Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Directive – Including a satellite
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-28
2003-09-09
Phan, Dao (Department: 3662)
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Directive
Including a satellite
Reexamination Certificate
active
06618006
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for defining the reference time error of a receiver in a positioning means, to a positioning system having a receiver with means for forming a reference time, and to an electronic device having means for forming a reference time.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One known positioning system is the GPS system (Global Positioning System) which presently comprises more than 20 satellites, of which a maximum of 12 are simultaneously within the sight of a receiver. These satellites transmit e.g. Ephemeris data of the satellite, as well as data on the time of the satellite. A receiver used in positioning normally deduces its position by calculating the propagation time of a signal transmitted simultaneously from several satellites belonging to the positioning system to the receiver. For the positioning, the receiver must typically receive the signal of at least four satellites within sight to compute the position.
Each satellite of the GPS system transmits a ranging signal at a carrier frequency of 1575.42 MHz called L
1
. This frequency is also indicated with 154f
0
, where f
0
=10.23 MHz. Furthermore, the satellites transmit another ranging signal at a carrier frequency of 1227.6 MHz called L
2
, i.e. 120f
0
. In the satellite, the modulation of these signals is performed with at least one pseudo random sequence. This pseudo random sequence is different for each satellite. As a result of the modulation, a code-modulated wideband signal is generated. The modulation technique used makes it possible in the receiver to distinguish between the signals transmitted from different satellites, although the carrier frequencies used in the transmission are substantially the same. This modulation technique is called code division multiple access (CDMA). In each satellite, for modulating the L
1
signal, the pseudo sequence used is e.g. a so-called C/A code (Coarse/Acquisition code), which is a code from the family of the Gold codes. Each GPS satellite transmits a signal by using an individual C/A code. The codes are formed as a modulo-2 sum of two 1023-bit binary sequences. The first binary sequence G
1
is formed with a polynome X
10
+X
3
+1, and the second binary sequence G
2
is formed by delaying the polynome X
10
+X
9
+X
8
+X
6
+X
3
+X
2
+1 in such a way that the delay is different for each satellite. This arrangement makes it possible to produce different C/A codes with an identical code generator. The C/A codes are thus binary codes whose chipping rate in the GPS system is 1.023 MHz. The C/A code comprises 1023 chips, wherein the iteration time (epoch) of the code is 1 ms. The carrier of the L
1
signal is further modulated by navigation information at a bit rate of 50 bit/s. The navigation information comprises information about the “health”, orbit, time data of the satellite, etc.
During their operation, the satellites monitor the condition of their equipment. The satellites may use for example so-called watch-dog operations to detect and report possible faults in the equipment. The errors and malfunctions can be instantaneous or longer lasting. On the basis of the health data, some of the faults can possibly be compensated for, or the information transmitted by a malfunctioning satellite can be totally disregarded. Furthermore, in a situation in which the signal of more than four satellites can be received, the information received from different satellites can be weighted differently on the basis of the health data. Thus, it is possible to minimize the effect of errors on measurements, possibly caused by satellites which seem unreliable.
To detect the signals of the satellites and to identify the satellites, the receiver must perform acquisition, whereby the receiver searches for the signal of each satellite at the time and attempts to be synchronized and locked to this signal so that the data transmitted with the signal can be received and demodulated.
The positioning receiver must perform the acquisition e.g. when the receiver is turned on and also in a situation in which the receiver has not been capable of receiving the signal of any satellite for a long time. Such a situation can easily occur e.g. in portable devices, because the device is moving and the antenna of the device is not always in an optimal position in relation to the satellites, which impairs the strength of the signal coming in the receiver. Also, in urban areas, buildings affect the signal to be received, and furthermore, so-called multipath propagation can occur, wherein the transmitted signal comes into the receiver along different paths, e.g. directly from the satellite (line-of-sight) and also reflected from buildings. This multipath propagation causes that the same signal is received as several signals with different phases.
The positioning arrangement has two primary functions:
1. to calculate the pseudo range between the receiver and the different GPS satellites, and
2. to determine the position of the receiver by utilizing the calculated pseudo ranges and the position data of the satellites. The position data of the satellites at each time can be calculated on the basis of the Ephemeris and time correction data received from the satellites.
The distances to the satellites are called pseudo ranges, because the time is not accurately known in the receiver. Thus, the determinations of position and time are repeated until a sufficient accuracy is achieved with respect to time and position. Because time is not known with absolute precision, the position and the time must be determined e.g. by linearizing a set of equations for each new iteration.
The pseudo range can be calculated by measuring the pseudo transmission time delays between signals of different satellites.
Almost all known GPS receivers utilize correlation methods for acquisition to the code as well as for tracking. In a positioning receiver, reference codes ref(k), i.e. the pseudo random sequences for different satellites are stored or generated locally. A received signal is subjected to conversion to an intermediate frequency (down conversion), after which the receiver multiplies the received signal with the stored pseudo random sequence. The signal obtained as a result of the multiplication is integrated or low-pass filtered, wherein the result is data about whether the received signal contained a signal transmitted by a satellite. The multiplication is iterated in the receiver so that each time, the phase of the pseudo random sequence stored in the receiver is shifted. The correct phase is inferred from the correlation result preferably so that when the correlation result is the greatest, the correct phase has been found. Thus, the receiver is correctly synchronized with the received signal. After the code acquisition has been completed, the next steps are frequency tuning and phase locking.
The above-mentioned acquisition and frequency control process must be performed for each signal of a satellite received in the receiver. Some receivers may have several receiving channels, wherein an attempt is made on each receiving channel to be synchronized with the signal of one satellite at a time and to find out the information transmitted by this satellite.
The positioning receiver receives information transmitted by satellites and performs positioning on the basis of the received information. For the positioning, the receiver must receive the signal transmitted by at least four different satellites to find out the x, y, z coordinates and the time data. The received navigation information is stored in a memory, wherein this stored information can be used to find out e.g. the Ephemeris data of satellites.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
shows, in a principle chart, positioning in a positioning receiver MS by means of a signal transmitted from four satellites SV
1
, SV
2
, SV
3
, SV
4
. In the GPS system, the satellites transmit Ephemeris data as well as time data, on the basis of which the positioning receiver can perform calcul
Nokia Corporation
Perman & Green LLP
Phan Dao
LandOfFree
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