Geolocation leveraging spot beam overlap

US9625573B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• David A. Whelan · Newport Beach, US
• Gregory M. Gutt · Ashburn, US
• Robert W. Brumley · San Jose, US
• Michael Eglington · San Bruno, US
• Christopher J. Martens · Creve Coeur, US
• Anne T. Haddad · Berwyn, US
• Rachel Rané Schmalzried · Garden Grove, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 8, 2010
• Grant date: Apr 18, 2017
• Expiry date: Feb 19, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S19/26
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for providing an estimate of a location of a user receiver device. The method and system involve emitting from at least one vehicle at least one spot beam on Earth, and receiving with the user receiver device a signal from at least one spot beam. In one or more embodiments, at least one vehicle may be a satellite and/or a pseudolite. The method and system further involve calculating with the user receiver device the estimate of the location of the user receiver device according to the user receiver device's location within at least one spot beam. In some embodiments, when the user receiver device receives signals from at least two spot beams, the user receiver device calculates the estimate of the location of the user receiver device to be located in the center of the intersection of at least two spot beams.