Smartphone Positioning and Accuracy Analysis Based on Real-Time Regional Ionospheric Correction Model

Area of Science:

• Geodesy and Satellite Navigation
• Atmospheric Physics

Background:

• Ionospheric delay is a major error source affecting Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) accuracy.
• Existing ionospheric correction models in smartphones suffer from time delays and low accuracy, hindering real-time applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a real-time regional ionospheric model using Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) data for enhanced smartphone GNSS positioning.

Main Methods:

• Utilized real-time regional ionospheric modeling based on CORS data.
• Assessed model accuracy against a posterior grid, measuring electron content error.
• Conducted carrier-smoothing pseudorange and single-frequency Precise Point Positioning (PPP) tests.

Main Results:

• The regional ionospheric model achieved electron content errors below 5 Total Electron Content Units (TECU), outperforming the Klobuchar model by approximately 50%.
• Smartphone positioning accuracy improved by over 34%, particularly in the elevation direction, compared to the Klobuchar model.
• Convergence time in the elevation direction was reduced to 1 minute.

Conclusions:

• The real-time regional ionospheric model significantly enhances smartphone GNSS positioning accuracy and reduces convergence time.
• This approach addresses limitations of current models, enabling more reliable real-time smartphone navigation.