Efficient detection and signal parameter estimation with application to high dynamic GPS receiver

In a system for deriving position, velocity, and acceleration information from a received signal emitted from an object to be tracked wherein the signal comprises a carrier signal phase modulated by unknown binary data and experiencing very high Doppler and Doppler rate, this invention provides combined estimation/detection apparatus for simultaneously detecting data bits and obtaining estimates of signal parameters such as carrier phase and frequency related to receiver dynamics in a sequential manner. There is a first stage for obtaining estimates of the signal parameters related to phase and frequency in the vicinity of possible data transitions on the basis of measurements obtained within a current data bit. A second stage uses the estimates from the first stage to decide whether or not a data transition has actually occurred. There is a third stage for removing data modulation from the received signal when a data transition has occurred and a fourth stage for using the received signal with data modulation removed therefrom to update global parameters which are dependent only upon receiver dynamics and independent of data modulation. Finally, there is a fifth stage for using the global parameters to determine the position, velocity, and acceleration of the object.