Augmenting GPS with Television Signals for Reliable Indoor Positioning

Matthew Rabinowitz and James J. Spilker, Jr.

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	This paper analyzes the theoretical performance of an idealized Assisted GPS (A-GPS) receiver in inclement urban environments. The results suggest that if reliability, accuracy, and rapid acquisition time are important for wireless applications that are used indoors, an augmentation technology is necessary. The rest of the paper is devoted to exploring a positioning technology that uses embedded synchronization signals in TV broadcasts. The technique discussed herein could be used to position personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops, cellular phones, two-way radios, and asset-tracking devices. Since the technique makes use of signals that are part of the TV standard, no changes to broadcast stations are required. The TV synchronization signals typically have a power advantage over GPS of more than 40 dB. In addition, the effects of multipath are substantially mitigated since the signals have a bandwidth of roughly 6 MHz, and superior lateral geometry for triangulation relative to stand-alone GPS.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 51, Number 4
Pages:	269 - 282
Cite this article:	Rabinowitz, Matthew, Spilker, James J., Jr.,, "Augmenting GPS with Television Signals for Reliable Indoor Positioning", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 51, No. 4, Winter 2004-2005, pp. 269-282.
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