GPS Error Correction via Fixed Ground Station Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional satellite location systems, such as GPS, lack the precision required for applications like autonomous vehicles and UAVs due to various sources of error, necessitating improved positional accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A location system ground station determines compensation values by comparing satellite-broadcast location coordinates to fixed coordinates, generating correction information that is broadcast to devices like UAVs and autonomous vehicles to enhance positional accuracy, and employs encryption and confidence values to manage error correction and event detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional satellite location systems are used, then the system is simple and widely available, but the positional accuracy is insufficient for applications requiring high precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces ground stations as intermediary components between satellites and user devices. These ground stations receive satellite signals, compute correction values by comparing with known fixed positions, and transmit corrections to users. This intermediary layer adds precision without requiring complex changes to the satellite system itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: satellite constellation for broad coverage, ground stations for correction computation, and user devices for application. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, maintaining overall system simplicity while improving measurement precision through specialized correction processing.
2Measurement precision
If ground stations with fixed coordinates are introduced to compute correction values, then positional accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Ground stations use their own known fixed coordinates to self-determine correction values. Each ground station independently computes corrections by comparing satellite-derived positions with its predetermined accurate position, eliminating the need for centralized correction computation and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of using relative satellite positioning to absolute positioning by incorporating ground station corrections. By transforming the reference frame from satellite-only relative coordinates to ground-referenced absolute coordinates, the system achieves higher precision without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If correction values are broadcast to multiple devices, then more devices benefit from improved accuracy, but information management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Ground stations broadcast correction values that serve multiple user devices simultaneously. A single correction computation from one ground station can benefit numerous devices in its coverage area, providing universal improvement without requiring individualized correction calculations for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
Ground stations compute and broadcast correction values in advance before users need them. By preliminarily determining corrections and making them available for broadcast, the system enables users to apply corrections without real-time computation delays, simplifying information management while maintaining wide device coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
An error correcting location system includes a ground station with fixed reference coordinates. The ground station may receive satellite broadcast messages from a plurality of location system satellites. Further, the ground station may determine location coordinates based on the satellite broadcast messages, and compare the location coordinates to the fixed reference coordinates to determine a compensation value. In addition, the ground station may send the compensation value to location system devices. Upon receipt of the compensation value, the location system devices may utilize the compensation value to generate highly accurate location coordinates.