A mobile transmitter transmits a transmission signal from a vehicle to
beacons. An estimator determines elapsed times for corresponding
propagation paths between the vehicle and the beacons. Each propagation
path includes at least one of a first propagation duration of a
transmission signal and a second propagation duration of a return signal.
A compensator compensates for noise or measurement error associated with
a corresponding propagation path by invoking a linear fit scheme. The
linear fit scheme applies a generally linear fit over fixed intervals of
noisy measurements such that the noisy position measurements generally
conform to a linear portion of a path plan of a vehicle. A data processor
estimates a position of a vehicle at a confluence or intersection of the
position curves or temporal curves based on elapsed times for the
propagation paths.