Doppler Aided Inertial Navigation Using Ambient RF Signals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current Doppler-inertial navigation techniques are inadequate for mobile devices in GPS/GNSS obstructed environments due to impracticality of active RF or acoustic emitters, leading to battery drain, interference, and reduced accuracy in complex multipath environments.
Innovation Solution
The use of RF Doppler observations combined with inertial and environmental sensors to provide autonomous positioning and navigation, leveraging existing signals like cellular and Wi-Fi for Doppler shift measurements, eliminating the need for external infrastructure and reducing interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If active RF or acoustic emitters are used for Doppler-inertial navigation, then positioning accuracy can be improved, but battery consumption increases and interference is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing ambient RF signals (cellular, Wi-Fi, broadcast) that are already present in the environment for Doppler measurements, eliminating the need for dedicated active emitters. The mobile device serves itself by leveraging signals that would otherwise be unused for navigation purposes, thereby avoiding additional battery consumption while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ambient RF signals as an intermediary medium between the mobile device and the navigation system. Instead of the device generating its own signals, it uses existing RF signals in the environment as a mediator to obtain Doppler shift information, thus avoiding direct energy consumption for signal transmission while still achieving accurate velocity and position measurements.
2Measurement precision
If active RF or acoustic emitters are used for Doppler-inertial navigation, then positioning accuracy can be improved, but interference is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing ambient RF signals (cellular, Wi-Fi, broadcast) that are already present in the environment for Doppler measurements, eliminating the need for dedicated active emitters. The mobile device serves itself by leveraging signals that would otherwise be unused for navigation purposes, thereby avoiding additional battery consumption while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ambient RF signals as an intermediary medium between the mobile device and the navigation system. Instead of the device generating its own signals, it uses existing RF signals in the environment as a mediator to obtain Doppler shift information, thus avoiding direct energy consumption for signal transmission while still achieving accurate velocity and position measurements.
3Measurement precision
If external infrastructure is deployed for Doppler observations, then navigation accuracy in obstructed environments can be improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing multi-functional RF infrastructure (cellular towers, Wi-Fi access points, broadcast transmitters) that serve multiple purposes including communication and navigation. By leveraging these existing structures for Doppler observations, the patent eliminates the need for dedicated navigation infrastructure, thereby reducing system complexity and deployment costs while maintaining high navigation accuracy in GPS-obstructed environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing ambient RF signals (cellular, Wi-Fi, broadcast) that are already present in the environment for Doppler measurements, eliminating the need for dedicated active emitters. The mobile device serves itself by leveraging signals that would otherwise be unused for navigation purposes, thereby avoiding additional battery consumption while maintaining positioning 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
This approach enables precise, cost-effective, and autonomous navigation in GPS/GNSS obstructed environments, reducing the need for infrastructure deployment and minimizing interference, while providing high-resolution positioning and velocity information.
Implementation Method 1
high precision RF Doppler observations of readily available, existing signals
Data Source
AI summary
Doppler Aided Inertial Navigation (DAIN) facilitates the determination of position, velocity and direction of mobile devices operating in highly obstructed GPS/GNSS environments. Delivering high precision, high resolution positioning information using signals of opportunity, the present invention measures the Doppler shift of a moving device using a variety of signals combined with inertial accelerometers and environmental sensors to deliver an autonomous positioning and navigation capability that does not require external infrastructure or a priori knowledge of signal sources.