes precedence {; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308}) · CPC title

• 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

• G01S1/44

  Rotating or oscillating beam beacons defining directions in the plane of rotation or oscillation · CPC title

• G01S1/0428 Primary

  Signal details · CPC title