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Methods and Applications of Multi-GNSS PNT and Remote Sensing

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Navigation and Positioning".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 June 2023) | Viewed by 4851

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pengfei Zhang

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Guest Editor

National Time Service Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710600, China
Interests: time and frequency transfer; LEO augmentation; PPP-RTK

Dr. Shuangcheng Zhang

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Geo-Information Engineering, Xi’an 710054, China
Interests: GNSS positioning and remote sensing; disaster monitoring

Dr. Long Yang

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Guest Editor

Beijing Future Navigation Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100094, China
Interests: LEO augmentation; PPP; PPP-RTK

Dr. Weijin Qin

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Guest Editor

National Time Service Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710600, China
Interests: GNSS timing and time frequency transfer

Prof. Dr. Shuanggen Jin

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Guest Editor

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
Interests: GNSS meteorology; remote sensing; space/planetary exploration
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few decades, the rapid development of multi-GNSS, including GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo and QZSS, has promoted the theories, algorithms, applications of GNSS Positioning, Navigation, Timing and Sensing (PNTS). With tens of thousands LEO satellites launched or to be launched in the coming decades, the algorithms and applications using GNSS and LEO have become a hot topic in recent years. The emergence of LEO augmentation overcomes the GNSS’s intrinsic limitations, such as weak signal strength, slow geometry change. At the same time, LEO augmentation improves the estimation precision, enlarges the service area, and shortens the convergence time of precise point positioning (PPP). In this Special Issue, We encourage theoretical and application research contributing to the GNSS/LEO high-precision technology in the PNTS area, which includes but not limits, the modeling and strategies in high-precision and real-time multi-GNSS/LEO data processing, RTK, PPP, PPP-RTK, precise time and frequency transfer, GNSS reflectometry and GNSS meteorology.

Dr. Pengfei Zhang
Dr. Shuangcheng Zhang
Dr. Long Yang
Dr. Weijin Qin
Prof. Dr. Shuanggen Jin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

multi-GNSS positioning, navigation, timing and sensing (PNTS)
GNSS data processing
LEO augmentation
RTK, PPP, PPP-RTK
time and frequency transfer
GNSS reflectometry
GNSS meteorology

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 8300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Extraction and Characterization of Pseudorange Multipath Based on BDS-3 Multi-Frequency Observations

by Zhongchen Guo, Xuexiang Yu, Chao Hu, Chuang Jiang, Hao Tan, Mingfei Zhu and Shicheng Xie

Sensors 2023, 23(13), 6151; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23136151 - 04 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 833

Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations are subject to various errors during their propagation process. A reasonable correction of these errors can improve the positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service capability. The impact of multipaths on pseudorange observations can reach a decimeters or even meters level. However, their mechanism is complex and there is currently no universally accepted high-precision correction model. The correlation between the pseudorange multipaths (MP) of BDS-2 satellites and satellite elevation has been confirmed, while there have been fewer analyses of the MP characteristics for different frequencies of BDS-3 satellites. The broadcasting of multi-frequency observations in BDS-3 should theoretically make the extracted MP more accurate compared to traditional methods. Based on this, in this contribution, a multi-frequency MP extraction algorithm based on the least squares principle is proposed, which can simultaneously eliminate the influence of higher-order ionospheric delay. The analytical expression for only eliminating first-order ionospheric delay is successfully derived. Subsequently, the characteristics of the MPs extracted from different frequency combinations and the impact of combination noise on the extraction accuracy are discussed. The influence of second-order ionospheric delay on the MPs for each frequency under different combination noises, as well as the periodic behavior exhibited in long-term observations of the BDS-3 medium earth orbit (MEO) and inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) satellites, are also analyzed. Finally, the correlations between the MPs of each frequency of BDS satellite and elevation are quantitatively analyzed based on observations from 35 stations. Overall, this work has positive implications for the study of the MP characteristics of BDS-3 and subsequent modeling efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methods and Applications of Multi-GNSS PNT and Remote Sensing)

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16 pages, 5984 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Image Mapping Accuracy Evaluation Using UAV with Standalone, Differential (RTK), and PPP GNSS Positioning Techniques in an Abandoned Mine Site

by Hanjin Kim, Chang-Uk Hyun, Hyeong-Dong Park and Jongmun Cha

Sensors 2023, 23(13), 5858; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23135858 - 24 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1372

Abstract

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) provide a common positioning method that utilizes satellite signals to determine the spatial location of a receiver. However, there are several error factors in standalone GNSS positioning due to instrumental, procedural, and environmental factors that arise during the signal transmission process, and the final positioning error can be up to several meters or greater in length. Thus, real-time kinematic (RTK) correction and post-mission precise point positioning (PPP) processing technologies are proposed to improve accuracy and accomplish precise position measurements. To evaluate the geolocation accuracy of mosaicked UAV images of an abandoned mine site, we compared each orthomosaic image and digital elevation model obtained using standalone GNSS positioning, differential (RTK) GNSS positioning, and post-mission PPP processing techniques. In the three types of error evaluation measure (i.e., relative camera location error, ground control points-based absolute image mapping error, and volumetric difference of mine tailings), we found that the RTK GNSS positioning method obtained the best performance in terms of the relative camera location error and the absolute image mapping error evaluations, and the PPP post-processing correction effectively reduced the error (69.5% of the average total relative camera location error and 59.3% of the average total absolute image mapping error) relative to the standalone GNSS positioning method. Although differential (RTK) GNSS positioning is widely used in positioning applications that require very high accuracy, post-mission PPP processing can also be used in various fields in which it is either not feasible to operate expensive equipment to receive RTK GNSS signals or network RTK services are unavailable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methods and Applications of Multi-GNSS PNT and Remote Sensing)

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11 pages, 6891 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multi-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Time Transfer Method with Federated Kalman Filter (FKF)

by Kun Liang, Shuangyu Hao, Zhiqiang Yang and Jian Wang

Sensors 2023, 23(11), 5328; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23115328 - 04 Jun 2023

Viewed by 912

Abstract

Relative to single Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements, i.e., the measurements from a single GNSS system, a single GNSS code, and a single GNSS receiver, multi-GNSS measurements for time transfer could improve reliability and provide better short-term stability. Previous studies applied equal weighting to different GNSS systems or different GNSS time transfer receivers, which, to some extent, revealed the improvement in the additional short-term stability from the combination of two or more kinds of GNSS measurements. In this study, the effects of the different weight allocation for multi-measurements of GNSS time transfer were analyzed, and a federated Kalman filter was designed and applied to fuse multi-GNSS measurements combined with the standard-deviation-allocated weight. Tests with real data showed that the proposed approach can reduce the noise level to well below about 250 ps for short averaging times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methods and Applications of Multi-GNSS PNT and Remote Sensing)

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17 pages, 7302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

PPP/INS Tight Integration with BDS−3 PPP−B2b Service in the Urban Environment

by Luguang Lai, Xin Meng, Dongqing Zhao, Xin Li, Wenzhuo Guo and Linyang Li

Sensors 2023, 23(5), 2652; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23052652 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1221

Abstract

To provide continuous and reliable real−time precise positioning services in challenging environments and poor internet conditions, the real−time precise corrections of the BeiDou global navigation satellite system (BDS−3) PPP−B2b signal are utilized to correct the satellite orbit errors and clock offsets. In addition to this, using the complementary characteristics of the inertial navigation system (INS) and the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), a PPP−B2b/INS tight integration model is established. With observation data collected in an urban environment, the results show that PPP−B2b/INS tight integration can ensure a decimeter−level positioning accuracy; the positioning accuracies of the E, N, and U components are 0.292, 0.115, and 0.155 m, respectively, which can provide a continuous and secure position during short interruptions in the GNSS. However, there is still a gap of about 1 dm compared with the three−dimensional (3D) positioning accuracy obtained from Deutsche GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) real−time products, and a gap of about 2 dm compared with the GFZ post−precise products. Using a tactical inertial measurement unit (IMU), the velocimetry accuracies of the tightly integrated PPP−B2b/INS in the E, N, and U components are all about 0.3 cm/s, and the attitude accuracy of yaw is about 0.1 deg, while the pitch and roll show a superior performance of less than 0.01 deg. The accuracies of the velocity and attitude mainly depend on the performance of the IMU in the tight integration mode, and there is no significant difference between using real−time products and post products. The performance of the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) IMU and tactical IMU is also compared, and the positioning, velocimetry, and attitude determinations with the MEMS IMU are significantly worsened. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methods and Applications of Multi-GNSS PNT and Remote Sensing)

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