GPS Observation Equations and Positioning Concepts

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is four-fold: First, it provides the connection between chapters 1 through 4 outlining the individual components of the Global Positioning System, and chapters 6 through 16 describing the models used in different geodetic applications of GPS. This connection is introduced through the observation equations for pseudorange and carrier phase measurements in section 5.2 GPS Observables, relating the measured quantities described in chapter 4 to geometrical and physical parameters of interest in a geodetic context. Typically, these equations will be non-linear with respect to some of the parameters, most notably with respect to the coordinates of the satellite and the receiver.