초록 ▼

Method and apparatus for determining the location of a point on a rotating body, using location determination (LD) signals received from as few as one satellite, preferably non-geosynchronous. Where signals from two or more satellites are received, one may be geosynchronous. Pseudoranges are measure

Method and apparatus for determining the location of a point on a rotating body, using location determination (LD) signals received from as few as one satellite, preferably non-geosynchronous. Where signals from two or more satellites are received, one may be geosynchronous. Pseudoranges are measured from one or more satellites at two or more selected, spaced apart observation times, and the simultaneous rotations of the body and the satellite(s) relative to each other result in different body-satellite constellations for which the initial location coordinates (and, optionally, signal receiver time offset) of the selected point are determined exactly, without approximation or iteration. The selected point may be motionless or may be allowed to move with known coordinate differences between the initial unknown location and the present location at each observation time. Pseudoranges from different satellites, or even from different satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, LEO, etc.) can be measured and used in this procedure.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A method for determining the location of a point on a revolving body, the method comprising the steps of:receiving location determination (LD) signals, at a user receiver located at a selected point on a revolving body, from a satellite that revolves around the revolving body in a n

[ I claim:] [1.] A method for determining the location of a point on a revolving body, the method comprising the steps of:receiving location determination (LD) signals, at a user receiver located at a selected point on a revolving body, from a satellite that revolves around the revolving body in a non-geosynchronous orbit with known orbit parameters, at N selected, spaced apart sampling times (N.gtoreq.2);determining a pseudorange value between the selected point and the satellite at each of the N selected times, using the LD signals;processing the pseudorange values to produce at least one linear relation relating location fix coordinates for the selected point that takes account of the revolutions of the body and of the satellite relative to each other between at least two sampling times; andusing the at least one linear relation together with at least one pseudorange value to produce a nonlinear relation relating the location fix coordinates from which the location fix coordinates can be calculated without iteration and without approximation.