Method and system of single-antenna determination of position, time, and attitude of a moving object by satellite navigation

摘要

A system for determining position coordinates and attitude coordinates of a moving object employs a plurality of transmitters that transmit navigation signals, the transmitters having known positions and orientations in a given coordinate system. A single antenna that is carried by the moving object receives signals associated with far-field regions of electromagnetic fields of the navigation signals transmitted from the transmitters. A satellite receiver that is carried by the moving object obtains the signals received by the antenna. Phase difference circuitry derives a phase difference between an open circuit voltage of the antenna and a reference phase of a local oscillator in the receiver. A calculation circuit calculates position coordinates and three-dimensional attitude coordinates, within the given coordinate system, of the antenna relative to the transmitters based on the known positions and orientations of the transmitters and the phase difference obtained by the phase difference circuitry. The calculation circuit employs the current time and the position coordinates and three-dimensional attitude coordinates of the antenna in the given coordinate system to derive an attitude of the object relative to a topocentric coordinate system.