Sensor Fusion Engine for Urban Positioning Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing satellite positioning systems face challenges in determining accurate positioning solutions in dense urban environments due to non-line-of-sight reception and multipath effects, which lead to contaminated satellite observations and reduced accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a fusion engine to process satellite observations, detect outliers, and update positioning solutions using partial information from few satellite signals, incorporating data from multiple constellations and sensors to enhance accuracy and availability, even in conditions with limited satellite visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If satellite positioning systems operate in dense urban environments, then positioning availability is reduced due to blocked signals, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to non-line-of-sight reception and multipath effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines satellite observations with inertial sensor measurements (accelerometers and gyroscopes) to create a hybrid positioning system. The inertial navigation system provides continuous positioning data independent of satellite visibility, while satellite data is used when available to correct drift and improve accuracy, resolving the contradiction between availability and accuracy in urban environments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that filters and evaluates satellite observations for outliers caused by multipath effects. This intermediary layer identifies and mitigates contaminated signals before they affect the final positioning solution, maintaining accuracy even when satellite signals are partially blocked or degraded in urban canyons
2Measurement precision
If the system processes all satellite observations, then positioning accuracy may improve, but computational complexity increases due to outlier detection and fusion processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes outlier observations from the satellite data before processing. By identifying and eliminating contaminated signals caused by multipath effects or non-line-of-sight reception, the system processes only clean, reliable observations, maintaining high accuracy while reducing the computational burden of processing all raw observations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary filtering and outlier detection on satellite observations before they are fed into the main positioning algorithm. This preliminary action prepares the data by removing obvious contaminants and organizing observations, reducing the complexity of subsequent processing steps while preserving accuracy
3Measurement precision
If the system requires multiple satellite signals for positioning, then positioning accuracy improves, but positioning availability decreases in environments with limited satellite visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables positioning solutions with partial satellite signal availability by using inertial sensors to compensate for missing satellite data. The system can provide continuous positioning with fewer than the traditional minimum required satellite signals by fusing inertial measurements, maintaining availability while preserving accuracy through sensor fusion
Data Source
AI summary
A method can include receiving a set of satellite signals, refining the set of satellite signals to generate a refined set of satellite signals, determining a satellite solution for each satellite associated with a satellite signal in the refined set of satellite signals, applying an a-priori correction to the satellite signals, determining a set of time differenced satellite signals between the satellite signals from a current epoch and a previous epoch; and determining the positioning solution of the rover using a fusion engine that processes the differenced satellite signals and inertial measurement unit (IMU) data.