Virtual Antenna for GNSS Multipath Error Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing GNSS location determination techniques are limited by multipath errors, which reduce the accuracy of location measurements, especially under limited-view conditions.
Innovation Solution
The use of two GNSS receiver antennas positioned in a fixed relation to each other, with a short baseline, allows for the processing of signals to define a virtual antenna at the midpoint between the two antennas, thereby improving location accuracy by reducing multipath error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional single-antenna GNSS techniques are used, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision is limited due to multipath errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines signals from two physically separated antennas to create a virtual antenna system. By merging the signal processing paths and combining the observed carrier phases from both antennas, the system achieves improved measurement precision through multipath error reduction while maintaining a manageable device complexity through shared processing infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual antenna as an intermediary computational construct that does not physically exist. This virtual antenna serves as a mediator that synthesizes information from two physical antennas, allowing the system to achieve higher precision measurements without the complexity of directly coordinating multiple physical measurement points
2Measurement precision
If two antennas are used to reduce multipath error, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the antenna system through computational synthesis. Instead of requiring complex coordination between two independent physical measurement systems, the invention generates a virtual replica that processes combined signal information, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining the precision benefits of dual-antenna operation
3Measurement precision
If RTK technique is used to improve location accuracy, then the measurement precision increases, but the device complexity increases due to requiring base and rover units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of carrier phase measurement from the complex RTK base-rover architecture. By isolating and utilizing only the carrier phase observation capability within a single receiver unit, the system achieves high precision location accuracy without requiring the distributed base and rover unit configuration, thereby reducing device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A receiver system for determining coordinates of a location can include two GNSS receiver antennas positioned in fixed relation to each other and separated by a short baseline. Signals received from the two receiver antennas can be processed to define a “virtual” antenna located at the midpoint between the two receiver antennas. For instance, a location can be determined for each receiver antenna using GNSS-based techniques, and the locations of the two antennas can be used to determine a location of the virtual antenna. As another example, GNSS observables from the two antennas can be combined to provide a set of “virtual” observables for the virtual antenna, and GNSS-based techniques can be applied to the virtual observables to determine a location of the virtual antenna.