A Maximum Likelihood Estimator Based Tracking Algorithm for GNSS Signals

This paper presents a novel signal tracking algorithm for GNSS receivers using a MLE technique. In order to perform a robust signal tracking in severe signal environments, e.g., high dynamics for navigation vehicles or weak signals for indoor positioning, the MLE based signal tracking approach is adopted in the paper. With assuming white Gaussian additive noise, the cost function of MLE is expanded to the cost function of NLSE. Efficient and practical approach for Doppler frequency tracking by the MLE is derived based on the assumption of code-free signals, i.e., the cost function of the MLE for carrier Doppler tracking is used to derive a discriminator function to create error signals from incoming and reference signals. The use of the MLE method for carrier tracking makes it possible to generalize the MLE equation for arbitrary codes and modulation schemes. This is ideally suited for various GNSS signals with same structure of tracking module. This paper proposes two different types of MLE based tracking method, i.e., an iterative batch processing method and a non-iterative feed-forward processing method. The first method is derived without any limitation on time consumption, while the second method is proposed for a time limited case by using a 1st derivative of cost function, which is proportional to error signal from discriminators of conventional tracking methods. The second method can be implemented by a block diagram approach for tracking carrier phase, Doppler frequency and code phase with assuming no correlation of signal parameters. Finally, a state space form of FLL/PLL/DLL is adopted to the designed MLE based tracking algorithm for reducing noise on the estimated signal parameters.