Ground-Based Positioning System Using Angle and Speed Measurements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current positioning systems, such as GPS, lack the necessary precision for high-safety applications like aircraft landing due to inaccuracies in signal propagation time and processing time variations, leading to unreliable distance and location determination.
Innovation Solution
A ground-based locating system with multiple stationary units and object-fixed units that use distance, reception angle, and relative speed measurements to determine the precise spatial position of a moving object, combining these metrics for improved accuracy through a position determination unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transponder-based radar systems are used for aircraft positioning, then availability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to unknown processing time variations
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the moving aircraft transmit signals to ground stations (radar approach), the invention inverts the architecture so that ground-based transmitters send signals to receivers on the aircraft. This eliminates the need for the aircraft to have active transponders with variable processing times, thereby resolving the contradiction between availability and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The aircraft-mounted receiver unit autonomously determines its position by receiving and processing signals from multiple ground-based transmitters. The system uses self-contained distance measurement based on signal propagation time, combined with angle determination and relative speed measurements, allowing the aircraft to determine its own position without relying on other aircraft's transponders.
2Reliability
If GPS satellite navigation is used for positioning, then availability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to insufficient altitude accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the positioning function into three independent measurement components: distance determination from multiple ground stations, angle determination using antenna arrays, and relative speed measurement using Doppler effects. By combining these segmented measurements, the system achieves high-precision three-dimensional positioning including accurate altitude information that GPS alone cannot provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground-based transmitter units serve multiple functions: they transmit position signals for distance measurement, enable angle determination through phase comparison across antenna arrays, and provide Doppler shift information for relative speed measurement. This multi-functional ground infrastructure replaces the need for satellite-based systems while providing superior altitude accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If multiple ground stations with transmitting and receiving units are deployed for high-precision positioning, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines distance measurement, angle determination, and relative speed measurement into a unified positioning system that processes all three parameters simultaneously through a single position determination unit. This merging of multiple measurement functions into one integrated system reduces operational complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The position determination unit acts as an intermediary that receives processed data from multiple ground stations and the aircraft receiver, then calculates the final three-dimensional position. This intermediary component simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the complex calculations and coordinate transformations needed to convert raw measurements into accurate position information.
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 system achieves high-precision three-dimensional positioning by synchronizing signal transmission and using Doppler shifts, enhancing accuracy and reliability for applications like aircraft guidance and maritime navigation.
Implementation Method 1
The transmitting units, whether arranged at the ground stations or on the object, are set up to emit position signals while the receiving units are set up to receive such transmitted position signals
Implementation Method 2
The receiving angle can advantageously be determined using a plurality of receiving antennas arranged on the receiving units, the angle being able to be determined using a phase shift of the received signal at the receiving antennas
Implementation Method 3
the relative speed can be derived from a Doppler shift of the received position signal
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a ground-based positioning system for determining a location of a mobile object (1), comprising a plurality of fixed ground stations (2a - 2c) respectively comprising a transmitting and/or receiving unit (3a - 3c), and at least one transmitting and/or receiving unit (5) that is arranged on the object, the transmitting units being set up to transmit position signals and the receiving units being set up to receive the position signals transmitted by the transmitting units. The ground-based positioning system comprises at least one position determination unit (4, 6) connected communicatively to at least some of the transmitting and/or receiving units (3a - 3c, 5), said position determination unit (4, 6) being set up to determine distances between the fixed transmitting and/or receiving units (3a - 3c) of the ground stations (2a - 2c) and the at least one transmitting and/or receiving unit (5) arranged on the object (1), for determining at least one receiving angle of the received position signals on the respective receiving unit and for determining a relative speed between at least one of the fixed transmitting and/or receiving units (3a-3c) of the ground stations (2a - 2c) and the at least one transmitting and/or receiving unit (5) arranged on the object (1), according to the position signals sent by the fixed transmitting units and received by the at least one receiving unit arranged on the object, and/or sent by the at least one transmitting unit arranged on the object and received by the fixed receiving units, and for determining the location of the at least one transmitting and/or receiving unit (5) arranged on the object, according to the determined distances, at least one of the receiving angles and at least one of the determined relative speeds.