Portable Device Cooperative GNSS Positioning in Poor Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices often face challenges in determining their geographical location indoors or in areas with obstructed satellite views, as they may receive insufficient or corrupted GNSS data from fewer than the required number of satellites, leading to inaccurate or impossible location fixes.
Innovation Solution
The device communicates with nearby portable electronic devices to access and supplement its partial GNSS data, using shared data from other devices to create a collective pool of GNSS data, synchronize and align the data, and improve the signal-to-noise ratio, thereby determining its geographical location even in conditions with poor satellite reception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the device relies solely on its own GNSS data for location determination, then the positioning system remains simple and independent, but accurate location determination becomes impossible in areas with obstructed satellite views
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines GNSS data from multiple portable devices to form a collective data pool, merging individual partial datasets into a comprehensive set that enables accurate location determination for all devices in the group, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data sharing and synchronization mechanism as an intermediary layer between individual devices and the location determination process, allowing devices to access and process each other's GNSS data without requiring direct complex inter-device coordination for each positioning calculation
2Loss of information
If the device communicates with multiple nearby devices to access their GNSS data, then the completeness of GNSS data improves, but the complexity of data synchronization and alignment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary synchronization and alignment of GNSS data from multiple devices before combining them into the collective pool, pre-processing the data to establish proper timing relationships and coordinate systems, which reduces the complexity of subsequent data fusion operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms GNSS data from different devices into a unified parameter space through synchronization and alignment operations, converting heterogeneous data with different timing references into homogeneous data with consistent parameters that can be directly combined
3Adaptability or versatility
If the device uses partial GNSS data from fewer satellites, then the positioning system can operate in more environments, but the accuracy and reliability of location determination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges partial GNSS datasets from multiple devices to create a complete dataset that maintains high reliability for location determination, allowing the system to operate in environments with obstructed satellite views by combining the limited data available to each individual device
Data Source
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Figure 2b~8
Figure 3b
AI summary
In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided an apparatus comprising a memory having computer code stored thereon, and a processor. The code is configured to cause the apparatus to: receive partial GNSS data from one or more GNSS satellites relating to the geographical location of a first portable electronic device, wherein the received partial GNSS data is insufficient for determining the geographical location of the first portable electronic device; communicate with one or more further portable electronic devices in proximity to the first portable electronic device to access partial GNSS data relating to the geographical location of the respective further portable electronic devices; and use the accessed partial GNSS data of the further portable electronic devices to supplement the received partial GNSS data of the first portable electronic device to thereby determine the geographical location of the first device.