Anyone know the method for calculating a reciever's position from the time difference between three rf pulse transmiters of known positions? This has apparantly been in use since the second world war but a description of the mathematics involved is hiding. Maybe a text on navagation methods?
The old terms and tech (i.e. LORAN) have changed since WWII. Hyperbolic navigation is still with us, but with the advent of cellular and ADS-B, it's now called MLAT (multilateration), TOA, TDOA (time difference of arrival), or a multitude of other term. Note that the GPS system uses the flight time between the GPS receiver and the known positions of at least 3 GPS satellites.
These should supply a list of buzzwords to research:
The only parameter you can determine without a highly directional antenna is the difference in arrival time which places the transmitter on a hyperbola with two receiving antennas at the foci. Add a third antenna and you get intersecting hyperbolæ which will resolve the transmitter's location to a point.
But you are asking to locate a receiver from the time difference of arrival of known transmitters. Same problem with the transmitters at the foci. I believe this is the basis of locating a commercial aircraft based on the TACAN signal.
The math is just algebra and trig, solving simultaneous hyperbolic equations. I think two baselines give you only two points as solutions and the remaining baseline resolves between those two.
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