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US 8,019,541 B2Granted
Real-time data aiding for enhanced GPS performance
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsClark Cohen, Bart Ferrell, Greg Gutt, David Whelan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Data from GPS satellites within the field of view of a ground station are retransmitted to LEO satellites, such as Iridium satellites, and cross-linked if necessary before being transmitted to a user. The user is then able to combine the fed-forward data with data received directly from GPS satellites in order to resolve errors due to interference or jamming. Iridium and data aiding thus provides a means for extending GPS performance under a variety of data-impaired conditions because it can provide certain aiding information over its data link in real time.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving a real-time GPS data stream from a satellite in a first GPS satellite network;
- receiving a feed-forward data stream from a satellite in a second satellite network different from the first GPS satellite network, the feed-forward data stream containing feed-forward GPS data that is identical to real-time GPS data contained by the GPS data stream and wherein the feed-forward data stream was previously received at the second satellite network from a ground control station, the feed-forward data stream being received at a later time than the real-time GPS data stream;
- and
- processing, using a digital signal processor, the real-time GPS data stream and the feed-forward data stream, the processing including:
- extracting feed-forward GPS data bits from the feed-forward data stream;
- and
- supplementing the real-time GPS data with the extracted feed-forward GPS data bits, at least where the real-time GPS data is impaired due to missing or attenuated data bits in the real-time GPS data stream.
4 more elements
A device comprising:
- a first receiver configured to receive a real-time GPS signal from a GPS satellite in a first GPS satellite network;
- a second receiver, coupled to the first receiver, configured to receive a feed-forward GPS signal from a second satellite in a low earth orbit satellite network different from the GPS satellite network, and wherein the feed-forward GPS signal was previously received at the second satellite from a ground control station, the feed-forward GPS signal containing identical GPS data as the real-time GPS signal but being received at a later time than the real-time GPS signal;
- and
- a digital signal processor configured to process the real-time GPS signal and the feed-forward GPS signal, the processing including extracting feed-forward GPS data bits from the feed-forward GPS signal, and supplementing real-time GPS data in the real-time GPS signal with the extracted feed-forward GPS data bits, at least where the real-time GPS signal is impaired due to missing or attenuated data bits in the real-time GPS data signal.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- receiving a real-time GPS data stream from a satellite in a first GPS satellite network;
- receiving a feed-forward data stream from a satellite in a second satellite network different from the first GPS satellite network, the feed-forward data stream containing feed-forward GPS data that is identical to real-time GPS data contained by the GPS data stream, and wherein the feed-forward data stream was previously received at the second satellite network from a ground control station, the feed-forward data stream being received at a later time than the real-time GPS data stream;
- and
- processing, using a digital signal processor, the real-time GPS data stream and the feed-forward data stream, the processing including:
- extracting feed-forward GPS data bits from the feed-forward data stream;
- and
- supplementing the real-time GPS data with the extracted feed-forward GPS data bits, so as to fill in gaps in the real-time GPS data only where the real-time GPS data is impaired due to missing data bits in the real-time GPS data stream.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.