Triply Redundant Integrated Navigation and Asset Visibility System

• US 20120032842A1
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Stephen F., Moore, James A.
• Application Number:
  US13/272,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.29
• 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 timing subsystem coupled to the system controller;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to the system controller;

a radio frequency (RF) locating receiver coupled to the system controller;

wherein the system controller is configured to combine data from the Global Positioning System receiver and data from the radio frequency locating receiver to generate a hybrid GPS/RF position fix.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to generate the hybrid GPS/RF position fix based on at least one vector from the Global Positioning System receiver and at least one vector from the radio frequency locating receiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to generate the hybrid GPS/RF position fix in response to a determination that the data from the Global Positioning System receiver is insufficient to alone generate a complete GPS position fix, the data from the radio frequency locating receiver is insufficient to alone generate a complete RF position fix, and the data from the Global Positioning System receiver and the data from the radio frequency locating receiver are combinable to form a complete hybrid GPS/RF position fix.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to generate the hybrid GPS/RF position fix in response to a determination that an attempted position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver and an attempted position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver are individually incomplete.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising inertial navigation system electronics coupled to the system controller and configured to produce an inertial navigation system position fix, wherein the system controller is configured to switch to the inertial navigation system position fix as a primary position fix in response to a determination that the hybrid GPS/RF position fix does not have enough vectors to complete a valid fix.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to adjust an RF position fix associated with the RF locating receiver based GPS data from the GPS receiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the system controller is configured to adjust the RF position fix in response to a determination that at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic indicates that the GPS data is valid.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the system controller is configured to adjust the RF position fix to match a GPS position fix associated with the GPS receiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising inertial navigation system electronics coupled to the system controller and configured to produce an inertial navigation system position fix, wherein the system controller is configured to calibrate the inertial navigation system position fix based on data from the GPS receiver or the RF locating receiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the system controller is configured to calibrate the inertial navigation system position fix to match a GPS position fix associated with the GPS receiver or a RF position fix associated with the RF locating receiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising inertial navigation system electronics coupled to the system controller, wherein the system controller is configured to provide orientation data, calculated based on data from the RF locating receiver, as references to the inertial navigation system electronics.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, where the system controller is configured to calculate the orientation data based on determined nulls in directional patterns of a directional antenna associated with the RF locating receiver.

13. A method, comprising:

acquiring Global Positioning System (GPS) data by a GPS receiver;

acquiring radio frequency (RF) location data by an RF locating receiver;

performing a signal integrity test on the GPS data;

determining that the GPS data is insufficient to alone generate a complete GPS position fix;

performing a signal integrity test on the RF location data;

determining that the RF location data is insufficient to alone generate a complete RF position fix;

determining that the GPS data and the RF location data are combinable to form a complete hybrid GPS/RF position fix; and

combining the GPS data and the RF location data to form the hybrid GPS/RF position fix.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the hybrid GPS/RF position fix as a primary position fix on a user interface of a display device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of combining comprises generating the hybrid GPS/RF position fix from at least one vector from the GPS receiver and at least one vector from the RF locating receiver.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising switching to a position fix produced by inertial navigation system electronics as a primary position fix in response to a determination that the hybrid GPS/RF position fix does not have enough vectors to complete a valid fix.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining that the GPS data and the RF location data are combinable comprises the steps of:

performing a pseudorange/time/quality (PTQ) data-validation on the GPS data; and

performing a PTQ data-validation on the RF data.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of combining the GPS data and the RF location data comprises the step of combining the GPS data and the RF location data by system controller hardware coupled with the GPS receiver and the RF locating receiver.