KR20240146269A - Augmented positioning method and system by relaying positioning signal on communication channels of low-altitude objects - Google Patents

Abstract

A location identification method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the steps of: receiving navigation satellite information including location information of a navigation satellite from a navigation satellite; receiving a communication signal including navigation satellite information of each of the navigation satellites collected from a low-orbit vehicle through a communication channel from a low-orbit vehicle; and identifying the location of the user terminal based on the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the communication signal.

Description

{AUGMENTED POSITIONING METHOD AND SYSTEM BY RELAYING POSITIONING SIGNAL ON COMMUNICATION CHANNELS OF LOW-ALTITUDE OBJECTS}

The present disclosure relates to a location identification method and system, and more specifically, to a location identification enhancement method and system capable of enhancing location identification of a user terminal by reflecting positioning information of a satellite navigation system received through a communication channel of a low-orbit vehicle.

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a service that transmits positioning messages or positioning signals from satellites located in geostationary orbits (GEO) or medium Earth orbits (MEO) to confirm the current location and time information of users on the ground. Currently, there are four types of GNSS operating worldwide: the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the United States, Galileo of the European Union (EU), Beidou of China, and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) of Russia, of which GPS is the most widely used. GPS has the advantage of being able to obtain one's location coordinates anywhere in the world as long as there is a GPS receiver. However, since GPS transmits positioning messages at high altitudes, the strength of the received signal is weak, so the signal reception rate is not constant. In order to calculate an accurate location in GPS, at least four GPS signals must be received, but in urban areas or forested areas, the number of received GPS signals may be insufficient due to artificial and natural obstacles. In addition, because the GPS signal strength is weak, it is vulnerable to interference signals and is easily affected by intentional interference such as GPS jammers.

To solve these problems, various technologies have been proposed so far, and they can be divided into assured PNT (Position, Navigation, and Timing) and alternative PNT technologies. First, assured PNT (enhanced navigation system) is a method to reinforce GPS-based location identification. For example, automobiles, airplanes, etc. use acceleration information by adding location information through GPS receivers and inertial navigation systems (INS). Next, alternative PNT (alternative navigation system) applies a separate location identification method different from GPS signals. For example, the method that is currently receiving the most attention is a method to check the location signal independently transmitted from LEO satellites. A representative example is STL (Satellite Time and Location) of Satelles, which started its own PNT service based on 66 Iridium satellites in 2016. However, in order to use STL, a dedicated receiver other than the GPS receiver must be used.

Likewise, methods have been devised to improve existing GPS capabilities by installing additional hardware or building separate systems in the field of location service technologies such as assured PNT and alternative PNT.

The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and system for strengthening location identification, which can strengthen location identification of a user terminal by reflecting positioning information of a satellite navigation system received through a communication channel of a low-orbit vehicle.

The technical problems to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

A location identification method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the steps of: receiving navigation satellite information including location information of a navigation satellite from a navigation satellite; receiving a communication signal including navigation satellite information of each of the navigation satellites collected from a low-orbit vehicle through a communication channel from a low-orbit vehicle; and identifying the location of the user terminal based on the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the communication signal.

At this time, the step of identifying the location of the user terminal may identify the first location of the user terminal using navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite, and correct the first location based on navigation satellite information included in the communication signal, thereby identifying the final location of the user terminal.

At this time, the step of identifying the location of the user terminal may include, if the number of navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite is less than a preset first number, merging the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the navigation satellite information included in the communication signal, and identifying the location of the user terminal using the merged navigation satellite information.

At this time, the step of identifying the location of the user terminal can identify the location of the user terminal using only the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite when the number of navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite is greater than a preset second number.

At this time, the step of receiving the communication signal may include receiving the communication signal from the low-orbit vehicle at a certain period, and the communication signal may include navigation satellite information of the low-orbit vehicle.

At this time, the step of identifying the location of the user terminal can identify the location of the user terminal based on the assured PNT system.

At this time, the navigation satellite may include at least one of the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), China's Beidou, the European Union's Galileo, and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a position identification device in a user terminal includes: a receiving unit that receives navigation satellite information including position information of a navigation satellite from a navigation satellite; a data communication unit that receives a communication signal including navigation satellite information of each of the navigation satellites collected from a low-orbit vehicle through a communication channel; and a positioning unit that identifies the position of the user terminal based on the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the communication signal.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a position identification system includes: at least one low-orbit vehicle that collects navigation satellite information including position information of each navigation satellite and transmits a communication signal including the collected navigation satellite information through a communication channel at regular intervals; and a user terminal that receives the navigation satellite information directly from the navigation satellite, receives the communication signal from the low-orbit vehicle, and identifies a position based on the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the communication signal.

The features briefly summarized above regarding the present disclosure are merely exemplary aspects of the detailed description of the present disclosure that follows and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

According to the present disclosure, a method and system for enhancing location identification can be provided, which can enhance location identification of a user terminal by reflecting positioning information of a satellite navigation system received through a communication channel of a low-orbit vehicle.

According to the present disclosure, GPS location information is transmitted through a communication channel to a ground user in an area where GPS signals are difficult to reach or where reception is difficult due to signal interference, thereby enabling the user terminal to check the GPS location information and utilize more GPS location information, thereby enabling precise location calculation.

According to the present disclosure, assured PNT can be provided without installing a separate device, since the required algorithm can be reflected in the existing software without installing an additional device.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to respond to intentional threats such as GPS jamming, and can also be utilized in special environments such as military operations.

The effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a location identification system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 illustrates a configuration of one embodiment for a low-orbit satellite.
Figure 3 illustrates a configuration of one embodiment of a location identification device in a user terminal.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a location identification method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 illustrates an operational flow diagram of one embodiment of step S430 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a device to which a location identification device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In describing embodiments of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, parts in the drawings that are not related to the description of the present disclosure have been omitted, and similar parts have been given similar drawing reference numerals.

In the present disclosure, when a component is said to be "connected", "coupled" or "connected" to another component, this may include not only a direct connection relationship, but also an indirect connection relationship in which another component exists in between. In addition, when a component is said to "include" or "have" another component, this does not exclude the other component unless specifically stated otherwise, but means that the other component can be included.

In this disclosure, the terms first, second, etc. are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component, and do not limit the order or importance among the components unless specifically stated. Accordingly, within the scope of this disclosure, a first component in one embodiment may be referred to as a second component in another embodiment, and similarly, a second component in one embodiment may be referred to as a first component in another embodiment.

In the present disclosure, the components that are distinguished from each other are intended to clearly explain the characteristics of each, and do not necessarily mean that the components are separated. That is, a plurality of components may be integrated to form a single hardware or software unit, or a single component may be distributed to form a plurality of hardware or software units. Accordingly, even if not mentioned separately, such integrated or distributed embodiments are also included in the scope of the present disclosure.

In the present disclosure, the components described in various embodiments do not necessarily mean essential components, and some may be optional components. Accordingly, an embodiment that consists of a subset of the components described in one embodiment is also included in the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, an embodiment that includes other components in addition to the components described in various embodiments is also included in the scope of the present disclosure.

In the present disclosure, expressions of positional relationships used in the present specification, such as top, bottom, left, right, etc., are described for convenience of explanation, and when the drawings illustrated in the present specification are viewed in reverse, the positional relationships described in the specification may be interpreted in the opposite way.

In the present disclosure, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

In order to calculate the position on the ground, at least 4 GPS location information must be received. However, GPS signals are weak, so some GPS signals may not be received due to geographical features such as urban areas or forests, or interference signals, or in some cases, they may not be received at all.

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an enhanced navigation system (assured PNT) technology for improving GPS location services. The technology collects navigation satellite information, for example, GPS satellite information, from a low-orbit vehicle such as a LEO satellite, and periodically relays and transmits the same to a user terminal on the ground through a communication channel, thereby identifying the location of the user terminal using the navigation satellite information directly received from the GPS satellite and the navigation satellite information received from the low-orbit vehicle through the communication channel, thereby enhancing the ability to identify the location of the user terminal.

The communication channel has a higher transmission capacity than GPS signals, is less vulnerable to geographical constraints, and is highly resistant to interference.

According to an embodiment, a user terminal calculates a current location using a GPS receiver and reinforces the location using GPS satellite information (or navigation satellite information) received from a communication channel, thereby enabling calculation of a location even in a situation where GPS location information received by the GPS receiver is insufficient or not received, thereby enabling location identification under various conditions on the ground.

At this time, the communication signal received through the communication channel includes GPS location information for each GPS satellite and may also include location information of a low-orbit vehicle if necessary.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to location services between low-orbit aircraft such as LEO communication satellites, UAV-BS (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - Base Station), etc., which have installed receivers supporting GNSS such as Galileo, Beidou, GLONASS as well as GPS, and ground user terminals. For the convenience of describing the technology of the present disclosure, a navigation satellite is described as a GPS satellite, and a low-orbit aircraft is described as a low-orbit satellite.

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a position identification system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, which enhances position identification of a user terminal by relaying GPS position information from LEO satellites, which are low-orbit vehicles, and in an environment where GNSS based on GPS satellites is operated, a user terminal on the ground can know its own position through a device having a built-in GPS receiver.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a position identification system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes GPS satellites (100), LEO satellites (200), and a user terminal (300).

Each of the GPS satellites (100) transmits GPS location information to the LEO satellites (200) and the user terminal (300) on the ground. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the GPS satellites (100) and GPS location information are self-evident to those skilled in the art, so a detailed description thereof is omitted.

These GPS satellites (100) are located in geostationary orbit (GEO) or medium orbit (MEO) and perform the task of periodically transmitting GPS satellite location information. GPS satellites are managed by the Space Force under the U.S. Department of Defense, and if there are 24 or more satellites, navigation services can be provided worldwide, but currently 31 GPS satellites are in operation.

Each of the LEO satellites (200) periodically transmits location information of GPS satellites (100) received in the air through a communication channel, thereby providing more GPS location information to ground user terminals (300) and supporting enhanced location identification capabilities. Representative LEO communication satellites include Starlink and OneWeb.

According to an embodiment, a LEO satellite (200) may calculate its own location based on the location information of the received GPS satellites, and relay its own location information and the location information of the GPS satellites to a user terminal (300) on the ground through a communication channel.

At this time, the LEO satellite (200) may include a GPS receiving device (210) and a data communication device (220), as illustrated in FIG. 2, and the GPS receiving device (210) receives a GPS satellite signal including position information of each of the GPS satellites (100) in the GPS signal receiving unit, and calculates its own position based on the GPS satellite signal received by the GPS signal receiving unit in the position calculation unit. The data communication device (220) generates a communication signal including the GPS satellite signal and the position information of the LEO satellite (200) through signal processing using the GPS satellite signal received by the GPS signal receiving unit and its own position information and transmission data calculated by the position calculation unit in the signal processing unit, and transmits or relays the communication signal to the user terminal (300) on the ground through a communication channel in the communication signal transmitting and receiving unit.

The LEO satellite (200) can periodically transmit a communication signal including GPS satellite signals collected for GPS satellites (100) and its own location information to a user terminal (300) on the ground through a communication channel, and the LEO satellite (200) can include a communication algorithm that can periodically transmit the GPS satellite signals received for this purpose.

That is, the system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure does not need to improve or replace the physical configuration or hardware for the GPS satellite (100) and the LEO satellite (300), and can periodically transmit a communication signal including GPS satellite signals and its own location information through a communication channel by reflecting only the software necessary for operation. The communication signal has stronger transmission power than the GPS signal, so it can better overcome geographical obstacles and can be better transmitted even to jamming signals.

The user terminal (300) can identify its own location based on GPS satellite signals received from GPS satellites (100), and can also enhance its location identification capability by correcting the location of the user terminal (300) by additionally considering communication signals received from LEO satellites (200) through a communication channel.

GPS signals have weak signal strength, so some of the GPS signals may not be received by the user terminal due to geographical features such as urban areas or forested areas, or interference signals, or in some cases, may not be received at all. In this case, the user terminal may not be able to receive at least four pieces of GPS location information necessary to calculate its current location, making it difficult to accurately calculate its location.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a user terminal (300) can identify its own location even when GPS location information directly received from a GPS satellite (100) is insufficient, by receiving GPS location information collected from a LEO satellite (200) through a communication channel from a LEO satellite (200), and by reflecting GPS location information of GPS satellites (100) received through the communication channel, thereby enhancing its own location identification ability.

According to an embodiment, the user terminal (300) can identify the first location of the user terminal by using GPS location information received directly from a GPS satellite (100), and can identify the final location of the user terminal (300) by correcting the first location based on location information of each of the GPS satellites included in the communication signal.

According to an embodiment, when the number of navigation satellite information directly received from GPS satellites (100) is less than a preset first number, for example, less than four, the user terminal (300) can merge the navigation satellite information directly received from GPS satellites (100) and the navigation satellite information included in the communication signal, and identify the location of the user terminal (300) using the merged navigation satellite information.

According to an embodiment, when the number of navigation satellite information received directly from GPS satellites (100) is greater than a preset second number, for example, greater than 6, the user terminal (300) can identify the location of the user terminal (300) using only the navigation satellite information received directly from GPS satellites.

According to an embodiment, the user terminal (300) may identify the location of the user terminal based on an assured PNT system.

Such a user terminal (300) may include a location identification device for identifying a user location, and the location identification device may include a receiving unit (310), a data communication unit (320), and a positioning unit (330), as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The receiving unit (310) corresponds to a GPS receiving device, and directly receives a GPS satellite signal from a GPS satellite (100) through the GPS signal receiving unit, and identifies the location of the user terminal based on the GPS satellite signal directly received from the GPS satellite (100) through the location calculation unit.

At this time, the location of the user terminal calculated by the receiving unit (310) can secure reliability for the identified location if the number of GPS satellite signals directly received through the GPS signal receiving unit is greater than the first number set in advance. On the other hand, if the number of GPS satellite signals directly received through the GPS signal receiving unit is less than the first number, the reliability of the location can be reduced, so the reliability of the identified location can be improved through location correction through the positioning unit (330).

The data communication unit (320) is configured to receive a communication signal including GPS location information through a communication channel with a LEO satellite, and corresponds to a data communication device and may include a communication signal receiving unit and a signal processing unit. The communication signal receiving unit receives a communication signal transmitted from a LEO satellite, that is, a communication signal including GPS location information of each GPS satellite and location information of the LEO satellite, through a communication channel and provides the communication signal to the signal processing unit, and the signal processing unit performs signal processing on the communication signal to extract the GPS location information (or satellite signal) of each GPS satellite and the location information of the LEO satellite included in the communication signal.

The positioning unit (330) identifies the location of the user terminal based on GPS satellite signals or GPS location information received through the receiving unit (310), i.e., the GPS receiving device, and GPS location information of each GPS satellite received through the data communication unit (320), and further, location information of LEO satellites.

According to an embodiment, when the number of GPS location information received by the receiving unit (310) is less than a certain number, for example, less than 4, the positioning unit (330) can merge the GPS location information with the GPS location information received through the data communication unit (320), remove duplicate GPS location information, and identify the location of the user terminal based on the remaining GPS location information.

According to an embodiment, when the number of GPS location information received by the receiving unit (310) is greater than a certain number, for example, 6, the positioning unit (330) may calculate or identify the location of the user terminal using only the GPS location information received by the receiving unit (310).

The location calculation of the user terminal using the navigation information received from the communication channel first filters out duplicate navigation satellite information while merging it with the navigation satellite information received from the GPS satellite, and then calculates the location information based on the satellite information held. At this time, the GPS-only positioning of the user terminal can be calculated by modeling it as in <Mathematical Formula 1> below.

[Mathematical Formula 1]

Here, R ^j (t) denotes the pseudo-range measured from the user terminal to GPS satellite j at time t, ρ ^j (t) denotes the geometric distance between the user terminal and GPS satellite j at time t, c denotes the speed of light, and TRIANGLE ^j (t) may denote the amount of deviation between the user terminal receiver and GPS satellite j.

At this time, ρ ^j (t) can be expressed as in <Mathematical Formula 2> below.

[Mathematical formula 2]

Here, X ^j (t), Y ^j (t), Z ^j (t) represent the 3D coordinates of GPS satellite j at time t, and X, Y, and Z may represent the coordinates of the user terminal. Accordingly, the nonlinear equation related to R ^j (t) can be obtained as many as the number of satellite information received at time t, for example, S, as in <Mathematical Formula 3> below.

[Mathematical formula 3]

Here, T ^j (t) may mean the time it takes for a signal to arrive from GPS satellite j to the user terminal.

In the nonlinear equation of the above mathematical expression 3, the unknown values are X, Y, and Z, which represent the coordinates of the user terminal, and these coordinate values can be obtained through the multivariate Newton’s Method or the Least Square Method, which are currently applied in GPS receivers.

In this way, the system and device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can enhance the location identification of a user terminal by reflecting the positioning information of a satellite navigation system received through a communication channel of a low-orbit vehicle.

In addition, the system and device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure transmit GPS location information through a communication channel to a ground user in an area where GPS signals are difficult to reach or where reception is difficult due to signal interference, thereby enabling the user terminal to check the GPS location information and utilize more GPS location information, thereby enabling precise location calculation. That is, considering that most user terminals currently have GPS receivers and communication antennas installed, GPS satellite information that is difficult to receive with a GPS receiver is transmitted through a communication channel, thereby enabling a more accurate location to be confirmed. Therefore, even in a situation where GPS satellite signals reaching the GPS receiver are insufficient or sometimes none are received at all, the location can be calculated with GPS location information received through the communication channel.

In addition, the system and device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can provide assured PNT without installing a separate device because it can reflect the necessary algorithms in the existing software without installing additional devices such as an INS, an altimeter, a camera, etc. in the user terminal like other assured PNT.

Additionally, the systems and devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of responding to intended threats such as GPS jamming, are widely applicable, and have expandability so that they can be utilized in special environments such as military operations.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a location identification method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a location identification device illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 4, a location identification method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure receives navigation satellite information including location information of a GPS satellite from a navigation satellite, for example, a GPS satellite, and receives navigation satellite information of each GPS satellite collected from a low-orbit vehicle, for example, a LEO satellite, through a communication channel (S410, S420).

At this time, the communication signal received through the communication channel may include not only the satellite signals of each GPS satellite collected from the LEO satellite, but also the location information of the LEO satellite determined from the LEO satellite.

When a GPS satellite signal is received directly from a GPS satellite and a communication signal including a GPS satellite signal of each GPS satellite through a communication channel by steps S410 and S420, the location of the user terminal is identified based on the navigation satellite information received directly from the GPS satellite and the navigation satellite information included in the communication signal (S430).

Here, the process of identifying the location of the user terminal in step S430 is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 as follows.

According to an embodiment, step S430 determines whether the number (S) of navigation satellite information directly received from navigation satellites, for example, GPS satellites, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is greater than a first preset number (S _min ), for example, 4, and if it is greater than the first number, determines whether it is greater than a second number (S _req ), and if it is greater than the second number, calculates the position of the user terminal using only the navigation satellite information directly received from GPS satellites and outputs the calculated position (S510, S520, S540).

Here, the first number may mean the minimum number of satellite information required for position calculation, and the second number may mean the number of satellite information required when precise position calculation is required.

On the other hand, if the number of satellite information directly received from GPS satellites is less than the first number as a result of the judgment in step S510, or if the number of satellite information directly received from GPS satellites is less than the second number as a result of the judgment in step S520, the position of the user terminal can be calculated and output by applying a position correction algorithm that reflects the navigation satellite information received through the communication channel (S530, S540).

That is, the user terminal calculates the location based on GPS location information received by the GPS receiver, and enhances the location identification capability by correcting the calculated location information with GPS location information received through the communication channel. At this time, the method of the present disclosure can apply a location correction algorithm that corrects the location information calculated by the GPS receiver with the location information received through the communication channel.

The position correction algorithm can also be utilized by adjusting the parameters of the algorithm according to the characteristics of the environment in which the GPS is operated.

That is, in the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, if the GPS reception environment is excellent, that is, if a number of satellite information (S) greater than S _req can be received, there is no need to utilize navigation satellite information of a separate communication channel in the position correction algorithm, but if the number of required satellite information is insufficient, the navigation satellite information received from the communication channel can be merged to correct the position information more precisely. In addition, the method of the present disclosure can calculate the position of the user terminal only with the navigation satellite information received from the communication channel, even without the navigation satellite information received from the GPS satellite, if the GPS reception environment is poor.

Although the description is omitted in the method of the present disclosure, the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include all the contents described in the system and device of FIGS. 1 to 3, which is obvious to a person skilled in the art.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a device to which a location identification device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

For example, the location identification device (300) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure of FIG. 3 may be the device (1600) of FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 6, the device (1600) may include a memory (1602), a processor (1603), a transceiver (1604), and a peripheral device (1601). In addition, as an example, the device (1600) may further include other configurations and is not limited to the above-described embodiment. At this time, the device (1600) may be, for example, a movable user terminal (for example, a smart phone, a laptop, a wearable device, etc.) or a fixed management device (for example, a server, a PC, etc.).

More specifically, the device (1600) of FIG. 6 may be an exemplary hardware/software architecture such as a user terminal, a location tracking device, etc. In this case, as an example, the memory (1602) may be a non-removable memory or a removable memory. In addition, as an example, the peripheral device (1601) may include a display, GPS, or other peripheral devices, and is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

In addition, as an example, the above-described device (1600) may include a communication circuit such as the transceiver (1604), and may perform communication with an external device based thereon.

In addition, as an example, the processor (1603) may be at least one of a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) circuits, any other type of IC (integrated circuit), and one or more microprocessors associated with a state machine. That is, it may be a hardware/software configuration that performs a control role for controlling the device (1600) described above. In addition, the processor (1603) may perform the function of the positioning unit (330) of FIG. 3 described above in a modularized manner.

At this time, the processor (1603) may execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory (1602) to perform various essential functions of the location identification device. For example, the processor (1603) may control at least one of signal coding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, and communication operations. In addition, the processor (1603) may control the physical layer, the MAC layer, and the application layers. In addition, for example, the processor (1603) may perform authentication and security procedures in the access layer and/or the application layer, and is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, the processor (1603) can communicate with other devices through the transceiver (1604). For example, the processor (1603) can control the location identification device to communicate with other devices through a network by executing computer-executable instructions. That is, the communication performed in the present disclosure can be controlled. For example, the transceiver (1604) can transmit an RF signal through an antenna and transmit the signal based on various communication networks.

In addition, as an example, MIMO technology, beamforming, etc. can be applied as antenna technology, and are not limited to the above-described embodiment. In addition, a signal transmitted and received through a transceiver (1604) can be modulated and demodulated and controlled by a processor (1603), and are not limited to the above-described embodiment.

Although the exemplary methods of the present disclosure are presented as a series of operations for clarity of description, this is not intended to limit the order in which the steps are performed, and each step may be performed simultaneously or in a different order, if desired. In order to implement a method according to the present disclosure, additional steps may be included in addition to the steps illustrated, or some of the steps may be excluded and the remaining steps may be included, or some of the steps may be excluded and additional other steps may be included.

The various embodiments of the present disclosure are not intended to list all possible combinations but rather to illustrate representative aspects of the present disclosure, and the matters described in the various embodiments may be applied independently or in combinations of two or more.

Additionally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In the case of hardware implementation, the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (Digital Signal Processors), DSPDs (Digital Signal Processing Devices), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), general processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, and the like.

The scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable instructions (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) that cause operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure to be executed on a device or a computer, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having such software or instructions stored thereon and being executable on the device or the computer.

300 location identification device
310 receiver
320 Data Communication Department
330 side view

Claims (17)

In a method for identifying a location in a user terminal,
A step of receiving navigation satellite information including position information of the navigation satellite from a navigation satellite;
A step of receiving a communication signal including navigation satellite information of each of the navigation satellites collected from the low-orbit vehicle through a communication channel from the low-orbit vehicle; and
A step of identifying the location of the user terminal based on navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the communication signal.
A method for identifying a location, comprising:
In the first paragraph,
The step of identifying the location of the user terminal is:
A location identification method for identifying a first location of the user terminal by using navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite, and identifying the final location of the user terminal by correcting the first location based on navigation satellite information included in the communication signal.
In the first paragraph,
The step of identifying the location of the user terminal is:
A location identification method for merging navigation satellite information received directly from the navigation satellite and navigation satellite information included in the communication signal when the number of navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite is less than a preset first number, and identifying the location of the user terminal using the merged navigation satellite information.
In the first paragraph,
The step of identifying the location of the user terminal is:
A location identification method for identifying the location of the user terminal using only the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite when the number of navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite is greater than a preset second number.
In the first paragraph,
The step of receiving the above communication signal is:
Receive the communication signal from the low-orbit vehicle at regular intervals,
The above communication signal is,
A location identification method including navigation satellite information of the above low-orbit vehicle.
In the first paragraph,
The step of identifying the location of the user terminal is:
A location identification method for identifying the location of the user terminal based on an assured PNT system.
In the first paragraph,
The above navigation satellites are,
A location identification method comprising at least one of the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), China's Beidou, the European Union's Galileo, and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
In a location identification device in a user terminal,
A receiving unit for receiving navigation satellite information including position information of a navigation satellite from a navigation satellite;
A data communication unit that receives a communication signal including navigation satellite information of each of the navigation satellites collected from the low-orbit vehicle through a communication channel from the low-orbit vehicle; and
A positioning unit that identifies the location of the user terminal based on navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the communication signal.
A location identification device comprising:
In Article 8,
The above positioning part,
A position identification device that identifies the first position of the user terminal by using navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite, and identifies the final position of the user terminal by correcting the first position based on navigation satellite information included in the communication signal.
In Article 8,
The above positioning part,
A location identification device that merges the navigation satellite information received directly from the navigation satellite and the navigation satellite information included in the communication signal when the number of navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite is less than a preset first number, and identifies the location of the user terminal using the merged navigation satellite information.
In Article 8,
The above positioning part,
A position identification device that identifies the position of the user terminal using only the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite when the number of navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite is greater than a preset second number.
In Article 8,
The above data communication unit,
Receive the communication signal from the low-orbit vehicle at regular intervals,
The above communication signal is,
A position identification device including navigation satellite information of the above low-orbit vehicle.
In Article 8,
The above positioning part,
A position identification device that identifies the position of the user terminal based on an assured PNT system.
In the first paragraph,
The above navigation satellites are,
A position identification device, including at least one of the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), China's Beidou, the European Union's Galileo, and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
At least one low-orbit vehicle that collects navigation satellite information including position information of each navigation satellite and transmits a communication signal including the collected navigation satellite information through a communication channel at regular intervals; and
A user terminal that receives navigation satellite information directly from the navigation satellite, receives the communication signal from the low-orbit vehicle, and identifies a location based on the navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite and the communication signal.
A location identification system comprising:
In Article 15,
The above user terminal,
A position identification system that merges the navigation satellite information received directly from the navigation satellite and the navigation satellite information included in the communication signal when the number of navigation satellite information directly received from the navigation satellite is less than a preset first number, and identifies the location of the user terminal using the merged navigation satellite information.
In Article 16,
The above low-orbit vehicle is,
A position identification system that identifies the position of the low-orbit vehicle using the collected navigation satellite information, and includes the position information of the low-orbit vehicle in the communication signal and transmits it to the user terminal.

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