Accuracy of Range-Range and Range-Sum Multilateration Systems

A recent paper [1] described a novel procedure for assessing the accuracy of hyperbolic multilateration systems for the case of uncorrelated ranging errors. Basically the procedure reduced the problem of assessing accuracy to that of calculating the moments and products of inertia of a simple mass constellation. This paper derives analogous results for range-range and range-sum multilateration tion systems. It also extends the results to take account of an independent position fix (e. g., barometric altitude). The new results have numerous uses. For example, the results make crystal clear the relative accuracies of the hyperbolic, range-range, and range-sum techniques. The results also make it easy to understand the salient accuracy characteristics of practical satellite-based and ground-based multilateration systems. Finally, the results provide a basis for deriving new bounds on the performance of range-range and range-sum systems.