Unambiguous S-curve shaping technique for multipath mitigation in Global Navigation Satellite Systems alternative binary offset carrier signals

Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite Systems positioning accuracy indoor and urban canyons environments are greatly affected by multipath because of distortions in its autocorrelation function. In this paper, we propose a new multipath mitigation technique based on the concept of S-curve shaping for the new alternative binary offset carrier AltBOC-modulated signals, which will most likely be used in both European Galileo system and Chinese Compass system. The definition of an optimum S-curve is employed to reduce the false lock points and to improve the multipath mitigation capability via determining the shape of the local code tracking reference function. The structure of the proposed code tracking loop for AltBOC signals is quite simple and only requires one complex correlator. Results demonstrate that the proposed technique provides superior multipath mitigation performance compared with the conventional receiver correlation techniques and removes the ambiguity completely. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.