Kinematic GPS for Differential Positioning: Resolving Integer Ambiguities on the Fly

In kinematic GPS, the initial integer ambiguity must be resolved either by a static survey over time, or by instant calibration with a known baseline or an antenna exchange. While these standard methods require maintaining a baseline stationary to an earth-fixed reference frame during the initialization, there are situations when at least one of the receivers may be constantly in motion. This paper proposes two ideas for adapting standard kinematic techniques to situations that do not naturally allow for the constraint of a fixed baseline. The first calls for extracting the information needed to resolve the integer ambiguity from the very data collected while the kinematic survey is in progress. The second idea addresses the use of the antenna exchange technique for mobile platforms where the original locations of the antennas are not likely to remain stationary during the physical exchange. Both ideas count on information from additional measurements to augment their respective measurement models.