Chained Reference Stations for Global Real-Time Kinematic Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing geo-positioning methods, such as PPP and RTK, face limitations including high system costs, limited operating ranges, and long initialization times due to the need for dense reference station networks and high data transmission rates.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a chain of reference stations where user stations receive station-specific SSR corrections and positioning information from individual reference stations, enabling fast and accurate precise positioning without the need for conventional network-generated corrections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a dense reference station network is deployed to achieve fast ambiguity resolution, then positioning accuracy and convergence speed improve, but system cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the reference station network into individual independent reference stations, each generating its own station-specific SSR corrections. Instead of a dense interconnected network, each station operates autonomously and provides corrections to user stations independently, eliminating the need for complex network infrastructure while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of reference stations (generating SSR corrections) from the complex network infrastructure. By taking out the network dependency and allowing individual stations to operate independently, the system achieves fast ambiguity resolution without requiring a dense reference station network, thus reducing system complexity.
2Productivity
If OSR corrections are broadcast at high transmission rate to enable fast positioning, then convergence speed improves, but transmission bandwidth requirements and system cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of correction representation from OSR (observation-space representation) to SSR (state-space representation). This parameter change allows corrections to be broadcast at lower transmission rates while still enabling fast ambiguity resolution, thereby reducing bandwidth requirements without sacrificing positioning convergence speed.
3Measurement precision
If a regional CORS network is established to provide augmentation corrections, then fast ambiguity resolution becomes feasible, but system cost and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables each reference station to serve itself by generating its own station-specific SSR corrections independently. This self-service approach eliminates the need for a regional CORS network infrastructure and centralized processing, allowing fast ambiguity resolution while dramatically reducing system establishment and maintenance costs.
4Device complexity
If PPP is used to achieve global coverage with a single receiver, then system cost and complexity are reduced, but initialization time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces station-specific SSR corrections as an intermediary between the simple PPP approach and complex network RTK. These corrections act as a mediator that provides global coverage like PPP with reduced initialization time, while avoiding the need for dense reference station networks, thus maintaining system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for geo-positioning using a plurality of chained reference stations. A user station receives station-generated correction information-that is, SSR corrections that generated by a single station and unique to that reference station and positioning information from the specific reference station. A user-positioning module of the user station processes the received positioning information, as well as the reference station's station-specific corrections, to determine the user station's location. In some embodiments, the user station receives positioning and unique correction information from multiple reference stations. The user-positioning module then fuses the received information to determine the user station's location. Additional reference stations can be added to the reference station network by propagation. The reference station's position is known to a predetermined degree of precision.