Instantaneous Best Integer Equivariant Position Estimation Using Google Pixel 4 Smartphones for Single- and Dual-Frequency, Multi-GNSS Short-Baseline RTK

Abstract

High-precision global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning and navigation can be achieved with carrier-phase ambiguity resolution when the integer least squares (ILS) success rate (SR) is high. The users typically prefer the float solution under the scenario of having a low SR, and the ILS solution when the SR is high. The best integer equivariant (BIE) estimator is an alternative solution since it minimizes the mean squared errors (MSEs); hence, it will always be superior to both its float and ILS counterparts. There has been a recent development of GNSSs consisting of the Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), which has made precise positioning with Android smartphones possible. Since smartphone tracking of GNSS signals is generally of poorer quality than with geodetic grade receivers and antennas, the ILS SR is typically less than one, resulting in the BIE estimator being the preferred carrier phase ambiguity resolution option. Therefore, in this contribution, we compare, for the first time, the BIE estimator to the ILS and float contenders while using GNSS data collected by Google Pixel 4 (GP4) smartphones for short-baseline real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. It is demonstrated that the BIE estimator will always give a better RTK positioning performance than that of the ILS and float solutions while using both single- and dual-frequency smartphone GNSS observations. Lastly, with the same smartphone data, we show that BIE will always be superior to the float and ILS solutions in terms of the MSEs, regardless of whether the SR is at high, medium, or low levels.