Triply redundant integrated navigation and asset visibility system

• US 20080091350A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Stephen F., Moore, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/24 the synchronised signals being pulses or equivalent modulations on carrier waves and the transit times being compared by measuring the difference in arrival time of a significant part of the modulations , e.g. LORAN systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for a navigation system. A method includes providing a global positioning system fix having a plurality of tracking parameters; providing a theater positioning system fix; monitoring the plurality of tracking parameters for predetermined conditions; and, when the predetermined conditions are met, sending a notifying signal and switching to the theater positioning system fix as a primary fix. An apparatus includes a system controller; a global positioning system receiver coupled to the system controller; a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller; and an operator interface coupled to the system controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a system controller;

a Global Positioning System receiver coupled to the system controller;

a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller;

and an operator interface coupled to the system controller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an inertial navigation system coupled to the system controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inertial navigation system comprises MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor array coupled to the system controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sensor array comprises magnetometers, tilt meters, and altimeters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a precision timing subsystem coupled to the system controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the precision timing subsystem comprises an oscillator array in a spatially cubic arrangement.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller comprises field programmable gate arrays.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a system controller;

a Global Positioning System receiver coupled to the system controller;

a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller;

an operator interface coupled to the system controller;

an inertial navigation system coupled to the system controller;

a sensor array coupled to the system controller;

and a precision timing subsystem coupled to the system controller.

10. A method comprising:

providing a Global Positioning System fix having a plurality of tracking parameters;

providing a Theater Positioning System fix;

monitoring the plurality of tracking parameters for predetermined conditions;

and, when the predetermined conditions are met, sending a notifying signal and switching to the Theater Positioning System fix as a primary fix.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting the Theater Positioning System fix based on the Global Positioning System fix.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of tracking parameters are selected from the group comprising data integrity, tracking loop error magnitudes and variances, loop lock states, continuity of position fixes, internal RF/IF AGC values, and front-end overload indicators.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring the plurality of tracking parameters for a second set of predetermined conditions;

and, when the second set of predetermined conditions are met, sending a second notifying signal and switching to the Global Positioning System fix as a primary fix.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring the Global Positioning System fix and the Theater Positioning System fix;

and, if the difference between the Global Positioning System fix and the Theater Positioning System fix exceeds a predetermined threshold value, sending a second notifying signal and switching to the Theater Positioning System as a primary fix.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing an Inertial Navigation System fix;

calibrating the Inertial Navigation System fix based on the Global Positioning System fix.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a precision timing signal;

using the precision timing signal to coordinate the providing of the Global Positioning System fix, the providing of the Theater Positioning System fix, and the providing of the Inertial Navigation System fix.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

integration processing of the providing of the Global Positioning System fix, the providing of the Theater Positioning System fix, and the providing of the Inertial Navigation System fix.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the integration processing is selected from the group comprising triple-input Kalman filtering, Allan filtering, multidimensional kernel techniques, or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a plurality of local position sensors;

initially calibrating the Inertial Navigation System fix using the plurality of local position sensors.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the Theater Positioning System fix has a second plurality of tracking parameters, and further comprising:

monitoring the second plurality of tracking parameters for a second set of predetermined conditions;

and, when the second set of predetermined conditions are met, sending a second notifying signal and switching to the Inertial Navigation System fix as a primary fix.

21. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a plurality of environmental constants;

adjusting the Theater Positioning fix based on the plurality of environmental constants.

22. A computer program, comprising computer or machine readable program elements translatable for implementing the method of claim 10.