# US 10,768,311 B2 · System and method for combining signals for improved performance in challenging environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,311 B2 - Document ID: US10768311B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/928,764 - Filed: 2018-03-22 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-27 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Gary Lennen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768311B2 ## CPC - G01S 19/426: {by combining or switching between position solutions or signals derived from different modes of operation in a single system} - G01S 19/20: Integrity monitoring, fault detection or fault isolation of space segment - G01S 19/22: Multipath-related issues - G01S 19/30: code related {(G01S19/246 takes precedence)} - G01S 19/32: Multimode operation in a single same satellite system, e.g. GPS L1/L2 - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract Apparatuses and methods of manufacturing same, systems, and methods are described for combining received and correlated Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and using the combined signal for improving GNSS reception in, inter alia, challenging environments. In one aspect, a first correlated GNSS signal and a second correlated GNSS signal are stored and then combined, and the combined signal is used to adjust reception of the first GNSS signal and/or the second GNSS signal. If the first and second correlated GNSS signals are stored by unequal time periods, time periods of one or both are added together until the total added first correlated GNSS signal is the same length of time as the total added second correlated GNSS signal. In order to properly combine the GNSS signals, gain/balancing factor(s) may be applied, the polarity of one or both may be flipped, etc. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: determining first correlations for a first type of satellite signal over a first period; determining second correlations for a second type of satellite signal over a second period; summing the second correlations from one or more second periods until the first period is substantially the same as the second period; modifying first and second periods of the first correlations and modifying the second correlations in order to combine the modified first correlations and the modified second correlations; generating a combined satellite signal by combining the modified first correlations and the modified summed second correlations; and using the combined satellite signal to adjust reception of at least one of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the reception of at least one of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal comprises adjusting one or more parameters of at least one of tracking; acquisition; position, navigation, and/or timing (PNT) estimation, calculation, and/or correction; satellite/measurement selection or rejection; carrier frequency tracking/correlation; code frequency tracking/correlation; fault detection; fault correction; and multipath and/or non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signal mitigation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the first period is twice the length of the second period, summing the second correlations from one or more second periods until the first period is substantially the same as the second period comprises: adding two consecutively stored second type of satellite signals, each having the second period, to form a second type of satellite signal having the first period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of satellite signal is a global positioning system (GPS) L1 C/A signal and the second type of satellite signal is a GPS L1C signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the first correlations and the second correlations comprises at least one of: flipping the first correlations with an opposite polarity to a common polarity; and flipping the summed second correlations with the opposite polarity to the common polarity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating a combined satellite signal by combining the modified first correlations and the modified summed second correlations comprises: generating a combined satellite signal by combining the first correlations with the common polarity and the summed second correlations with the common polarity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of satellite signal is a global positioning system (GPS) L1 C/A signal and the second type of satellite signal is a GPS L1C signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein modifying one or more of the first correlations and the summed second correlations in order to combine them comprises: applying one or more gain/balancing factors to normalize the peak amplitudes of the first correlations and the summed second correlations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more gain/balancing factors is used to mitigate known imbalances of the transmitted powers of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more gain/balancing factors is used to mitigate detected imbalances of the received powers of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modified first correlations and the modified second correlations are coherently or non-coherently combined. ### Claim 12 An apparatus, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media; and at least one processor which, when executing instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable media, performs the steps of: determining first correlations for a first type of satellite signal over a first period; determining second correlations for a second type of satellite signal over a second period; summing the second correlations from one or more second periods until the first period is substantially the same as the second period; modifying first and second periods of the first correlations and modifying the second correlations in order to combine the modified first correlations and the modified second correlations; generating a combined satellite signal by combining the modified first correlations and the modified summed second correlations; and using the combined satellite signal to adjust reception of at least one of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein adjusting the reception of at least one of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal comprises adjusting one or more parameters of at least one of tracking; acquisition; position, navigation, and/or timing (PNT) estimation, calculation, and/or correction; satellite/measurement selection or rejection; carrier frequency tracking/correlation; code frequency tracking/correlation; fault detection; fault correction; and multipath and/or non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signal mitigation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, when the first period is twice the length of the second period, summing the second correlations from one or more second periods until the first period is substantially the same as the second period comprises: adding two consecutively stored second type of satellite signals, each having the second period, to form a second type of satellite signal having the first period. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first type of satellite signal is a global positioning system (GPS) L1 C/A signal and the second type of satellite signal is a GPS L1C signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein modifying the first correlations and the second correlations comprises at least one of: flipping the first correlations with an opposite polarity to a common polarity; and flipping the summed second correlations with the opposite polarity to the common polarity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein generating a combined satellite signal by combining the modified first correlations and the modified summed second correlations comprises: generating a combined satellite signal by combining the first correlations with the common polarity and the summed second correlations with the common polarity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein modifying one or more of the first correlations and the summed second correlations in order to combine them comprises: applying one or more gain/balancing factors to normalize the peak amplitudes of the first correlations and the summed second correlations. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more gain/balancing factors is used to mitigate known imbalances of the transmitted powers of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more gain/balancing factors is used to mitigate detected imbalances of the received powers of the first type of satellite signal and the second type of satellite signal.