TY - JOUR

T1 - Coordinate Frames and Transformations in GNSS Ray-Tracing for Autonomous Driving in Urban Areas

AU - Baasch, Kai Niklas

AU - Icking, Lucy

AU - Ruwisch, Fabian

AU - Schön, Steffen

N1 - Funding Information: This work was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of the Research Training Group i.c.sens [RTG 2159], the project KOMET, which is managed by TÜV-Rheinland (PT-TÜV) under the grant 19A20002C and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), as well as by the project 5GAPS under the grand 45FGU121_E, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag. The publication of this article was funded by the Open Access Fund of Leibniz Universität Hannover.

PY - 2023/1

Y1 - 2023/1

N2 - 3D Mapping-Aided (3DMA) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a widely used method to mitigate multipath errors. Various research has been presented which utilizes 3D building model data in conjunction with ray-tracing algorithms to compute and predict satellites’ visibility conditions and compute delays caused by signal reflection. To simulate, model and potentially correct multipath errors in highly dynamic applications, such as, e.g., autonomous driving, the satellite–receiver–reflector geometry has to be known precisely in a common reference frame. Three-dimensional building models are often provided by regional public or private services and the coordinate information is usually given in a coordinate system of a map projection. Inconsistencies in the coordinate frames used to express the satellite and user coordinates, as well as the reflector surfaces, lead to falsely determined multipath errors and, thus, reduce the performance of 3DMA GNSS. This paper aims to provide the needed transformation steps to consider when integrating 3D building model data, user position, and GNSS orbit information. The impact of frame inconsistencies on the computed extra path delay is quantified based on a simulation study in a local 3D building model; they can easily amount to several meters. Differences between the extra path-delay computations in a metric system and a map projection are evaluated and corrections are proposed to both variants depending on the accuracy needs and the intended use.

AB - 3D Mapping-Aided (3DMA) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a widely used method to mitigate multipath errors. Various research has been presented which utilizes 3D building model data in conjunction with ray-tracing algorithms to compute and predict satellites’ visibility conditions and compute delays caused by signal reflection. To simulate, model and potentially correct multipath errors in highly dynamic applications, such as, e.g., autonomous driving, the satellite–receiver–reflector geometry has to be known precisely in a common reference frame. Three-dimensional building models are often provided by regional public or private services and the coordinate information is usually given in a coordinate system of a map projection. Inconsistencies in the coordinate frames used to express the satellite and user coordinates, as well as the reflector surfaces, lead to falsely determined multipath errors and, thus, reduce the performance of 3DMA GNSS. This paper aims to provide the needed transformation steps to consider when integrating 3D building model data, user position, and GNSS orbit information. The impact of frame inconsistencies on the computed extra path delay is quantified based on a simulation study in a local 3D building model; they can easily amount to several meters. Differences between the extra path-delay computations in a metric system and a map projection are evaluated and corrections are proposed to both variants depending on the accuracy needs and the intended use.

KW - GNSS

KW - Ray-Tracing

KW - 3D building model

KW - NLOS

KW - Coordinate Frames

KW - Autonomous driving

KW - 3D building model

KW - 3DMA

KW - autonomous driving

KW - coordinate frames

KW - GNSS

KW - NLOS

KW - ray-tracing

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145976392&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/rs15010180

DO - 10.3390/rs15010180

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85145976392

VL - 15

JO - Remote Sensing

JF - Remote Sensing

SN - 2072-4292

IS - 1

M1 - 180

ER -