In the near future, Spaced-Based Augmentation Systems (such as the Wide Area Augmentation System in North America) will become operational, permitting the use of GPS as a primary system for all phases of flight. Recently the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has recommended the use of un-augmented GPS as a supplemental navigation system for all phases of flight including non-precision approaches. In this paper, the salient features of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system in India, and the use of conventional navigational aids are described. A new landing procedure is proposed using un-augmented GPS known as ‘a non-precision instrument approach procedure with vertical guidance (IPV)’ for Hyderabad Airport, Runway 27. This procedure, if implemented, would be cost-effective and reliable for many airports in India. An algorithm has also been developed for determining the range and bearing between the departure and the arrival waypoints of an aircraft using the IPV.

Although GPS positioning errors are now well described, there are still some uncertainties regarding the impact of some rare space weather phenomena on GPS positioning accuracy. Solar eclipses have been considered as one source of such rare events, so the 1999 solar eclipse gave the opportunity to collect horizontal GPS positioning data for further analysis. The results of statistical analysis show no deterioration of horizontal GPS positioning accuracy. Space weather, ionospheric and geomagnetic conditions were also carefully analysed and showed no significant activity. In conclusion, the experiment confirmed negligible impact of the 1999 solar eclipse on horizontal GPS positioning accuracy, and opens discussion concerning application of satellite positioning systems in space and ionospheric weather monitoring.

Geometric Dilution Of Precision (GDOP) is a factor that describes the effect of geometry on the relationship between measurement error and position determination error. It is used to provide an indication of the quality of the solution. Conventional closed-form GDOP calculation formula applied to all possible combinations of visible satellites is rather time consuming, especially as the number of satellites grows. Approximations, such as the maximum volume method, are faster but optimum selection is not guaranteed. In this paper, a more concise but efficient solution for the calculation of GDOP value in the case of four Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites is firstly reviewed and then extended to cover the other forms of dilution of precision (DOP) values, including vertical DOP (VDOP) and horizontal DOP (HDOP). Secondly, a review and extension of the conventional solution is performed in the case of three GPS satellites aided by an altimeter. Based on the ideas gained from these two approaches, a simpler closed-form DOP formula for three GPS satellites aided by an altimeter is derived. The advantage of the proposed formulation is that it is simpler and thus reduces the computational load in comparison to the conventional one.

An integrated multi-sensor vehicle navigation system is presented that uses a low-cost rate gyro and differential odometry to supplement GPS under signal masking conditions such as tree foliage and urban canyons. Signal masking is often accompanied by extreme multi-path in urban centres with tall buildings, and is also found in wooded areas, enclosed car parks, tunnels, etc. The purpose of the system tested is to provide an accuracy of better than 20 metres almost 100% of the time throughout these interruptions, which are assumed to last up to a few minutes. The equipment used is discussed in detail, as is the method used for filtering measurements. Results are presented from tests carried out in an urban core with relatively long periods of signal loss – up to several minutes over a 6-km test circuit. Tests in urban canyons demonstrate that it is difficult to reach the above specifications with aiding from differential odometry alone due to the high precision of the wheel-scale factor required. However, with the use of a rate gyro and odometry, RMS errors are below 20 metres while availability is nearly 100%. Some of the large deviations could probably be better controlled if GPS multi-path errors were detected before they are allowed to corrupt the filtered solution.

The high cost of inertial units is the main obstacle for their inclusion in precision navigation systems to support a variety of application areas. Standard inertial navigation systems (INS) use precise gyro and accelerometer sensors; however, newer inertial devices with compact, lower precision sensors have become available in recent years. This group of instruments, called motion sensors, is six to eight times less costly than a standard INS. Given their weak stand-alone accuracy and poor run-to-run stability, such devices are not usable as sole navigation systems. Even the integration of a motion sensor into a navigation system as a supporting device requires the development of non-traditional approaches and algorithms. The objective of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using a motion sensor, specifically the MotionPak™, integrated with DGPS and DGLONASS information, to provide accurate position and attitude information, and to assess its capability to bridge satellite outages for up to 20 seconds. The motion sensor has three orthogonally mounted ‘solid-state’ micro- machined quartz angular rate sensors, and three high performance linear servo accelerometers mounted in a compact, rugged package. Advanced algorithms are used to integrate the GPS and motion sensor data. These include INS error damping, calculated platform corrections using DGPS (or DGPS/DGLONASS) output, velocity correction, attitude correction and error model estimation for prediction. This multi-loop algorithm structure is very robust, which guarantees a high level of software reliability. Vehicular and aircraft test trials were conducted with the system in land vehicle mode and the results are discussed. Simulated outages in GPS availability were made to assess the bridging accuracy of the system. Results show that a bridging accuracy of up to 3 m after 10 seconds in vehicular mode and a corresponding accuracy of 6 m after 20 seconds in aircraft mode can be obtained, depending on vehicle dynamics and the specific MotionPak™ unit used. The attitude accuracy was on the order of 22 to 25 arcmin for roll and pitch, and about 44 arcmin for heading.

An integrated GPS/GLONASS system was employed in this study to support the re-design of road networks and the adjustment of traffic control. The system was used to update road maps, and to determine the velocity and acceleration of a test vehicle. The vehicle ran along the traffic stream at designated times of a day, for specific time spans, to identify traffic conditions in urban areas of uncontrolled intersections such as roundabouts. Issues addressed included: transformation of GLONASS satellite coordinates from PZ-90 to WGS-84, the presence of the receiver clock error in the GLONASS double-differenced measurements, and the impact of the carrier wavelength variation on the ambiguity resolution. Two tests were carried out in an urban environment using the combined GPS/GLONASS system. The first test included updating a road map of a test area by an RTK approach. Results were checked by comparing them with an accurate map of the area, previously determined by conventional methods. The second test comprised determining position, velocity and acceleration of a moving vehicle representing the traffic flow for a selected area. Different solution schemes were investigated, including: RTK, DGPS, and post-processing of phase measurements. The impact of GLONASS augmentation and the quality of GPS satellites on solution feasibility and accuracy were also examined. Test results showed the benefits of adopting the integrated approach. These included: improving productivity and economics of map production, and improving availability, integrity, and accuracy of determining the velocity and acceleration, linked to positions on the road networks.

In many combined GPS/cellular radio receivers, the cellular radio segment is not used to aid the positioning process. Recently proposed Assisted-GPS systems use the communications channel to improve receiver time-to-first-fix and the GPS tracking sensitivity. However, the cellular radio signals can also be used for locating the receiver. Studies using the GSM mobile communication system have shown positional accuracy comparable to that of SA-degraded GPS. To achieve maximum performance (accuracy, availability, integrity and reliability), both sources of positioning information, GPS and cellular, should be regarded as sensor inputs to an integrated navigation system. In this way the benefits of both systems can be fully exploited to produce an optimal navigation solution.

This paper discusses the design, development and operation of two tools intended for B-RNAV operations: the enhanced AUGUR system, which was commissioned by EUROCONTROL, and the Global Positioning System (GPS) Performance Monitoring System (GPMS), commissioned by National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS). Both tools were implemented by STASYS Ltd., with support from Delft University on AUGUR algorithm issues. AUGUR, a Predictive GPS Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) system, performs complex calculations and provides an easy-to-interpret Internet-based interface to aid aircraft operators with the use of GPS. Enhancements to AUGUR have been implemented to meet user requests and the requirements of a future Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) Temporary Guidance Leaflet (TGL) on the airworthiness and operational approval for the use of Area Navigation (RNAV) systems in European airspace designated for Precision RNAV (P-RNAV) operations. The GPMS records output from a variety of GPS UE, has a real-time interface, performs simulations based on logged data, and permits remote analysis. The work carried out consisted of specifying a system to meet the safety study recommendations, choosing hardware, analysing interface requirements, and developing systems and software. These tools are now in place to help with GPS B-RNAV operations, and provide a layer of safety for both en-route flight and GPS-based non-precision approach operations in European airspace.

Controlling a ship in a berthing operation is carried out mainly by the change of state, such as velocity and yaw rate (turn rate), although the value of the change of state is very small at berthing. Very high precision is, therefore, required to determine the velocity and angular velocity. A sensor that has an accuracy of ±0.02°/s (1 σ) is sought for determination of turn rate in a berthing system. Three-dimensional angular velocity can directly be determined, with 2 independent baselines of 3 GPS antennas, using instantaneous Doppler measurements or phase rate (temporal difference of phase) observations. This paper discusses the mathematical model for direct determination of angular velocity using GPS, and the comparison of the results of the angular velocity determination using the Doppler and phase rate. The precision of angular velocity determination is estimated using temporal difference of the attitude sensors (TSS and gyrocompass) on board a hydrographic sounding ship. The RMS values of the difference of yaw rate determination between the two systems were: ±0.16°/s using phase rate and ±0.31°/s using Doppler measurements with the separation of onboard antennas of ca. 1·34 m. 10 m baselines could satisfy the sensor requirements for angular velocity determination during berthing maneuvers.

This paper presents the results of a study carried out in the Greater London area to assess and characterise the performance of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for vehicle positioning in urban areas. The performance assessment addresses, in varying levels of detail, the issues of service coverage, positioning accuracy, integrity and availability of service. The project was supported by Racal Survey Limited and is part of the wider research at Imperial College in the area of architectural design and testing of Advanced Transport Telematics (ATT) systems. The results highlight the shortcomings of GPS as the sole means for in-car navigation in urban areas and details the temporal and spatial considerations to be taken into account in the process of designing an integrated positioning system capable of meeting navigation requirements placed on ATT systems.

With the assistance provided by the white cane or guide dog, most blind pedestrians can find their way to known destinations along familiar routes. Finding new or known destinations along unfamiliar routes is more challenging. Before such a journey is attempted, detailed instructions must be acquired. The difficulty of obtaining and then reliably following such instructions deters many blind pedestrians from travelling alone in unknown areas. This paper demonstrates a technological approach, by way of field trials, that supplements the existing aids and eliminates the need for sighted guides. The approach has the potential to offer greater independence to the blind person. The investigation suggests that the methodology used in personal navigation systems for the sighted is sub-optimal for guiding the blind pedestrian. Suitable extensions are introduced, and the results show the proposed methodology is efficient for guiding the blind individual to unknown destinations in the chosen field trial environment.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are now in use in many applications, ranging from GIS to route guidance, automatic vehicle location (AVL), air, land, and marine navigation, and many other transportation and geographical based applications. In many applications, the GPS receiver is connected to some form of intelligent electronic system which receives the positional data from the GPS unit and then performs the required operation. When developing and testing GPS-based systems, one of the problems is that it is usually necessary to create GPS-compatible geographical data to simulate a GPS operation in real time. This paper provides the details of a Personal Computer (PC)-based GPS simulator system called GPSIM. The system receives user way-points and routes from Windows-based screen forms and then simulates a GPS operation in real time by generating most of the commonly used GPS sentences. The user-specified waypoints are divided into a number of small segments, each segment specifying a small distance in the direction of the original waypoint. The GPS sentence corresponding to the geographical coordinates of each segment is then sent out of the PC serial port. The system described is an invaluable testing tool for GPS-based system developers and also for people training to learn to use GPS-based products.