Mitigation of higher order ionospheric effects on GNSS users in Europe

Current dual-frequency GPS measurements can only eliminate the first-order ionospheric term and may cause a higher-order range bias of several centimeters. This research investigates the second-order ionospheric effect for GNSS users in Europe. In comparison to previous studies, the electron density profiles of the ionosphere/plasmasphere are modeled as the sum of three Chapman layers describing electron densities of the ionospheric F₂, F₁ and E layers and a superposed exponential decay function describing the plasmasphere. The International Geomagnetic Reference Field model is used to calculate the geomagnetic field vectors at numerous points along the incoming ray paths. Based on extended simulation studies, we derive a correction formula to compute the average value of the longitudinal component of the earth’s magnetic field along the line-of-sight as a function of geographic latitude and longitude, and geometrical parameters such as elevation and azimuth angles. Using our correction formula in conjunction with the total electron content (TEC) along the line-of-sight, the second-order ionospheric term can be corrected to the millimeter level for a vertical TEC level of 10¹⁸ electrons/m².     

The autocorrelation of waveforms generated from ocean-scattered GPS signals

A "waveform" is generated by cross-correlating local copies of a global positioning system (GPS) signal with an ocean-reflected GPS signal, over a range of carrier frequencies and code delays. The shape of this waveform can be inverted to obtain estimates of the ocean surface roughness. To assess the accuracy of these retrievals, a stochastic model for the waveform time series measurements was developed in a previous publication. In this letter, this model is validated by comparing the predicted autocorrelation function of the waveform against the autocorrelation computed from experimental waveforms collected from an airborne receiver. A 1-ms coherent integration time was used at first. Then, blocks of these measurements were concatenated to produce equivalent integration times of up to 5 ms to compare the dependence of model predictions on integration time. Correlation time was estimated by fitting a model Gaussian function to the magnitude or the real part of the autocorrelation function. The magnitude and phase of the complex autocorrelation function from the model were also studied to show the location of the first , and better explain cases in which the Gaussian function did not fit well. The autocorrelation is found to be weakly dependent upon the surface roughness, over a range of moderate wind speeds.     

NLOS GPS signal detection using a dual-polarisation antenna

The reception of indirect signals, either in the form of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) reception or multipath interference, is a major cause of GNSS position errors in urban environments. We explore the potential of using dual-polarisation antenna technology for detecting and mitigating the reception of NLOS signals and severe multipath interference. The new technique computes the value of the carrier-power-to-noise-density (C/N ₀) measurements from left-hand circular polarised outputs subtracted from the right-hand circular polarised C/N ₀ counterpart. If this quality is negative, NLOS signal reception is assumed. If the C/N ₀ difference is positive, but falls below a threshold based on its lower bound in an open-sky environment, severe multipath interference is assumed. Results from two experiments are presented. Open-field testing was first performed to characterise the antenna behaviour and determine a suitable multipath detection threshold. The techniques were then tested in a dense urban area. Using the new method, two signals in the urban data were identified as NLOS-only reception during the occupation period at one station, while the majority of the remaining signals present were subject to a mixture of NLOS reception and severe multipath interference. The point positioning results were dramatically improved by excluding the detected NLOS measurements. The new technique is suited to a wide range of static ground applications based on our results.     

GNSS multipath detection using three-frequency signal-to-noise measurements

A new technique for detecting GNSS multipath interference by comparing signal-to-noise (SNR) measurements on three frequencies is presented. Depending on the phase lag of the reflected signal with respect to the direct signal, multipath interference can be either constructive or destructive, with a commensurate effect on the measured SNR. However, as the phase lag is frequency dependent, the SNR is perturbed differently on each frequency. Thus, by differencing SNR measurements on different frequencies and comparing the result with that obtained in a low-multipath environment, multipath can be detected. Using three frequencies makes the process more robust. A three-frequency SNR-based multipath detector has been developed and calibrated using measurements from GPS Block IIF satellites in a low-multipath environment. The new detector has been tested in a range of urban environments and its multipath detection capability verified by showing that the MP observables oscillate when the new detection statistic is above a threshold value determined using data collected in a low-multipath environment. The new detector is also sensitive to diffraction.     

GNSS导航信号的开环补偿多径抑制方法

多径的存在会给全球导航卫星系统的接收机带来较大的定位误差。因此,高精度的接收机须对多径信号进行抑制。针对目前常用的多径抑制方法的优缺点,提出了一种基于多门延迟和曲线拟合的多径抑制方法。该方法通过多门延迟来重塑伪码的自相关函数,用于找到直射信号的伪码真实位置和接收机码跟踪环路鉴别结果之间的偏差,进一步通过曲线拟合方法更加精确地计算出该偏差,最后将该偏差通过开环方法补偿给伪距计算,使得接收机在不改变环路跟踪性能和抗动态干扰性能的前提下实现定位性能的提升。仿真结果表明新算法在前端带宽的影响下对短、中长多径均能进行有效地抑制。      

室内定位技术发展与应用研究

目前,全球卫星导航系统是获取室外环境位置信息最常用的技术手段,但由于卫星信号易被遮挡,并不适用于室内或者高楼林立的复杂场合,因此,室内定位技术作为室外定位的有力补充迅速发展。本文通过介绍目前主流室内定位方式及关键技术,结合室内定位技术的研究现状,深入挖掘了室内定位技术的潜在价值及广阔前景,并提出具体创新应用方向,力求构建深层面的智慧位置平台。     

Short Note: On the Relativistic Doppler Effect for Precise Velocity Determination using GPS

The Doppler effect is the apparent shift in frequency of an electromagnetic signal that is received by an observer moving relative to the source of the signal. The Doppler frequency shift relates directly to the relative speed between the receiver and the transmitter, and has thus been widely used in velocity determination. A GPS receiver-satellite pair is in the Earth’s gravity field and GPS signals travel at the speed of light, hence both Einstein’s special and general relativity theories apply. This paper establishes the relationship between a Doppler shift and a user’s ground velocity by taking both the special and general relativistic effects into consideration. A unified Doppler shift model is developed, which accommodates both the classical Doppler effect and the relativistic Doppler effect under special and general relativities. By identifying the relativistic correction terms in the model, a highly accurate GPS Doppler shift observation equation is presented. It is demonstrated that in the GPS “frequency” or “velocity” domain, the relativistic effect from satellite motion changes the receiver-satellite line-of-sight direction, and the measured Doppler shift has correction terms due to the relativistic effects of the receiver potential difference from the geoid, the orbit eccentricity, and the rotation of the Earth.     

A multi-technique approach for characterizing the SVN49 signal anomaly, part 1: receiver tracking and IQ constellation

A characterization of the signal anomaly of SVN49 is presented. A mathematical model is developed to relate the observed multipath to the internal signal reflection. The analyses provided are based on measurements, which have been collected during a dedicated tracking campaign with a 30-m dish antenna. Data on the L1 and L2 frequency have been collected with four different receivers. In addition, IQ samples have been recorded directly with a spectrum analyzer. The multipath combination of the receiver measurements on L1 and L2 is analyzed to demonstrate the effect of the signal reflections on different correlator spacing. The capability to suppress the signal reflection with receiver multipath mitigation methods is demonstrated. Finally, preliminary estimates of the attenuation, delay, and phase shift over elevation are obtained from an IQ sample analysis.     

TJS-2 geostationary satellite orbit determination using onboard GPS measurements

This study analyzes the quality of onboard data of tracking signals from GPS satellites on the far side of the earth and determines the orbit of the geostationary satellite using code and carrier phase observations with 30-h and 3-day orbit arc length. According to the analysis results, the onboard receiver can track 6–8 GPS satellites, and the minimum and maximum carrier to noise spectral densities were 24 and 45 dB-Hz, respectively. For a GPS receiver on a high-altitude platform above the navigation constellations, the blocking of the earth and a weak signal strength usually cause a piece-wise GPS signal tracking and an increase in the number of ambiguity parameters. Individual GPS satellites may be continuously tracked for as little as several minutes and as long as 3 h. Moreover, considering the negative sign of elevation angles reflects the fact that GPS satellites are tracked below the receiver in the study. GPS satellites appear mainly in the elevation angle range of ??53° to ??83°, and dilution of precision values could reach ten or one hundred and more. Also, it is observed that when a signal suffers from atmospheric refraction, other GPS signals tracked simultaneously by the receiver experience strong systematic errors in the code observations. Based on single-frequency code and carrier phase measurements, the mean 3D root mean square (RMS) value of the overlap comparisons between 30-h orbit determination arcs is 2.14 m. However, we found that there were also some biases in the carrier phase residuals, which contributed to poor orbit accuracy. To eliminate the effects of the biases, we established a correction sequence for each GPS satellite. After corrections, the mean 3D RMS was reduced to 0.99 m, representing a 53% improvement.     

Efficient spoofing identification using baseline vector information of multiple receivers

In a spoofing environment, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver must employ anti-spoofing techniques for obtaining a normal navigation solution from the GNSS signal. We propose a new method for identifying spoofing signals using the norm of the difference of baseline vectors (NDB) obtained from multiple receivers. The main focuses of this research are to reduce the initial time required to identify the spoofing signal and to mitigate the physical constraints on multiple antennas placement. First, the multi-correlators of each receiver track both GNSS and spoofing signals simultaneously and classify them into two signal groups. Then, the baseline vectors are generated from the double-differenced carrier phase measurements of the classified signal groups, and the NDB is calculated. If the target positions of the spoofing signal groups are almost the same, the NDB has a fairly small value when the base position of the selected baseline vectors is calculated from one of the GNSS groups and the rover positions of the baseline vectors are calculated from each spoofing group of the multiple receivers. Using the NDB, a hypothesis is established, and a hypothesis test is conducted for identifying the spoofing signal. The performance of the proposed test statistics is analyzed with respect to the distance between the GPS antennas and the tuning parameter. Our experimental results show that the proposed method effectively performs spoofing identification with a short baseline. Additionally, the method exhibits a very low probability of fault detection and fast response time. This means that the immediate anti-spoofing can work properly in spoofing environments.     

Sensing strides using EMG signal for pedestrian navigation

Navigation applications and location-based services are now becoming standard features in smart phones. However, locating a mobile user anytime anywhere is still a challenging task, especially in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) degraded and denied environments, such as urban canyons and indoor environments. To approach a seamless indoor/outdoor positioning solution, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System sensors such as accelerometers, digital compasses, gyros and pressure sensors are being adopted as augmentation technologies for a GNSS receiver. However, the GNSS degraded and denied environments are typically contaminated with significant sources of error, which disturb the measurements of these sensors. We introduce a new sensor, the electromyography (EMG) sensor, for stride detection and stride length estimation and apply these measurements, together with a digital compass, to a simple pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) solution. Unlike the accelerometer, which senses the earth gravity field and the kinematic acceleration of the sensor, the EMG sensor senses action potentials generated by the muscle contractions of the human body. The EMG signal is independent of the ambient environment and its disturbance sources. Therefore, it is a good alternative sensor for stride detection and stride length estimation. For evaluating the performance of the EMG sensor, we carried out several field tests at a sports field and along a pedestrian path. The test results demonstrated that the accuracy of stride detection was better than 99.5%, the errors of the EMG-derived travelled distances were less than 1.5%, and the performance of the corresponding PDR solutions was comparable to that of the global positioning system solutions.     

Effects of building materials on UHF ranging signals

Positioning and tracking inside buildings using wireless location methods has recently received considerable attention. One method is the estimation of the time of arrival of satellite or terrestrial-based radio frequency signals in order to produce ranges from the transmitter to the receiver. This paper investigates the effect of walls made of various construction materials on the penetration of ranging signals. In the tests conducted, a GPS pseudo-satellite transmits a pseudorandom noise code at a carrier frequency of 1.57542 GHz. After penetrating walls made of plywood, gyprock and cinder blocks, the signal is received by a GPS receiver which measures the carrier phase and the pseudorange between the transmitter and receiver using code correlation. Compared to measurements obtained with no walls present, the effect on the measurements is determined. The results indicate that the carrier phase measurement is superior to the pseudorange in terms of noise, stability, and the magnitude of the effect of the walls on the range obtained. Ranges based on the carrier phase only change by a few centimeters. Given that the integer number of cycles of the phase can be determined and phase lock is maintained, the carrier phase measurement shows considerable promise for indoor ranging.     

基于GT的钟差预测模型辅助GPS定位算法研究

为了解决在强干扰环境下由于GPS卫星信号被遮挡而无法定位的问题,从灰色理论(GT)的角度探讨了接收机的钟差序列,提出一种利用灰色理论的钟差预测模型辅助GPS定位的方法。对预测模型的基本思想和具体实现步骤作了详细的介绍,并且将钟差预测值引入到GPS接收机中,实现信号遮挡情况下GPS接收机的定位解算。通过对实测数据的验证分析表明,该钟差预测模型对钟差序列有很好的预测效果,能够在仅有3颗可观测卫星的情况下实现接收机的定位解算。     

Ultra-tight GPS/INS/PL integration: a system concept and performance analysis

The architecture of the ultra-tight GPS/INS/PL integration is the key to its successful performance; the main feature of this architecture is the Doppler feedback to the GPS receiver tracking loops. This Doppler derived from INS, when integrated with the carrier tracking loops, removes the Doppler due to vehicle dynamics from the GPS/PL signal thereby achieving a significant reduction in the carrier tracking loop bandwidth. The bandwidth reduction provides several advantages such as: improvement in anti-jamming performance, and increase in post correlated signal strength which in turn increases the dynamic range and accuracy of measurements. Therefore, any degradation in the derived Doppler estimates will directly affect the tracking loop bandwidth and hence its performance. The quadrature signals from the receiver correlator, I (in-phase) and Q (quadrature), form the measurements, whereas the inertial sensor errors, position, velocity and attitude errors form the states of the complementary Kalman filter. To specify a reliable measurement model of the filter for this type of integrated system, a good understanding of GPS/PL signal characteristics is essential. It is shown in this paper that phase and frequency errors are the variables that relate the measurements and the states in the Kalman filter. The main focus of this paper is to establish the fundamental mathematical relationships that form the measurement model, and to show explicitly how the system error states are related to the GPS/PL signals. The derived mathematical relationships encapsulated in a Kalman filter, are tested by simulation and shown to be valid.

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Determining receiver biases in GPS-derived total electron content in the auroral oval and polar cap region using ionosonde measurements

Global Positioning System (GPS) total electron content (TEC) measurements, although highly precise, are often rendered inaccurate due to satellite and receiver differential code biases (DCBs). Calculated satellite DCB values are now available from a variety of sources, but receiver DCBs generally remain an undertaking of receiver operators and processing centers. A procedure for removing these receiver DCBs from GPS-derived ionospheric TEC at high latitudes, using Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosonde (CADI) measurements, is presented. Here, we will test the applicability of common numerical methods for estimating receiver DCBs in high-latitude regions and compare our CADI-calibrated GPS vertical TEC (vTEC) measurements to corresponding International GNSS Service IONEX-interpolated vTEC map data. We demonstrate that the bias values determined using the CADI method are largely independent of the topside model (exponential, Epstein, and α-Chapman) used. We further confirm our results via comparing bias-calibrated GPS vTEC with those derived from incoherent scatter radar (ISR) measurements. These CADI method results are found to be within 1.0 TEC units (TECU) of ISR measurements. The numerical methods tested demonstrate agreement varying from within 1.6 TECU to in excess of 6.0 TECU when compared to ISR measurements.     

北斗B1C、B2a信号非理想性分析及接收约束建议

卫星导航信号的非理想性会导致不同接收机之间出现测距偏差,是影响卫星导航系统服务精度和完好性的重要因素。首先,针对北斗系统B1C、B2a新体制信号的非理想性进行分析,利用大口径天线采集了全部北斗三号在轨卫星播发的B1C、B2a信号（共27颗卫星）,评估了不同接收带宽、码鉴相间距下测距偏差的大小与变化特点;然后,以双频多星座星基增强服务应用为例,分析了两个信号在相应接收机中的设计约束条件。研究结果发现,在接收机常用的参数范围内,B1C、B2a信号非理想性引入的测距偏差分别不超过0.68 m、0.44 m;在测距偏差小于0.1 m的性能约束下,B1C、B2a信号可用的约束条件参数范围优于国际民航标准草案中的相关要求。     

CAPS信号模拟器研究与实现

CAPS信号模拟器,是模拟CAPS接收机在各种运动环境中接收到的CAPS信号,用于实验室条件下测试接收机在各种环境下的性能。本文通过对CAPS系统数学模型的研究,结合CAPS系统特有的虚拟星上原子钟概念,分析了模拟器实现的核心技术——信号延迟表达式,及其基于FPGA实现的关键技术,并给出了模拟器的软硬件实现方法。最后的测试结果表明模拟器可以按设计要求输出精确的仿真信号,可应用于工程实践。     

A preventative approach to mitigating CW interference in GPS receivers

In the global positioning system (GPS), code division multiple access (CDMA) signals are used. Because of the known spectral characteristics of the CDMA signal, continuous wave (CW) interference has a predictable effect on the different pseudo random noise (PRN) spreading codes (unique to each satellite) depending on the Doppler frequency of the signal. The Doppler frequency for each signal is also predictable once the receiver position is known. As different satellite signals have different Doppler frequencies, the effect on the signal quality is also different. In this paper first the effect is studied analytically. The concept of an “exclusion zone” is defined and analyzed for each satellite. This exclusion zone, where that satellite should not be used due to interference degradation, is shown to be predictable for each satellite as a function of time. Using this prediction, the CW interference effect on the positioning quality of the receiver can be mitigated by ignoring the affected satellites within exclusion zones when performing position evaluation. The threshold beyond which a satellite should be excluded is then derived by studying the mutual effects of the geometry and the signal quality of that satellite on the positioning quality. Receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) uses redundancy in measurements to perform an internal consistency check to see if all of the measurements are satisfactory. In this paper this technique is also used to mitigate the effect of CW interference on the positioning accuracy. Finally it is shown that the prediction of the exclusion zone for each satellite outperforms the RAIM algorithm in mitigation the effect of the interference when 5 satellites are visible. An erratum to this article can be found at     

基于矢量跟踪的GNSS／SINS相干深组合系统研究

为满足组合导航系统在高动态环境下的性能要求,设计基于矢量跟踪的GNSS／SINS相干深组合导航方法。利用矢量跟踪环路将所有可视卫星的跟踪和导航解算融为一体,增强通道间的辅助;高动态对载波跟踪影响更大,在通道预滤波中将码环载波环分别用独立的滤波器处理,组合滤波中采用通道间差分降低滤波状态维数,提高计算效率。引入惯导的加速度辅助本地信号参数预测,较精确地测量卫星视线方向的加速度,减小接收机在高动态时段的剩余动态,提高本地信号参数的预测精度。基于矢量跟踪软件接收机搭建相干深组合仿真系统,实验表明该方法在高动态等环境下能提高信号跟踪性能,改善系统的精度、可靠性。      

微弱信号下基于模糊度搜索的辅助式GPS定位算法研究

针对微弱信号下GPS接收机无法测量得到完整信号发射时刻的问题,提出了一种基于模糊度搜索的辅助式GPS定位算法。基于该算法接收机不需要位同步、帧同步和解调导航电文,仅对GPS信号进行伪码相位测量,在获取卫星星历、卫星钟差参数等辅助信息的基础上完成定位解算。论文从数学上严格推导了消除信号发射时刻模糊度的条件,并对五颗以上的观测卫星建立了定位解算方程,给出了算法流程。利用实测数据仿真验证了该算法的有效性。比较表明,该算法的定位精度与常规GPS定位算法(信号发射时刻不存在模糊度)相当。