Skip to main content
Log in

Best integer equivariant position estimation for multi-GNSS RTK: a multivariate normal and t-distributed performance comparison

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Geodesy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The best integer equivariant (BIE) estimator for the multivariate t-distribution was introduced in Teunissen (J Geod, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-020-01407-2), where it was shown that the BIE-weights will be different from that of the normal distribution. In this contribution, we analyze these BIE estimators while making use of multi global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data. The BIE-estimators are also compared to their least-squares (LS) and integer least-squares (ILS) contenders. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted so as to realize controlled performance comparisons of the different estimators for the purpose of multi-GNSS (GPS, Galileo, BDS and QZSS) single-frequency real-time kinematic positioning. The analyses are done in a qualitative sense by means of positioning scatter plots, and in a quantitative sense by means of numerical mean-squared-error (MSE) curves for the different estimators under different model strengths (receiver-satellite geometries and varying degrees of freedom). Particular attention is given to the difference in impact the multivariate t-distribution has when either only its cofactor matrix is in common with the normal distribution or its complete variance-covariance matrix. It will be shown that the BIE-estimators give better MSEs to both the LS- and ILS-estimator when the ILS success rate is different from zero and one, respectively. We also demonstrate that using the same BIE-estimator on different data distributions can give users an unrealistic sense of their solution quality, while the usage of two different BIE-estimators on the same data can have a marginal impact.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability Statement

The broadcast ephemerides was used for satellite orbits and clocks. The simulated low-cost receiver observation data are stored at University of Otago, and the School of Surveying data facilities, and can be made available upon request by contacting the corresponding author R. Odolinski by email.

References

  • Al Hage J, Xu P, Bonnifait P (2019) Student’s t information filter with adaptive degree of freedom for multi-sensor fusion. In: 22nd international conference on information fusion, Ottawa, Canada

  • Brack A (2019) Partial carrier-phase integer ambiguity resolution for high accuracy GNSS positioning. Ph.D. Dissertation, Lehrstuhl fur Kommunikation und Navigation Technische Universitat Munchen

  • Brack A, Henkel P, Gunther C (2014) Sequential best integer-equivariant estimation for GNSS. Navigation 61(2):149–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Jonge PJ, Tiberius CCJM (1996) The LAMBDA method for integer ambiguity estimation: implementation aspects. LGR-Series, Technical report, Delft University of Technology (12)

  • Dhital A, Bancroft JB, Lachapelle G (2013) A new approach for improving reliability of personal navigation devices under harsh GNSS signal conditions. Sensors 13:15221–15241. https://doi.org/10.3390/s131115221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Euler HJ, Goad C (1991) On optimal filtering of GPS dual frequency observations without using orbit information. Bull Geod 65:130–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heng L, Gao GX, Walter T, Enge P (2011) Statistical characterization of GPS signal-in-space errors. In: Institute of navigation, international technical meeting, pp 312–319

  • Kibria BMG, Joarder AH (2006) A short review of the multivariate t-distribution. J Stat Res 40(1):59–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Odijk D, Teunissen PJG (2013) Characterization of between-receiver GPS-Galileo inter-system biases and their effect on mixed ambiguity resolution. GPS Solut 17(4):521–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odolinski R, Teunissen PJG (2020a) Best integer equivariant estimation: performance analysis using real data collected by low-cost, single- and dual-frequency, multi-GNSS receivers for short- to long-baseline RTK positioning. J Geod. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-020-01423-2

  • Odolinski R, Teunissen PJG (2020b) On the best integer equivariant estimator for low-cost single-frequency multi-GNSS RTK positioning. In: Proceedings of the 2020 international technical meeting of the institute of navigation, pp 499–508

  • Odolinski R, Teunissen PJG, Odijk D (2013) Quality analysis of a combined COMPASS/BeiDou-2 and GPS RTK positioning model. In: IGNSS symposium, Golden Coast, Australia

  • Rao CR (1973) Linear statistical inference and its applications, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Teunissen PJG (1995) The least squares ambiguity decorrelation adjustment: a method for fast GPS integer estimation. J Geod 70:65–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teunissen PJG (1997) A canonical theory for short GPS baselines. Part I: the baseline precision. J Geod 71:320–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teunissen PJG (1998) On the integer normal distribution of the GPS ambiguities. Artif Satell 33(2):49–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Teunissen PJG (1999a) An optimality property of the integer least-squares estimator. J Geod 73:587–593

  • Teunissen PJG (1999b) The probability distribution of the GPS baseline for a class of integer ambiguity estimators. J Geod 73(5):275–284

  • Teunissen PJG (2003) Theory of integer equivariant estimation with application to GNSS. J Geod 77:402–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-003-0344-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teunissen PJG (2005) On the computation of the best integer equivariant estimator. Artif Satell 40(3):161–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Teunissen PJG (2020) Best integer equivariant estimation for elliptically contoured distributions. J Geod. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-020-01407-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teunissen PJG, Amiri-Simkooei AR (2008) Least-squares variance component estimation. J Geod 82(2):65–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verhagen S, Teunissen PJG (2005) Performance comparison of the BIE Estimator with the float and fixed GNSS ambiguity estimators. In: A window on the future of geodesy, international association of geodesy symposia, vol 128. Springer, Berlin, pp 428–433

  • Wand MP, Jones M (eds) (1995) Kernel smoothing. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Zhou W (2019) Robust linear filter with parameter estimation under Student t measurement distribution. Circuits Syst Signal Process 38:2445–2470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wen Z, Henkel P, Guenther C, Brack A (2012) Best integer equivariant estimation for precise point positioning. In: ELMAR2012

  • Xiao Z, Havyarimana V, Li T, Wang D (2016) A nonlinear framework of delayed particle smoothing method for vehicle localization under non-Gaussian environment. Sensors. https://doi.org/10.3390/s16050692

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Y, Li J, Wang A, Xu J, He H, Guo H, Shen J, Dai X (2014) Preliminary assessment of the navigation and positioning performance of Beidou regional navigation satellite system. Sci China Earth Sci 57:144–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong M, Xu X, Xu X (2018) A novel robust Kalman filter for SINS/GPS integration. In: Integrated communications, navigation, surveillance conference (ICNS). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICNSURV.2018.8384892

  • Zhu H, Leung H, He Z (2012) A variational Bayesian approach to robust sensor fusion based on Student t-distribution. Inf Sci 221(2013):201–214

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

The first author RO performed the research, wrote the manuscript and did the data analysis. PJGT gave feedback on the written manuscript, and wrote some of the theoretical parts, results and conclusions of the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Odolinski.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Odolinski, R., Teunissen, P.J.G. Best integer equivariant position estimation for multi-GNSS RTK: a multivariate normal and t-distributed performance comparison. J Geod 96, 3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-021-01591-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-021-01591-9

Keywords

Navigation