• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.7-13
• /
• 2015

The number of mobile terminals equipped with a GPS module is steadily increasing today. However, because they using code pseudorange measurements in positioning, the positioning accuracy of mobile terminals is lower than that of those receivers using carrier phases. Especially, the multipath signal causes more significant errors in code pseudoranges. Therefore, the techniques of multipath detection and elimination is necessary. In this study, as an initial analysis of multipath detection and elimination technique development, we tested the feasibility of multipath signal detection using GPS signal strength information. We found that the GPS signal strength increases as the elevation angle gets higher in the open-sky environment. Also, we found that the signal strength decreases when there were some signal reflectors nearby. We checked the repeatability of the signal strength variation characteristics by reflecting repeat time of GPS satellites. As a result, this characteristics repeats almost perfectly when GPS satellites pass the same orbit. Therefore, we found that it is not a temporary phenomenon and the multipath signal detection should be possible by using GPS signal strength information.