Evaluating the Effectiveness of Quasi-Zenith Satellite System on Positioning Accuracy Based on 3D Digital Map Through Simulation

Since the operation of the first satellite-based navigation services, satellite positioning has played an increasing role in both surveying and navigation, and has become an indispensable tool for precise relative positioning. However, in some situations, e.g. at a low angle of elevation, the use of satellites for navigation is seriously restricted because obstacles like buildings and mountains can block signals. As a mean to resolve this problem, the quasi-zenith satellite system has been proposed as a next-generation satellite navigation system. Quasi-zenith satellite is a system which simultaneously deploys several satellites in a quasi-zenith geostationary orbit so that one of the satellites always stay close to the zenith if viewed from a specific point on the ground of East Asia. Thus, if a position measurement function compatible with GPS is installed in the quasi-zenith and stationary satellites, and these satellites are utilized together with the GPS, four satellites can be accessed simultaneously nearly all day long and a substantial improvement in position measurement, especially in metropolitan areas, can be achieved. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of quasi-zenith satellite system on positioning accuracy improvement through simulation by using precise orbital information of the satellites and a three-Dimensional digital map. Through this simulation system, it is possible to calculate the number of simultaneously visible satellites and available area of the positioning without the need of actual observation.