Ambiguity validation with combined ratio test and ellipsoidal integer aperture estimator

To ensure reliable ambiguity resolution, ambiguity validation is an indispensable step. It has been a challenge for many years and is far from being resolved. Over the past years, various ambiguity validation methods have been proposed, such as F-ratio test, R-ratio test, difference test, projector test, ellipsoidal integer aperture (EIA) estimator and penalized integer aperture (PIA) estimator. In this paper, through analysis and testing, we find that, when the aperture region of EIA is not allowed to be overlapped, the efficiency of ambiguity resolution with EIA is low and it is not applicable to fast static positioning or real-time kinematic (RTK) applications. Then EIA with overlapped aperture regions is recommended and the resulted fail-rate becomes upper bound of the actual one. After that, it is suggested that combined use of overlapped EIA and R-ratio test can increase the reliability of ambiguity resolution. Finally, numerical tests are carried out based on practical buoy data and simulated Galileo data.