An adaptive stochastic model for GPS observations and its performance in precise point positioning

Abstract

In this paper, the stochastic characteristics of Global Positioning System (GPS) pseudo-range noise as influenced by several factors such as receiver type, frequency, and ionosphere environment are analysed. The results indicate that the noise level of GPS observations is significantly affected by these factors. Moreover, the noise level is so mutable that it cannot be generalised and described by a uniform empirical model. Even for the same satellite, the noise level of observations may fluctuate sharply in both spatial and temporal resolution. To establish a reasonable stochastic model, a recursive sliding window method for estimating pseudo-range noise in real time is introduced. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by specific computational examples.

Keywords:

• GPS
• Multipath effect
• Stochastic model
• Pseudo-range noise
• Real-time estimation