| CPC G01S 13/46 (2013.01) [H04W 64/006 (2013.01); G01S 2013/466 (2013.01); G01S 2013/468 (2013.01); G01S 19/215 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A positioning and timing system comprising:
a plurality of transmitters each located at different corresponding positions, each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters is configured to output transmission signals uncoordinated with signals transmitted by other transmitters of the plurality of transmitters, each of the transmission signals characterized by corresponding carrier frequencies that differ from the frequency is signals transmitted by the other transmitters of the plurality of transmitters;
a reference receiver unit located at a reference position that differs from each the corresponding positions of the plurality of transmitters;
at least one processor in communication with the reference receiver unit;
a database in communication with the at least one processor;
wherein the reference receiver unit is configured to:
receive transmitter signals transmitted by the plurality of transmitters;
sample the transmitter signals;
generate, using the at least one processor, time references for each of the received transmitter signals;
store in the database, location information comprising locations of each of the plurality of transmitters; and
broadcast the sampled transmitter signals, time references, and location information;
a remote receiver unit located at an unknown position, the remote receiver configured to:
receive transmitter signals transmitted by the plurality of transmitters;
receive, from the reference unit, the broadcast sampled transmitter signals, time references, and location information; and
compute the position of the remote receiver unit and the error of its clock relative to the reference unit clock based on the comparison of the broadcast samples corresponding to the time references.
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