Unambiguous position determination using two low-earth orbit satellites
US6327534A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 30, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 4, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 30, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S2205/008
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system and method for unambiguously determining the position of a user terminal (for example, a mobile wireless telephone) in a low-Earth orbit satellite communications system. The system includes a user terminal, at least two satellites with known positions and known velocities, and a gateway (that is, a terrestrial base station) for communicating with the user terminal through the satellites. The method includes the steps of determining a range parameter, a range difference parameter, and either or both of a range-rate parameter and a range-rate difference parameter. A range parameter represents a distance between one of the satellites and the user terminal. A range difference parameter represents the difference between (1) the distance between a first one of the satellites and the user terminal and (2) the distance between a second one of the satellites and the user terminal. A range-rate parameter represents a relative radial velocity between one of the satellites and the user terminal. A range-rate difference parameter represents the difference between (a) a relative radial velocity between a first one of the satellites and the user terminal and (b) a relative radial velocit…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.