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Abstract

A method and an apparatus using a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite signal to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS) for finding a location vector between a GPS user receiver and a GPS reference receiver. The GPS user receiver computes a LEO user-reference carrier phase difference and a GPS user-reference carrier phase difference for the LEO satellite signal and a GPS satellite signal, respectively, received simultaneously at the GPS user receiver and the GPS reference receiver. Carrier phase double differences are computed from a difference between the GPS user-reference carrier phases from two GPS satellites and either the LEO user-reference carrier phases from two LEO satellites or the GPS user-reference carrier phase from one GPS satellite and the LEO user-reference carrier phase from one LEO satellite. The location vector is computed from a difference between the double differences for two satellite geometries. The GPS reference receiver communicates the reference carrier phase data to the GPS user receiver through the LEO satellite. An ionospheric delay model is determined by tracking the LEO satellite signal as the LEO satellite traverses the sky. An optional calibrator corrects for measurement delay in determining the carrier phases in the GPS user receiver and the GPS reference receiver.

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First Claim