The concept and evaluation of GPS skyward visibility archive for future-oriented vehicular satellite communications

A novel framework is proposed and demonstrated where satellite visibility viewed from running vehicle is economically and effectively evaluated with such low cost GPS receivers like equipped in automobiles. Our preliminary experiment articulated even economical L1 C/A 1.5 GHz GPS receivers can create enough precise database of ground feature blockage, if only two statistical parameters the author proposed are adequately set. Integrating the series of our efforts on this research field, the author also concluded it is feasible to develop an automatic database creation system by the cooperation of the government and the civil with low cost GPS receivers. This blockage database allows us to make feasible real-time handover for running emergency or rescue vehicles in near future's Land Vehicle Satellite Communication Society.