Method and apparatus for determining the position and orientation of a mobile transmitter

US9625565B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITÄT ERLANGEN-NÜRNBERG · DE
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Andreas Eidloth · Erlangen, DE
• Jörn Thielecke · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 8, 2011
• Grant date: Apr 18, 2017
• Expiry date: Aug 9, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S5/0247
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for determining the position and orientation of a mobile transmitter that has at least two linearly polarized antennas arranged at a predefined angle to one another. A plurality of receivers, which can be synchronized with the mobile transmitter and of which the position is known, each receive transmitter signals of predefined carrier frequency via a circularly polarized antenna. A field-theoretical model of the transmission path between the mobile transmitter and receivers is set up and defines the carrier phase measured values, the field-theoretical model is implemented in a Kalman filter, and the receiver signals are evaluated in terms of carrier phase measured values and/or time of arrival values. The position and orientation of the mobile transmitter are determined in the Kalman filter with use of the field-theoretical model and the carrier phase measured values and/or time of arrival values established from the receiver signals.