Static Virtual Reference Station Agents for GNSS Corrections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technologies face limitations in accuracy and precision, particularly in applications requiring hyper-accurate location services, due to terrestrial biases and errors, which can be catastrophic in autonomous systems like vehicles and drones. Existing solutions like Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) require a large number of physical reference stations, leading to scalability issues and high costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cloud-based microservice node that uses static Virtual Reference Station (VRS) agents assigned to geographic areas, rather than dedicated VRSs per client device, to provide hyper-accurate location services, reducing the need for numerous physical reference stations and minimizing resource consumption by sharing corrections data across multiple clients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dedicated Virtual Reference Stations are implemented for each client device, then location accuracy is improved, but device complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple client devices share a single static Virtual Reference Station agent instead of each device having its own dedicated VRS. The static VRS agent serves multiple clients within its geographic area, reducing the total number of VRS agents needed while maintaining hyper-accurate location services for all clients.
Solution Approach 2:
A static VRS agent is designed to serve multiple client devices simultaneously, making it a universal resource rather than a device-specific one. The same VRS agent can provide corrections data to numerous clients within its service area, reducing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If more physical reference stations are deployed, then location accuracy is improved, but cost and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deploying numerous physical reference stations, the system creates virtual copies of reference station functionality through software-based Static VRS agents. These virtual agents replicate the correction-providing function of physical stations without the associated hardware deployment and maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical reference station infrastructure with a software-based virtual reference station system. Network RTK engines and static VRS agents use computational methods to generate and distribute corrections data, eliminating the need for extensive physical station deployment.
3Loss of energy
If static VRS agents are used instead of dedicated VRSs, then resource consumption is reduced, but adaptability to individual client needs may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the service area into geographic regions, each served by a static VRS agent. Within each local area, the same corrections data is optimal for all clients, providing locally-adapted service without requiring global customization for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The service area is segmented into multiple geographic zones, each with its own static VRS agent. This segmentation allows the system to provide localized corrections data appropriate for each region while maintaining resource efficiency through shared infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A microservice node can include a network real-time kinematics (RTK) device to receive raw satellite data associated with a physical reference station via a first message in a first message queue, to receive static virtual location data associated with a static virtual reference station (VRS) agent, to generate corrections data for the static VRS agent based on the raw satellite data and the static virtual location data, and to transmit the corrections data to the static VRS agent. The microservice node can include the static VRS agent to publish the corrections data in a second message in a second message queue. The microservice node can include an adapter device to determine that the client device is located within a geographic area associated with the static VRS agent and to transmit the corrections data from the second message queue to the client device.