Global position system (GPS) user receiver and geometric surface processing for all-in-view coherent GPS signal PRN codes acquisition and navigation solution

A method for rapidly determining a position of a user receiver in a global positioning system, the method comprising:

• using a base station remote from the receiver, and having a known location, to receive ranging signals ranging data from a plurality of satellites within view of the receiver;
• using the receiver to receive, from the remote base station, a set of initialization data, base-station location data and time aiding data, prior to the receiver attempting to acquire satellite codes from a first one of the plurality of satellites in view of the receiver;
• receiving from the remote base station, at the receiver, a time synch function to synchronize a user receiver clock and ranging data including code and carrier phase ranging data, as received at the remote base station, at an epoch time;
• using the receiver to predict PRN code signal carrier phase angles relative to each one of a plurality of grid point locations within an Earth reference search space region;
• using the receiver to search within the search space region at a plurality of grid point locations based on the base-station-location data, ranging data received from the remote station, and predicted PRN code phase and carrier phase angles;
• acquiring simultaneously at least one of the ranging signals from each of the plurality of satellites in view of the user receiver;
• and
• combining power outputs of the received ranging signals at each of the plurality of grid point locations, and determining therefrom a probable location of the receiver with the search space region.

A global positioning system (GPS) user receiver for rapidly determining a position of the user receiver in a global positioning system, the GPS user receiver comprising:

• a user interface adapted to generate a request signal and receive an indication of a location of the user receiver;
• a base-station-receiving portion for wirelessly receiving initialization data, ranging data as received by the base station at an epoch time, and base-station-location data to limit dimensions of a search space to a predetermined geographic area circumscribing a present location of the user receiver, in which the predetermined geographic area has a plurality of grid point locations, and to output a search signal in response and a time synch function in response thereto to synchronize a user receiver clock at an epoch time, prior to the user receiver attempting to acquire satellite ranging signals;
• a navigation system configured to receive the initialization data and the base-station location data and to search within the predetermined geographic area for at least one of said satellite ranging signals from a plurality of GPS satellites that are within view of the user receiver, the navigation system operating to combine power outputs of all received ones of said ranging signals at each of the grid point locations within the predetermined geographic area to produce a maximum coherently combined power output value;
• and
• a control processing unit in communication with the navigation system and configured to receive the maximum power output and to determine the location of the user receiver, and to output a location signal in response thereto.