Localization Using Doppler Shifts of Reflected Signals

A system comprising:

• data processing hardware;
• and
• memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
• establishing an estimated position for a moving Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receiver in an environment;
• generating a plurality of candidate positions about the estimated position for the moving GNSS receiver, each candidate position of the plurality of candidate positions corresponding to a possible actual location of the moving GNSS receiver;
• for each available satellite in communication with the moving GNSS receiver:
• receiving a measured Doppler effect for a GNSS signal from the respective available satellite caused by the moving GNSS receiver;
• and
• at each candidate position of the plurality of candidate positions:
• determining a predicted direction of the GNSS signal based on ray-launching the GNSS signal to the respective available satellite;
• and
• generating, by the data processing hardware, using the predicted direction of the GNSS signal, a predicted Doppler effect for the moving GNSS receiver;
• and
• identifying a respective candidate position as an actual location for the moving GNSS receiver when, at the respective candidate position, the predicted Doppler effect for at least one satellite most closely matches the measured Doppler effect for the at least one satellite.