A priori knowledge-free fast positioning approach for BeiDou receivers

TL;DR

This paper introduces a fast, a priori knowledge-free positioning method for BeiDou GNSS receivers that leverages unique satellite constellation features to achieve rapid positioning within 1 second without initial position estimates.

Contribution

The proposed technique simultaneously processes full and fractional pseudorange measurements from BeiDou satellites, enabling fast positioning without initial position or time estimates.

Findings

Achieves position solution within 1 second in simulations and real data.

Maintains positioning accuracy comparable to conventional methods using full pseudorange data.

Does not require initial position or time estimates, simplifying cold/warm start procedures.

Abstract

A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver usually needs a sufficient number of full pseudorange measurements to obtain a position solution. However, it is time-consuming to acquire full pseudorange information from only the satellite broadcast signals due to the navigation data features of GNSS. In order to realize fast positioning during a cold or warm start in a GNSS receiver, the existing approaches require an initial estimation of position and time or require a number of computational steps to recover the full pseudorange information from fractional pseudoranges and then compute the position solution. The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has a unique constellation distribution and a fast navigation data rate for geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites. Taking advantage of these features, we propose a fast positioning technique for BDS receivers. It simultaneously processes the full and fractional pseudorange measurements from the BDS GEOs and non-GEOs, respectively, which is faster than processing all full measurements. This method resolves the position solution and recovers the full pseudoranges for non-GEOs simultaneously within 1 s theoretically and does not need an estimate of the initial position. Simulation and real data experiments confirm that the proposed technique completes fast positioning without a priori position and time estimation, and the positioning accuracy is identical with the conventional single-point positioning approach using full pseudorange measurements from all available satellites.