A position determining system takes the form of a cellular radio system including at least one base station having a base station satellite receiver (6) and a mobile unit including a cellular mobile station (50) coupled to a local satellite receiver (58). The base station transmits base station satellite data via a cellular radio link to the mobile unit, the data including data representing a carrier phase measurement derived from a satellite signal (70) received by the base station satellite receiver (6). The mobile unit determines its position relative to the base station using local satellite data received by the local satellite receiver (58) and corrects errors in this position determination using base station satellite data. The relative positions of the base stations are determined automatically with reference to an external positional reference which may be a satellite-based position determining system.

Mobile position determination with error correction utilizing cellular networks

A method and system for recording, synthesizing, distributing, and playing back position data includes a reference receiver having a known position, a mobile receiver having a variable position along a trajectory path, and a processor that calculates the trajectory path based on the reference receiver's position and the mobile receiver's position. The system generates a composite simulation dataset that displays the trajectory path in a virtual reality-like interactive display.

Method and apparatus for recording and synthesizing position data

Position determining apparatus comprises a cellular radio system including at least one base station having a base station satellite receiver (6) and position determination means including a cellular mobile station (50) coupled to a local satellite receiver (58), the base station being arranged to transmit base station satellite data including data representing a carrier phase measurement derived from a satellite signal (70) received by the base station satellite receiver (6) to the mobile station (50) via a cellular radio link and the position determination means being arranged to determine its position relative to the base station using local satellite data received by the local satellite receiver (58) and to correct errors in this position determination using base station satellite data. The relative positions of the base stations may be determined automatically with reference to an external positional reference. The external positional reference may be a satellite-based position determining system.

Mobile position determination

Autonomous vehicle guidance system

In order to determine the position of mobile objects (5), in particular vehicles, the invention uses Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites (1, 2, 3, 4) which orbit in polar orbits, continuously changing their position with respect to a stationary point on the Earth's surface and transmitting GPS signals. These GPS signals make it possible for a GPS receiver installed in the mobile object to determine its instantaneous position and altitude coordinates. In addition to the mobile GPS receiver, the invention calls for at least one GPS receiver (6) which operates as a reference receiver and whose position coordinates are known precisely. Connected to the mobile GPS receiver is a processing unit which continuously determines error values from the signals received continuously by the reference GPS receiver and from the known position coordinates of its location. The continuously determined error values are conditioned and transmitted (7) by a transmitter. The transmitted conditioned error values are continuously received in the mobile object (5) and analysed in such a way that the results produced by the GPS receiver installed in the mobile object are corrected by an amount corresponding to the error values. A radio transmitter is used as the transmitter, the conditioned error values being inserted into the programme signal broadcast by this radio transmitter. Also fitted in the mobile object is a radio receiver which receives the programme signal with the conditioned error values inserted in it, and a series-connected device for separating the conditioned error values from the programme signal.

Winfried Plöger

Papers

System for determining the position of mobile objects