Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Without The Global Positioning System (GPS)

Lithium Battery Engineering's (LBE) proposal for a unique Terrestrial Positioning System (TPS) uses modulated static magnetic fields as a robust short-range communications medium to create the terrestrial equivalent of a Global Positioning System. The TPS uses terrestrial-based transceiver stations, which are arrayed in a mesh network. The receivers use ultra-sensitive magnetometers based on nitrogen vacancy diamonds. The individual elements of the system have been developed by Lockheed Martin for other uses. Lockheed Martin is interested in LBE’s concept for a TPS, and has written LBE a letter of support, which can lead to a path for commercialization. The technical risk of the TPS is reduced by successes in prior art, and by work on predecessor SBIR A181-014. The individual elements of the proposal, such as the static field magnetic transmitter, static magnetic field receiver, and communications protocols have all been demonstrated by third parties for use in other applications. The system is configured by distributing a number of transmitters (base stations) around the area of interest. These can be fixed or mobile devices when and where needed. The base stations broadcast a signal, and the receivers determine their position from composite data from multiple transmitters.