Reconstructing GNSS Meta-Signal Observations Using Sideband Measurements

Abstract

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) provide several signals on different frequencies: Two or more components can be processed jointly as a meta-signal. Despite significant effort devoted to developing effective techniques for meta-signal processing, limited research has been conducted to characterize meta-signal measurements. In this work, the observations obtained by processing a GNSS meta-signal are characterized and fundamental relationships between GNSS meta-signal and dual-frequency measurement combinations are derived. We show that subcarrier phase observations can be estimated as the wide-lane linear combination of the carrier phases obtained from the two original sideband components. Moreover, meta-signal code measurements can be reconstructed from the pseudoranges and carrier phases of the original components. Thus, meta-signal pseudoranges are mixed code and carrier observations. The experimental results confirm the validity of the theoretical formulas that can be used to reconstruct meta-signal measurements from dual-frequency observations.