Altitude Estimation Error Mitigation via Transmitter Heating Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inaccurate altitude estimation of a receiver in urban or building environments due to transmitter heating, which can lead to delayed emergency responses or navigation errors, as temperature measurements at the transmitter diverge from true ambient temperatures.
Innovation Solution
Mitigating transmitter heating effects by determining an adjusted temperature using remote sensors or temperature scaling factors and offsets, and applying pressure adjustments to improve the accuracy of reference pressure estimation for altitude calculation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature measurements are collected from sensors at the transmitter, then reference pressure can be determined for altitude estimation, but transmitter heating causes temperature measurements to diverge from true ambient temperature, reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces remote sensors as intermediary devices to measure ambient temperature away from the transmitter's thermal influence. These remote sensors act as mediators between the transmitter system and the environment, providing accurate temperature data without being affected by transmitter heating. The system uses these remote temperature measurements to calculate reference pressure, thereby eliminating the harmful thermal effects from the measurement process.
2Measurement precision
If reference pressure is determined using transmitter temperature measurements, then altitude estimation can be performed, but the accuracy of estimated altitude is negatively impacted by transmitter heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the temperature measurement function from the transmitter location and places it at remote locations away from the thermal influence of the transmitter. By separating the temperature sensing function from the transmitter, the system obtains accurate ambient temperature data that is not contaminated by transmitter heating, thereby improving altitude estimation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces remote sensors as intermediary devices to measure ambient temperature away from the transmitter's thermal influence. These remote sensors act as mediators between the transmitter system and the environment, providing accurate temperature data without being affected by transmitter heating. The system uses these remote temperature measurements to calculate reference pressure, thereby eliminating the harmful thermal effects from the measurement process.
3Measurement precision
If temperature scaling factors and offsets are applied to compensate for transmitter heating, then altitude estimation accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional calibration and computation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies temperature scaling factors and offsets as parameter adjustments to compensate for transmitter heating effects. By modifying the temperature measurement parameters through calibration data, the system corrects the thermal bias without requiring complex hardware changes. This approach transforms the problem from a hardware design challenge to a software-based parameter adjustment solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary calibration to determine temperature scaling factors and offsets before normal operation. By pre-characterizing the transmitter's thermal effects and storing compensation parameters, the system eliminates the need for real-time complex calculations during altitude estimation, reducing operational complexity while maintaining accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces the deviation in altitude estimation errors caused by transmitter heating, leading to more precise location determination of receivers, especially in challenging environments.
Implementation Method 1
An estimate of a receiver's altitude can be determined using a pressure measured at the receiver and a normalized reference pressure
Implementation Method 2
The reference pressure can be determined using pressure and temperature measurements collected from sensors at a transmitter
Implementation Method 3
the accuracy of the estimated altitude can be negatively impacted by heating of the transmitter, such that temperature measurements made at the transmitter diverge from the true ambient temperature
Data Source
AI summary
Improving an estimated altitude of a receiver by mitigating the effects of transmitter heating. Systems and methods for improving estimates of a receiver's altitude determine a reference pressure at a reference altitude using a temperature measured at a transmitter or another temperature value, an altitude of the transmitter, and a pressure measured by the transmitter or another pressure value. A local reference pressure for a receiver is determined using the reference pressure and other reference pressures from other transmitters. Reference pressures from overheating transmitters may be weighted less than reference pressures from other transmitters when determining the local reference pressure. The local reference pressure is then used to estimate the altitude of the receiver.