Passive position determination using a correction-based time difference of arrival of a collaborative multi-static radar

Abstract

The invention relates to a relative position determination device comprising at least four transceiver units, wherein each of the at least four transceiver units is configured and designed to transmit - a broadband signal having a broadband signal property and - a position signal having information about an inherent and / or relative position of the transceiver unit, in such a way that an object approaching the device can determine its position relative to the device from differences between object-inherent reception times of the broadband signal property of received broadband signals and received position signals.

Description

[0001] Passive positioning using correction-based time-difference-of-arrival of a collaborative multistatic radar

[0002] Description

[0003] This article describes a relative positioning device, a self-relative positioning device, and a system for navigation in GNSS-poor / free environments.

[0004] Details are defined in the claims; however, the description and the drawing also contain relevant information on the structure and functioning of the device components.

[0005] Objects, such as aircraft, require positioning to improve everyday flight safety. To do this, aircraft determine their own position relative to a reference system, such as Earth, using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). In the absence of GNSS, such as on oil rigs or ships, or in areas where GNSS coverage cannot be guaranteed, other positioning systems must be used, such as local positioning systems. Local positioning systems can also serve as navigation support for autonomous aircraft or ships, providing improved positioning during the final approach to a landing area or when approaching a final position. A local positioning system typically requires interaction with the object that wants to determine its position and the system that transmits the signals necessary to determine the position.

[0006] Task to be solved

[0007] The challenge is to provide a passive positioning capability in a GNSS-free / poor environment.

[0008] This object is achieved by a device according to device claims 1 and 14 and the system according to claim 15.

[0009] When reference is made below to a transmitting / receiving unit and / or other transmitting / receiving units, this is to be understood as follows: Of a total of N transmitting / receiving units, one (number 1) of the N transmitting / receiving units is defined as the one. The other transmitting / receiving units are to be understood as N1 transmitting / receiving units.

[0010] A device for relative position determination, in particular for relative position determination in GNSS-poor / free environments, comprising at least four transmitting / receiving units, wherein each of the at least four transmitting / receiving units is set up and designed to

[0011] - a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal having a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property, and

[0012] - to transmit, in particular to transmit repeatedly, a position signal comprising information about an inherent and / or relative position of the transmitting-receiving unit, so that an object approaching the device can determine its position relative to the device from differences in the object's own reception times of the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal properties of received broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signals and received position signals.

[0013] The advantage of this embodiment is that, similar to GNSS, an unlimited number of objects can use the device for relative position determination without having to actively communicate with the device via communication channels or request signals.

[0014] A broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property can be considered any property of a corresponding signal that can be monitored as a unique characteristic quantity by the receiver. For example, the maximum occurring frequency within a chirped FMCW signal and / or properties of a calculation result, e.g., an autocorrelation performed by the receiver. In other words, the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property of the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal can be selected such that an autocorrelation of a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal results in a Dirac function or a Dirac-like function.Alternatively, the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property of the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signals may be selected such that an autocorrelation of a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal results in a Si / Sinc function or a Si / Sinc-like function.

[0015] In a first variant of an embodiment, each of the at least four transmitting / receiving units can be configured and designed to receive the position signal from the other transmitting / receiving units. At least one transmitting / receiving unit can be configured and designed to collect the position signals from the other transmitting / receiving units. The at least one transmitting / receiving unit can be configured and designed to transmit an overall position signal. The overall position signal can contain information about the inherent and / or relative position of one and / or the other transmitting / receiving units.

[0016] In a possible modification, the other transmitting-receiving units can be configured and designed to send exclusively their position information to the one transmitting-receiving unit.

[0017] In other words, the transceiver units can be referred to as anchors. The anchors transmit the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal in a time slot assigned to them. The position data required for the object is transmitted in other time slots in a data transmission channel. An external device, such as an aircraft, can receive these signals and determine its own relative position based on a time-difference-of-arrival approach. The advantage of this variant is that the complexity of communication among the at least four transceiver units is reduced.

[0018] In a second variant, each of the at least four transmitting / receiving units can be configured and designed to receive the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal from the other transmitting / receiving units. Each of the at least four transmitting / receiving units can be configured and designed to read out and / or provide the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property(ies) of its own and the received broadband signals / chirp signals / FMCW signals / FMCW radar signals. Each of the at least four transmitting / receiving units can be configured and designed to calculate a plurality of relative deviations and to transmit the plurality of relative deviations as a deviation signal.The plurality of relative deviations can be calculated based on the own and / or relative position and the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property of the own transceiver unit; as well as on the basis of the position signals, in particular the information contained therein about the own and / or relative position; and the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property(ies) of the other transceiver units. This allows an object approaching the device to calculate a correction from received deviation signals, with which the object can then determine its position relative to the device from differences in the object's own reception times of the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal properties of the received broadband signals / chirp signals / FMCW signals / FMCW radar signals, the received position signals and the calculated correction.This has the advantage that, using the deviation signals and the correction calculated by the object, a more precise position determination in relation to the device can be carried out than a position determination without the provision of a correction.

[0019] In a third variant, at least (exclusively) one of the at least four transmitting / receiving units can be configured and designed to receive the deviation signals from the other transmitting / receiving units. One transmitting / receiving unit can be configured and designed to calculate a correction and / or transmit a correction signal / total correction signal. The other transmitting / receiving units can each be configured and designed to calculate a relative deviation based on their own intrinsic and / or relative position and their own broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property, as well as based on the received position signal and the read-out broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property of the one transmitting / receiving unit.The other and / or one transmitting / receiving unit(s) can each be configured and designed to transmit a deviation signal. This allows an object approaching the device to determine its position relative to the device from differences in the object's own reception times of a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal characteristic of the received broadband signals / chirp signals / FMCW signals / FMCW radar signals, the received position signals, and the received correction signal.One of the at least four transceiver units can be configured and designed to calculate a relative deviation, in particular a plurality of relative deviations, based on its own intrinsic and / or relative position and its own broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property and / or based on the received position signal and the read-out broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property of the other transceiver unit. One of the at least four transceiver units can be configured and designed to receive the deviation signals from the other transceiver units and / or to calculate a plurality of corrections from the specifically calculated relative deviation and the received relative deviations and / or to transmit an overall correction signal.One transmit / receive unit can be considered a master transmit / receive unit, and the others a slave transmit / receive unit. This variant has the advantage that the object already receives the correction(s) needed to more precisely determine its relative position as a correction signal. Furthermore, complexity is reduced because there is no need to calculate multiple relative deviations between all the transmit / receive units, but only for one transmit / receive unit.

[0020] In a possible modification, the other transmitting-receiving units are configured and designed to calculate the relative deviation, in particular exclusively, to one transmitting-receiving unit and to send the corresponding deviation signal exclusively to the one transmitting-receiving unit.

[0021] For redundancy reasons, the second and third variants can be implemented concurrently or simultaneously. In other words, the deviation signals can be calculated by each transmitting / receiving unit and transmitted as a deviation signal. Additionally, a transmitting / receiving unit can be configured and designed to calculate a correction / multiple corrections based on the relative deviations received and calculated by the transmitting / receiving unit and transmit these as an overall correction signal.

[0022] In a further variant, the position of one transmitting-receiving unit, which can be set up and designed to calculate the correction and to transmit the correction signal, can be fixed in relation to the reference coordinate system.

[0023] This has the advantage that the accuracy of determining the position of an object relative to the device can be determined more precisely. In another variant, the broadband signal can be embodied as a chirp signal or as an FMCW signal, in particular as an FMCW radar signal.

[0024] In one variant, at least one of the at least four transmitting / receiving units can be configured and designed to transmit a trigger signal / heartbeat signal. The trigger signal / heartbeat signal can signal an object approaching the device that the device is transmitting the signals necessary for relative position determination.

[0025] In a further variant of the embodiment, the at least four transmitting / receiving units can be configured and designed to transmit the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal and / or the position signal and / or the deviation signal and / or the correction signal and / or the trigger signal in frequency division multiplexing or time division multiplexing.

[0026] In one variant, the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property can be designed as the maximum frequency of a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal, in particular an FMCW signal.

[0027] In one variant, the at least four transmit / receive units can be configured as a joint radar communication system. In other words, the described signals, broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal, can be embedded in the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal.

[0028] In one variant, the device can be arranged on a landing area for aircraft and / or on a watercraft, in particular a boat or ship, and / or on an oil rig and / or on / at a building and / or on a space station and / or satellite and / or space probe.

[0029] One embodiment relates to a device for determining one’s own relative position, in particular for determining one’s own relative position in a GNSS-poor / free environment, comprising a receiver, configured and designed to receive

[0030] - a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal, having a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property,

[0031] - a position signal and / or total position signal,

[0032] - a deviation signal, - a correction signal and / or total correction signal, wherein the device is further configured and designed to determine its position relative to a device for relative position determination from differences in the device's own reception times of a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property, received broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signals and received position signals, and / or configured and designed to determine its position relative to the device for relative position determination from differences in the device's own reception times of the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property of the received broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signals, the received position signals and a correction calculated from the received deviation signals, and / or configured and designed to is,to determine its position relative to the device for relative position determination from differences in the device's own reception times of the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal properties of the received broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signals, the received position signals, and a received correction signal, wherein the device is arranged in / on an object and / or on / in a spacecraft, aircraft, or watercraft, and / or rover, and / or satellite, and / or space probe.

[0033] One embodiment relates to a system for navigation in GNSS-poor / free environments, comprising a device for relative position determination and at least one device for self-relative position determination.

[0034] A method for determining relative position may comprise the steps:

[0035] - transmitting a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal having a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property;

[0036] - Emitting a position signal and / or overall position signal, comprising information about an inherent and / or relative position of the transmitting / receiving unit; so that an object can determine its position relative to the device from differences in the object's own reception times of the broadband signal properties of received broadband signals and received position signals.

[0037] The method may further comprise transmitting a deviation signal so that an object can calculate a correction from received deviation signals, whereby the object can subsequently determine its position relative to the device from differences in the object's own reception times, the broadband signal property of the received broadband signals, the received position signals and the calculated correction.

[0038] The method may further comprise transmitting a correction signal so that an object can determine its position relative to the device from differences in the object's own reception times, the broadband signal property of the received broadband signals, the correction comprising the correction signal and / or the calculated correction and the received position signals.

[0039] A method for determining one's own relative position may comprise the steps of: - receiving a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal having a broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property, in particular emitted by a relative position determining unit;

[0040] -Receiving a position signal comprising information about an intrinsic and / or relative position of the transmitting-receiving unit, in particular sent by a relative position determination unit;

[0041] - Calculating a plurality of differences from device-specific reception times of the broadband signal / chirp signal / FMCW signal / FMCW radar signal property;

[0042] - Calculate the relative position from the multitude of differences and the received position signals and / or total position signal.

[0043] The method may further comprise one or more of the following steps:

[0044] - Receiving multiple deviation signals;

[0045] - Calculating a plurality of corrections from the plurality of deviation signals;

[0046] - Calculating the relative position from the plurality of differences, the received position signals and / or the total position signal and the plurality of calculated corrections;

[0047] - Receiving a total correction signal;

[0048] - Calculate the relative position from the plurality of differences, the received position signals and / or the total position signal and the plurality of calculated corrections and / or the received total correction signal. Short description

[0049] Figure 1: Representation of a variant of a device for determining relative positions comprising at least four transmitting-receiving units.

[0050] Figure 2: Illustration of a variant of a device for relative position determination, in which a transmitting-receiving unit is set up and designed to transmit an overall position signal.

[0051] Figure 3: Representation of a variant of a device for determining relative positions in which each transmitting-receiving unit is set up and designed to transmit a deviation signal.

[0052] Figure 4: Illustration of a variant of a device for determining relative positions, in which a transmitting-receiving unit is set up and designed to transmit a correction signal.

[0053] Detailed description

[0054] Figure 1 shows a variant of a device 100 for determining relative positions. The device 100 has four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40. Each of the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 is configured and designed to transmit an FMCW radar signal 50 and a position signal 52. The FMCW radar signal 50 has a triangular chirp. The FMCW radar signal 50 is chirped / modulated from a minimum frequency to be determined to a maximum frequency to be determined. The maximum frequency occurring in the FMCW radar signal 50 can be considered the FMCW radar signal property. The position signal 52 of each transmitting-receiving unit contains information about the position of the corresponding transmitting-receiving unit 10, 20, 30, 40 relative to the reference coordinate system REF, e.g. ship.The position information can be encoded and / or modulated onto / into the position signal 52 in a manner conventional to those skilled in the art. The FMCW radar signal 50 and the position signal 52 are transmitted over two independent, non-overlapping communication channels.

[0055] The device 100 is further configured and designed to transmit the FMCW radar signals 50 using a time-division multiplexing method. In the time window in which the FMCW radar signal 50 of a transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 is transmitted on one channel, the position signal 52 of one transceiver unit is transmitted on the other channel in the same time window. Thus, the data of the position signal correlate with the correspondingly received FMCW radar signal 50. The four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 are fixed relative to a reference coordinate system REF and to one another. This means that the positions of the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 do not change relative to the reference coordinate system REF and to one another. This can be ensured, for example, by mounting the four transceiver units together on a landing platform, which can be located on a ship, for example.As a result, the four transmitting / receiving units do not change their position within the reference coordinate system REF (landing platform, ship).

[0056] An object O approaching the device 100, e.g., a helicopter, is interested in determining its position relative to the device 100. The device 100 is configured to transmit a trigger or heartbeat signal that signals the helicopter O that the device is transmitting the signals necessary for determining its own relative position.

[0057] Furthermore, a device for determining the helicopter's relative position is arranged on and / or in the helicopter. The device for determining the helicopter's relative position is configured to receive the signals 50, 52, 54, 56 emitted by the relative position determination device 100 and, if necessary, to decode / demodulate and / or evaluate them and / or provide them for calculation.

[0058] Furthermore, the device for determining its own relative position is configured and designed to determine its position from the received signals. To this end, the device for determining its own relative position on the helicopter O receives the signals 50, 52 emitted by the relative position determination device 100. The device for determining its own relative position measures the reception times of the FMCW radar signal properties of the received FMCW radar signals 50. In the illustrated variant, these are the reception times of the maximum frequency of the FMCW radar signals 50.

[0059] The device for determining its own relative position determines its position relative to the device 100 based on the reception times of the FMCW radar signal characteristics and the time difference of arrival approach; and the corresponding information about the position of the transmitting / receiving units 10, 20, 30, 40.

[0060] Figure 2 shows a variant of a device for relative position determination, in which a transceiver unit 20 is configured and designed to transmit an overall position signal 54. Each of the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 is configured and designed to transmit an FMCW radar signal 50 and to transmit and receive a position signal 52. At least one transceiver unit 20 is configured and designed to receive the position signals 52 of the other transceiver units 10, 30, 40, collect them, and transmit an overall position signal 54. The overall position signal 54 contains information about the position of the transceiver unit 20, which collects the received position signals 52, and corresponding information about the other transceiver units 10, 30, 40. The FMCW radar signal 50 has a triangular chirp.The FMCW radar signal 50 is chirped / modulated from a minimum frequency to be determined to a maximum frequency to be determined to the determined minimum frequency. The maximum frequency occurring in the FMCW radar signal 50 can be regarded as the FMCW radar signal property. The position signal 52 contains information about the position of the corresponding transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 relative to the reference coordinate system REF, e.g., a ship. The position information can be encoded and / or modulated onto / into the (overall) position signal 52, 54 in a manner customary to those skilled in the art. The FMCW radar signal 50, the position signal 52, and the overall position signal 54 are transmitted via three independent, non-overlapping channels.

[0061] The device 100 is further configured and designed to transmit the FMCW radar signals 50 using a time-division multiplexing method. In the time window in which the FMCW radar signal 50 of a transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 is transmitted on one channel, the position signal 52 of one transceiver unit is transmitted on the other channel in the same time window. The overall position signal 54 is configured such that a time window ID is assigned to the information about the position of the transceiver units, thus enabling an approaching object to assign the FMCW radar signal 50 to the position of the corresponding transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40.

[0062] The four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, and 40 are fixed relative to a reference coordinate system REF and to each other. This means that the transceiver units' positions do not change relative to the reference coordinate system REF or to each other. This can be ensured, for example, by mounting the four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, and 40 together on a landing platform, with the landing platform being located, for example, on a ship. As a result, the four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, and 40 do not change their position within the reference coordinate system REF (landing platform, ship) or relative to each other.

[0063] An object O approaching the device 100, e.g., a helicopter, is interested in determining its position relative to the device 100. The device 100 is configured to transmit a trigger or heartbeat signal that signals the helicopter that the device 100 is transmitting the signals necessary for determining its own relative position, so that the helicopter can begin receiving.

[0064] Furthermore, a device for determining the relative position of the helicopter O is arranged on and / or in the helicopter O. The device for determining the relative position of the helicopter O is configured to receive the signals emitted by the relative position determination device 100 and, if necessary, to decode / demodulate them and / or to provide them for calculation.

[0065] Furthermore, the device for determining its own relative position is configured and designed to determine its position from the received signals. To this end, the device for determining its own relative position on the helicopter O receives the signals 50, 52, 54, 56 emitted by the relative position determination device 100. The device for determining its own relative position measures the reception times of the FMCW radar signal properties of the received FMCW radar signals. In the illustrated variant, these are the reception times of the maximum frequency of the FMCW radar signals 50.

[0066] The device for determining its own relative position determines its position relative to the device 100 based on the reception times of the FMCW radar signal property and the time difference of arrival approach and the corresponding information about the position of the transmitting-receiving units 10, 20, 30, 40.

[0067] Figure 3 shows a variant 100 of a device for determining relative positions, in which each transmitting-receiving unit 10, 20, 30, 40 is configured and designed to transmit a deviation signal 56.

[0068] Each of the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 is configured and designed to transmit and receive an FMCW radar signal 50 and a position signal 52, as well as to transmit a deviation signal 56. At least one transceiver unit 20 is configured and designed to receive the position signals 52 of the other transceiver units 10, 30, 40, collect them, and output an overall position signal 54. The overall position signal 54 contains information about the position of the transceiver unit 20, which collects the received position signals 52, and corresponding position information about the other transceiver units 10, 30, 40. The position signal 52 contains information about the position of the corresponding transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 relative to the reference coordinate system, e.g., the ship. The position information can be encoded and / or modulated onto / into the (overall) position signal 52, 54 in a manner customary to those skilled in the art.

[0069] The FMCW radar signal 50 has a triangular chirp. The FMCW radar signal 50 is chirped / modulated from a minimum frequency to be determined to a maximum frequency to be determined. The maximum frequency occurring in the FMCW radar signal 50 can be considered the FMCW radar signal property.

[0070] The relative deviation of the deviation signal 56 is calculated from each transmitting / receiving unit 10, 20, 30, 40 to every other transmitting / receiving unit based on the position signals 52 and the received FMCW radar signals, more precisely, the FMCW radar signal properties. The deviation signal 56 contains information about the relative deviation of the various oscillators or internal delays of the transmitting / receiving units, for example, one and / or more frequency offsets of two and / or more maximum frequencies of two and / or more FMCW radar signals 50. In other words, no atomic clocks are used in the system, so that the internal clocks of the transmitting / receiving units 10, 20, 30, 40 drift across the transmitting / receiving units 10, 20, 30, 40.Therefore, the relative deviations between each other should be calculated and provided in order to be able to separate between internal delays and differences in the FMCW radar signal properties 50 in a later determination / calculation step.

[0071] In other words, each anchor (10, 20, 30, 40) can calculate and broadcast all relative deviations with respect to all other anchors that it sees. Therefore, in a constellation of N anchors, each anchor can calculate N1 relative deviations / delays / offsets from each other and broadcast them in time slots.

[0072] The FMCW radar signal 50, the position signal 52, the overall position signal 54, and the deviation signal 56 are transmitted over four independent, non-overlapping channels. Alternatively, the position, overall position, and deviation signals 52, 54, and 56 can be transmitted on a single packet-oriented channel.

[0073] The device 100 is further configured and designed to transmit the FMCW radar signals 50 using a time-division multiplexing method. In the time window in which the FMCW radar signal 50 of a transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 is transmitted on one channel, the position signal 52 of one transceiver unit is transmitted on the other channel in the same time window. The overall position signal 54 is configured such that a time window ID is assigned to the information about the position of the transceiver units, thus enabling an approaching object to assign the FMCW radar signal 50 in a time window to the position of the corresponding transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40.

[0074] The four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, and 40 are fixed relative to a reference coordinate system REF and to each other. This means that the positions of the transceiver units do not change relative to the reference coordinate system REF or to each other. This can be ensured, for example, by mounting the four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, and 40 together on a landing platform, with the landing platform being located on a ship, for example. This ensures that the four transceiver units do not change their position within the reference coordinate system REF (landing platform, ship) or relative to each other.

[0075] An object O approaching the device, e.g., a helicopter, is interested in determining its position relative to the device 100. The device 100 is configured to transmit a trigger or heartbeat signal that signals the helicopter O that the device is transmitting the signals necessary for determining its own relative position.

[0076] Furthermore, a device for determining the relative position of the helicopter O is arranged on and / or in the helicopter O. The device for determining the relative position of the helicopter O is configured to receive the signals 50, 52, 54, 56 emitted by the relative position determination device 100 and, if necessary, to decode / demodulate them and / or to provide them for calculation.

[0077] Furthermore, the device for determining its own relative position is configured and designed to determine its position from the received signals 50, 52, 54, 56. For this purpose, the device for determining its own relative position on the helicopter 0 receives the signals 50, 52, 54, 56 emitted by the relative position determination device 100. The device for determining its own relative position measures the reception times of the FMCW radar signal properties of the received FMCW radar signals 50. In the illustrated variant, the reception times of the maximum frequency of the FMCW radar signals 50.

[0078] The device for determining the relative position of the vehicle calculates a correction from the received deviation signals 56, which is then factored into a subsequent relative position determination. This improves the accuracy of determining the vehicle's position.

[0079] The device for determining its own relative position determines its position relative to the device 100 based on the reception times of the FMCW radar signal property and the time difference of arrival approach, the correction and the corresponding information about the position of the transmitting-receiving units 10, 20, 30, 40.

[0080] Figure 4 shows a representation of a variant of a device 100 for relative position determination, in which a transmitting-receiving unit 20 is set up and designed to transmit an overall correction signal 58.

[0081] Each of the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 is configured and designed to transmit and receive an FMCW radar signal 50 and a position signal 52, as well as to transmit a deviation signal 56. At least one transceiver unit 20 is configured and designed to receive the position signals 52 and the deviation signals 56 of the other transceiver units 10, 30, 40, collect them, and output an overall position signal 54. Furthermore, one transceiver unit 20 is configured and designed to calculate a relative deviation between itself and the other transceiver units 10, 30, 40. Furthermore, the one transmitting-receiving unit 20 is configured and designed to calculate a plurality of corrections from its own and received relative deviations and to transmit this correction as an overall correction signal 58.

[0082] In other words, a master anchor 20 is determined, for which the other slave anchors 10, 30, 40 calculate the relative deviation. The relative deviation calculated by the slave anchors 10, 30, 40 is sent exclusively to the master anchor 20. The master anchor 20 also calculates a relative deviation to the slave anchors 10, 30, 40, but does not transmit it. From the determined relative deviations and the received relative deviations, the master anchor 20 calculates a correction and transmits it as the overall correction signal 58.

[0083] The overall position signal 54 contains information about the position of the transceiver unit 20, which collects the received position signals 52, and corresponding position information about the other transceiver units 10, 30, 40. The position signal 52 contains information about the position of the corresponding transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 relative to the reference coordinate system REF, e.g., a ship. The position information can be encoded and / or modulated onto / into the (overall) position signal 52, 54 in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0084] The FMCW radar signal 50 has a triangular chirp. The FMCW radar signal is chirped / modulated from a predetermined minimum frequency to a predetermined maximum frequency. The maximum frequency occurring in the FMCW radar signal 50 can be considered the FMCW radar signal property.

[0085] The deviation signal 56 is calculated from each other transceiver unit 10, 30, 40 to the one transceiver unit 20 based on the position signals 52 and the received FMCW radar signals 50, more precisely, the FMCW radar signal properties. The deviation signal 56 contains information about the relative deviations of the various oscillators or internal delays of the transceiver units, for example, one and / or more frequency offsets of two and / or more maximum frequencies of two and / or more FMCW radar signals.

[0086] The FMCW radar signal 50, the position signal 52, the overall position signal 54, and the deviation signal 56 are transmitted over four independent, non-overlapping communication channels. Alternatively, the position, overall position, deviation, and overall correction signals 52, 54, 56, and 58 can be transmitted in a data packet-oriented channel.

[0087] The device 100 is further configured and designed to transmit the FMCW radar signals 50 using a time-division multiplexing method. In the time window in which the FMCW radar signal 50 of a transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 is transmitted on one channel, the position signal 52 of one transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40 is transmitted in the same time window on the other channel. The overall position signal 54 is configured such that a time window ID is assigned to the information about the position of the transceiver units, thus enabling an approaching object to assign the FMCW radar signal 50 in a time window to the position of the corresponding transceiver unit 10, 20, 30, 40.

[0088] Alternatively, the device 100 can be configured and designed to transmit the overall position signal 54 using frequency division multiplexing. For example, one transceiver unit 20 can be configured and designed to transmit exclusively the position of one transceiver unit, for example, the transceiver unit 10, on one frequency, in particular in one frequency window, and the position of another transceiver unit, for example, the transceiver unit 20, on another frequency, in particular in another frequency window, and so on. An object O approaching the device 100 knows the frequencies and which frequencies are assigned to which of the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 and can assign the position data from the received overall position signal 54 to the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 accordingly.

[0089] The four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 are fixed relative to a reference coordinate system REF and to each other. This means that the transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 do not change their positions relative to the reference coordinate system REF or to each other. This can be ensured, for example, by mounting the four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 together on a landing platform, with the landing platform being located, for example, on a ship. As a result, the four transceiver units 10, 20, 30, 40 do not change their positions within the reference coordinate system REF (landing platform, ship) or relative to each other.

[0090] An object O approaching the device 100, e.g., a helicopter, is interested in determining its position relative to the device 100. The device 100 is configured to transmit a trigger or heartbeat signal that signals the helicopter O that the device 100 is transmitting the signals necessary for determining its own relative position.

[0091] In addition, a device for determining the relative position of the helicopter O is arranged on and / or in the helicopter O. The device for determining the relative position of the helicopter O is configured to receive the signals 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 emitted by the relative position determining device and, if necessary, to decode / demodulate them and provide them for further calculations.

[0092] Furthermore, the device for determining its own relative position is configured and designed to determine its position from the received signals 50, 52, 54, 56, 58. For this purpose, the device for determining its own relative position on the helicopter 0 receives the signals 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 emitted by the relative position determination device 100. The device for determining its own relative position measures the reception times of the FMCW radar signal properties of the received FMCW radar signals. In the variant shown, the reception times of the maximum frequency of the FMCW radar signals 50. The device for determining its own relative position determines its position relative to the device 100 based on the reception times of the FMCW radar signal properties and the time difference of arrival approach, the corresponding information about the position of the transmitting / receiving units 10, 20, 30, 40, and the correction contained in the total correction signal 58.

[0093] In another variant, the device for determining one's own relative position can be integrated into an object, for example, a mobile electronic device for navigation. For this purpose, the device for determining one's own relative position can be located in the environment to be navigated. The environment can be the interior of a room / building, or an environment where no GNSS is available but the device for determining one's own relative position is present. The user of the mobile electronic device can then determine their own relative position within the environment.

Claims

Claims 1. A device (100) for determining relative positions comprising at least four transmitting-receiving units (10, 20, 30, 40), wherein each of the at least four transmitting-receiving units is configured and designed to - a broadband signal (50) having a broadband signal characteristic, and - transmitting a position signal (52) comprising information about an inherent and / or relative position of the transmitting-receiving unit, so that an object (O) approaching the device (100) can determine its position relative to the device (100) from differences in the object's own reception times of the broadband signal properties of received broadband signals (50) and received position signals (52).

2. The device (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein each of the at least four transmitting-receiving units (10, 20, 30, 40) is set up and designed to receive the position signal (52) of the other transmitting-receiving units, wherein at least one transmitting-receiving unit (20) is set up and designed to collect the position signals (52) of the other transmitting-receiving units (10, 30, 40) and to transmit an overall position signal (54) which has information about the intrinsic and / or relative position of the one (20) and the other transmitting-receiving units (10, 30, 40).

3. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the at least four transmitting-receiving units (10, 20, 30, 40) is arranged and designed to - to receive the broadband signal (50) of the other transmitting-receiving units, - read the broadband signal properties of the own and the received broadband signals, - to calculate a plurality of relative deviations and to transmit the plurality of relative deviations as a deviation signal (56), wherein the plurality of relative deviations are calculated on the basis of the own and / or relative position and the broadband signal properties of the own transmitting-receiving unit; as well as on the basis of the position signals, in particular the information contained therein. tions about its own and / or relative position, and the broadband signal properties of the other transmitting-receiving units, so that an object (0) approaching the device (100) can calculate a plurality of corrections from received deviation signals (56), whereby the object (O) can subsequently determine its position relative to the device (100) from differences in the object's own reception times, the broadband signal property of the received broadband signals (50), the received position signals (52) and the calculated plurality of corrections.

4. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the other transmitting-receiving units (10, 30, 40) are each configured and designed to, on the basis of - its own and / or relative position and its own broadband signal properties as well as - to calculate a relative deviation from the received position signal and the read-out broadband signal property of the one transmitting-receiving unit (20) and to transmit it as a deviation signal (56), wherein at least one transmitting-receiving unit (20) of the at least four transmitting-receiving units (10, 20, 30, 40) is set up and designed to calculate a relative deviation based on - its own and / or relative position and its own broadband signal properties as well as - to calculate a relative deviation from the received position signal and the read-out broadband signal property of the other transceiver unit (20), to receive the deviation signals (56) from the other transceiver units (10, 30, 40), to calculate a plurality of corrections from the specifically calculated relative deviation and the received relative deviations and to transmit an overall correction signal (58) so that an object (O) approaching the device (100) can determine its position relative to the device from differences in the object's own reception times of a broadband signal property of the received broadband signals (50), the received position signals (52) and the received overall correction signal (58).

5. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein positions of the at least four transmitting-receiving units are fixed relative to each other and / or relative to a reference coordinate system (REF).

6. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the position of the one transmitting-receiving unit, which is set up and designed to calculate the correction and to transmit the correction signal (58), is fixed in relation to the reference coordinate system (REF).

7. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the broadband signal is designed as a chirp signal or as an FMCW signal, in particular as an FMCW radar signal.

8. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the at least four transmitting-receiving units is configured and designed to transmit a trigger signal which signals to an object approaching the device that the device (100) is transmitting the signals necessary for the relative position determination.

9. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least four transmitting-receiving units are configured and designed to transmit the broadband signal and / or the position signal and / or the deviation signal and / or the correction signal and / or the trigger signal in frequency division multiplexing or time division multiplexing.

10. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the broadband signal property is formed as a maximum frequency of a chirp signal, in particular an FMCW signal.

11. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the broadband signal is designed as an FMCW radar signal, wherein the position signal and / or the deviation signal and / or the correction signal and / or the trigger signal are embedded in the FMCW radar signal and are transmitted via a time-division multiplexing method.

12. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least four transmitting-receiving units are designed as a joint radar communication system.

13. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is mounted on a landing area for aircraft and / or on a watercraft, in particular a boat or ship, and / or on an oil rig and / or is arranged on / at / in a building and / or on / in a space station and / or satellite and / or space probe.

14. A device for determining one’s own relative position, comprising a receiver, arranged and designed to receive - a broadband signal (50) having a broadband signal property, - a position signal (52) and / or total position signal, - a deviation signal (56), and / or - a correction signal (58) and / or total correction signal, wherein the device is further configured and designed to determine its position relative to a device according to claims 1 to 13 from differences in the device's own reception times of a broadband signal property of received broadband signals (50) and received position signals (52), and / or is configured and designed to determine its position relative to a device according to claims 1 to 13 from differences in the device's own reception times of the broadband signal property of the received broadband signals (50), the received position signals (52), and a correction calculated from the received deviation signals, and / or is configured and designed to determine its position relative to a device according to claims 1 to 13 from differences in the device's own reception times of the broadband signal property of the received broadband signals (50),the received position signals (52) and a received correction signal (58) and / or total correction signal to determine its position relative to a device according to claims 1 to 13, wherein the device (O) is arranged on / in an object and / or on / in a spacecraft, aircraft or watercraft, and / or rover and / or satellite and / or space probe.

15. A system for navigation in GNSS-poor / -free environments, comprising a device according to claims 1 to 13 and at least one device according to claim 14.

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