Method and apparatus for automatically detecting and tracking moving objects and similar applications

• US 3,996,590 A
• Filed: 10/10/1972
• Issued: 12/07/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Calvin Miles Hammack
• Original Assignee: Calvin Miles Hammack
• Inventors: Hammack, Calvin Miles
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilbur, Maynard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blum, T. M.
• Application Number:
  US05/296,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 343/9, 343/15, 343/112 R, 235/150.27
• US Class Current: 342/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/302 Systems in which the direction is determined by using an interferometric type transmitting antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/10 using Doppler effect
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/66 Sonar tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/876 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S15/872 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/466 by Trilateration, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the antennas or sensors, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/46 using antennas spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0246 involving frequency difference of arrival or Doppler measurements G01S5/02685 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves

Abstract

This invention relates to an improvement in the art of navigating, detecting and tracking moving objects, position finding, mapping and such subjects employing a plurality of stations and variational measurements.

Claims

1. A method for the determination of a set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state, relative to an orthogonal coordinate system, of a moving receiver of waves propagated toward the receiver from at least four transmitting stations fixed on said orthogonal coordinate system at substantial distances from one another, said set of unknown dimensions including the velocity vector and position of said receiver, said receiver comprising but a single wave aperture, each of said transmitting stations comprising only a single wave aperture having a single location and there being only a single wave aperture at each said single location, said method comprising the steps of measuring the doppler effect caused by the motion of the receiver upon the waves arriving at the receiver from each of said transmitting stations, said measurement of the doppler effect performed relative to one transmitting station being substantially simultaneous with the measurement performed relative to each of the other transmitting stations, and each individual measurement being performed relative to waves transmitted from only one such single location, conveying the data resultant from said measurements to a computer and calculating the position and motion of the moving receiver relative to said orthogonal coordinate system from such data.

2. A method for the determination of dimensions of the motion of a moving object that is a reflector of waves, said waves being propagated between at least one transmitter and said reflector and hence to at least four measuring stations, which measuring stations are fixed in position relative to one another, each of said measuring stations comprising only a single wave aperture having a single location and there being only a single wave aperture at each said single location, comprising the steps of measuring the doppler effect caused by the motion of the reflector upon the waves arriving at each of the measuring stations said measurement of the doppler effect performed at one station being substantially simultaneous with the measurement performed at each of the other stations, and each individual measurement being performed relative to waves impinging on only one such single location, conveying the data resultant from said measurements to a common point, and calculating dimensions of the motion of the moving reflector relative to the locations of said measuring stations from such data.

3. A method for the determination of the position of a moving object without knowledge of or reference to the type of path followed by the moving object or the forces acting on the object or knowledge of any previous point occupied by the object, comprising the steps of identifying each of a plurality of fixed points in space, determining simultaneously the instantaneous value of the algebraic sum of the components of velocity of the moving object in the directions of the fixed points of each pair of a number of pairs of fixed wave station points such that the otherwise unknown and unbounded position-motion state of the moving object is uniquely defined by said determination and the known parameters related thereto, there being a number of station point pairs at least as great as the number of unknown dimensions of the otherwise unknown position-motion state of the moving object, and, using the values of said determinations and the known parameters related thereto calculating the position of said moving object relative to said identified fixed points.

4. A method of determining the motion of a moving vehicle, whose previous positions and velocity are otherwise unknown comprising the following steps:

1. establishing at separated known geographical points wave transmitting means and wave receiving means,

2. reflecting at the vehicle signals received from said transmitting means and to which signals said receiving means are responsive,

3. detecting at each of the said receiving means signals reflected from said vehicle and employing these signals to measure variations in at least one distance sum, said distance sum being the distance from a transmitting means to the vehicle and the distance from the vehicle to the receiving means,

4. performing the said measurements using a combination of stations such that the otherwise unknown and unbounded position of the moving vehicle is fully determined by said measurements and the known parameters associated therewith,

5. calculating the desired motion data relative to said geographical points in suitable coordinates from the measured and known data.

5. A method of determining at least one dimension of a set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to an orthogonal coordinate system, said set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state including the velocity vector and position of said moving object relative to said coordinate system, said system comprising the following elements:

Element 1. Determining the position points of each of a plurality of separate wave stations relative to said coordinate system;

Element 2. Determining simultaneous values of each of a plurality of quantities linearly related to time derivatives of the distances between said station points and said moving object, said time derivatives comprising time derivatives of order greater than one;

Element 3. Using the data determined in Element 1 and in Element 2 determining automatically in a computer at least one dimension of the position-motion state of said moving object relative to said coordinate system.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further defined in establishing and maintaining at each of said station points a frequency standard oscillator means and further defined in using said frequency standard in determining said quantities.

7. A method for the determination of a set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to an orthogonal coordinate system, said set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state including the velocity vector and position of said moving object relative to said coordinate system, said method comprising the following elements:

Element 1. Identifying each of a plurality of fixed points well separated from one another in space and relative to said orthogonal coordinate system;

Element 2. Determining simultaneously quantities linearly related to changes in the unknown and unmeasured distances between the separate point of unknown position of said moving object and each of a number of said fixed points such that a plurality of dimensions of the position-motion state of the moving object are uniquely defined by said determinations and the known parameters related thereto;

Element 3. Using said determinations automatically calculating said set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving object relative to said orthogonal coordinate system.

8. A method of recited in claim 7 further defined in that said set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving object is a dimension of average acceleration of said moving object.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 further defined in establishing and maintaining at each of said fixed points a frequency standard oscillator means and further defined in using said frequency standard in determining said quantities.

10. A method as recited in claim 7 further defined in that said moving object is a wave emitter, and further defined in using receiving means at said fixed points to detect waves emitted by said moving object arriving at said fixed points, and further defined in determining the values of said quantities from the signals so detected.

11. A method as recited in claim 7 further defined in Element 1 by placing a wave transmitter at at least one of said fixed points and, in Element 2, employing said wave transmitter for determining simultaneous quantities linearly related to changes in the distance between the unknown position of said moving object and the position of at least one of said fixed points.

12. A method as recited in claim 7 further defined in that said moving object is a navigating vehicle, further defined in detecting waves from transmitters at said fixed points using wave receiving means aboard said navigating vehicle, and further defined in automatically determining the position of said navigating vehicle in orthogonal coordinates relative to said identified fixed points using the detected signal output of said wave receiving means.

13. A method as recited in claim 7 further defined in said moving object being a reflecting object reflecting waves from transmitters at said fixed points, and further defined in detecting the waves reflected by said moving object using receiving means remote therefrom, and further defined in determining the values of said quantities from the signals so detected.

14. A system for the automatic determination of at least one dimension of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to a frame of orthogonal coordinates, said system comprising the following elements:

Element 1. At least four wave stations fixed on said frame of orthogonal coordinates;

Element 2. At least four sensing means, each said sensing means determining the value of at least one signal quantity linearly dependent upon at least one distance difference, said distance difference being the difference of two unknown distances between a single wave station of said plurality of wave stations and each of two separate points of unknown position along the path of said moving object, the positions of which two separate points being entirely unknown relative to each other and relative to said wave stations;

Element 3. Means connected to said sensing means for controlling the operation thereof so that the operation of each of said sensing means is essentially simultaneous with the operation of the other of said sensing means;

Element 4. Means connected to said sensing means for controlling the timing thereof so that operation of said sensing means is performed over essentially identical time intervals;

Element 5. Computing means responsive to said sensing means, said computing means determining at least one dimension of the position-motion state of said moving object, there being as many of said points along the path of said moving object as required to determine said one dimension of the position-motion state relative to said system of orthogonal coordinates.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 further defined in that said dimension of the position-motion state is a dimension of motion of said moving object.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 further defined in that said wave stations are all wave receiving stations and said moving object is a wave transmitter.

17. A system as recited in claim 14 further defined in that said wave stations are all wave transmitting stations and said moving object is a wave receiver.

18. A system as recited in claim 14 further defined in that said moving object is a wave reflecting object.

19. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein said plurality of wave stations includes wave transmitting stations, at least one of said signal quantities being linearly dependent upon the difference between two simultaneously occuring changes of range, one of these changes of range being the difference between the two ranges from a first wave transmitting station to each of said two separate points along the path of said moving object, the other of these changes of range being the difference between each of two ranges from a second transmitting wave station to each of said separate points along the path of said moving object.

20. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein said plurality of wave stations includes wave receiving stations, at least one of said signal quantities being linearly dependent upon the difference between two simultaneously occuring changes of range, one of these changes of range being the difference between the two ranges from a first wave receiving station to said two separate points along the path of said moving object, the other of these changes of range being the difference between the two ranges from a second wave receiving station to said two separate points.

21. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein said plurality of wave stations includes wave receiving and wave transmitting stations, at least one of said signal quantities being linearly dependent upon the sum of two distance differences, one of said last mentioned two distance differences being the difference between the two distances between a wave receiving station and each of said two separate points along the path of said moving object, the other of the last mentioned two range differences being the difference between the two ranges from a wave transmitting station to said two separate points, said wave receiving station being cooperative with said wave transmitting station.

22. A system as recited in claim 14 further defined in that said moving object is a wave reflector and further defined in that said system comprises a plurality of wave transmitting stations illuminating said moving object simultaneously and further defined in that said system comprises a single wave receiving station receiving the wave eminations transmitted by said wave transmitting stations and reflected by said moving object.

23. A system as recited in claim 14 further defined in that each said wave station is a pulsed wave station.

24. A system for automatically determining at least one dimension of a set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to a frame of orthogonal coordinates, said set of unknown dimensions of the position-motion state including the vector velocity and position of said moving object relative to said frame of orthogonal coordinates, said system comprising the following elements:

Element 1. A plurality of wave stations well separated from one another on said frame of orthogonal coordinates and separated from said moving object by a set of unknown distances;

Element 2. Plural signal sensing means operating cooperatively with said wave stations, each said signal sensing means generating automatically at least one signal quantity linearly related to the variation of at least one of said unknown distances, said variation being the variation of the unknown distance separating the moving object from one of said wave stations, and each said signal quantity being independent of the magnitude of said unknown distance;

Element 3. Computing means responsive to said plural signal sensing means, said computing means automatically producing at least one set of signal quantities said set of signal quantities representing at least one set of simultaneous values of said unknown distances.

25. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in Element 1 in each said wave station comprising a separate standard frequency oscillator for providing the standard reference frequency of said station.

26. A system as recited in claim 24:

Said system further defined in Element 2 in that said signal sensing means generates automatically at least one signal quantity linearly related to the rate type variation of a particular order of at least one unknown distance, said variation being the time derivative, said derivative being of a particular order, of the unknown variable distance separating said moving object from one of said wave stations;

Said system further defined in Element 3 in that said computing means comprises means for generating a set of signal quantities, said set of signal quantities representing one set of simultaneous values of said distances, which values of distances occur simultaneously with said rate type variations.

27. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in Element 2 comprises analog phase lock loop means outputting signal values linearly related to time derivatives of said unknown distances and further comprising analog-to-digital converter means for converting the instantaneous outputs of said phase locked loop means to digital signals for insertion into Element 3, and Element 3 is further defined in that said computing means are digital computing means.

28. A system as defined in claim 27 wherein said time derivatives comprise first and higher order derivatives.

29. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in that said moving object is a wave transmitter;

and further defined in Element 1 in that said wave stations are wave receiving stations.

30. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in that said moving object is a moving receiver of waves;

and further defined in Element 1 in that said wave stations are wave transmitting stations.

31. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in that said moving object is a wave reflector;

and further defined in Element 1 in that at least one of said wave stations is a wave transmitting station capable of illuminating said moving object; and

further defined in Element 1 in that at least one of said wave stations is a wave receiving station capable of receiving the waves from said transmitting station reflected by said moving object.

32. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in Element 2 wherein said signal sensing means comprises doppler signal tracking means for simultaneously and continuously tracking the doppler signals related to said plurality of wave stations.

33. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in Element 2 wherein said signal tracking means comprises pulse signal tracking means with feedback type control elements, said pulse signal tracking means being essentially independent of the doppler effect on each received pulse and providing from its feedback type control elements said signal quantity linearly related to the variation of at least one unknown distance.

34. A system as recited in claim 24 further defined in that said moving object is a wave transponder;

and further defined in Element 1 in that at least one of said wave stations is a wave transmitting station capable of illuminating said moving object; and

further defined in Element 1 in that at least one of said wave stations is a wave receiving station capable of receiving signals from said transponder.

35. A method of automatically determining a set of simultaneous instantaneous values of the distances among a plurality of points in space, no instantaneous value of any of said distances being known, each of said distances being the distance between a first point of said plurality of points in space and a second point of said plurality of points in space;

said method comprising the following elements;

Element 1. Using wave means automatically sensing at least one set of values of signal quantities, each signal quantity of said set of signal quantities being linearly related to the variation of at least one unknown distance of said unknown distances and being independent of said unknown distance;

Element 2. Feeding said signal quantities to the data input of a computer;

Element 3. Computing in said computer each value of said set of simultaneous instantaneous values.

36. A method as recited in claim 35 further defined in that said points are each the position of a moving vehicle, and further defined in that said distances are the distances separating said moving vehicle positions in space from each other.

37. A method as recited in claim 35 further defined in that said first point is one of a plurality of such first points and each such first point is the position of a wave station whose position is unknown and further defined in that said second point in space is the position of a moving object;

and further defined in each of said signal quantities being linearly related to the variation of at least one of the distances between said first points and said second point, and further comprising using doppler means responsive to the motion of said second point relative to said first points to derive said signal quantities automatically; and

further defined in automatically computing at least one set of simultaneous values of the varying ranges from at least some of said wave stations to said moving object.

38. A method as recited in claim 37 further comprising computing the distances among said wave stations, using said signal quantities.

39. A method as recited in claim 37 further defined in Element 3 computing in a single automatic simultaneous equation solving process dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving vehicle and at least one set of simultaneous instantaneous values of the ranges from at least some of said wave stations to said moving object.

40. A method as recited in claim 35 further defined in that said first point is one of a plurality of such first points and each such first point is the position of a wave station on a system of cartesian coordinates, said second point in space being the position of an accelerating object moving on said system of cartesian coordinates, and further defined in each of said signal quantities being linearly related to the variation of at least one of the distances between said first points and said second point, and further comprising using doppler means responsive to the motion of said second point relative to said first point to derive said signal quantities automatically, and further defined in automatically computing at least one set of simultaneous values of the varying ranges from at least some of said wave stations to said moving object.

41. A method as recited in claim 35 further defined in Element 1 wherein each said signal quantity is linearly related to the time derivative of a particular order of at least one distance of said unknown distances.

42. A method as recited in claim 35 further defined in Element 1 in each said signal quantity being linearly related to the increment of at least one distance of said set of distances.

43. Means for determining at least one dimension of the position-motion state of a moving object which moving object is undergoing unknown acceleration and whose motion is otherwise unknown and unbounded and whose position is unbounded by any locus that can be defined by any single quantity which single quantity is linearly related to the value of any measurement, said moving object constituting wave means;

a plurality of separate wave stations cooperative with said wave means, said stations being fixed in position relative to one another in at least two dimensions of space and operating simultaneously with one another;

measuring means cooperative with said wave stations and said wave means, each said measuring means measuring at least one signal quantity which signal quantity is linearly related to the variation of at least one distance of the unknown distances between one of said wave stations and said moving object and which signal quantity is independent of any magnitude of any of said unknown distances;

computing means responsive to output signals of said measuring means for computing said unknown distances and said dimension of the position-motion state of said moving object in a suitable coordinate system relative to said stations, said output signals collectively defining physically the position-motion state of said moving object.

44. In an automatic position determining system a method of determining in three-dimensional space the position-motion state of a moving vehicle relative to well separated reference points whose positions are known and relative to which the position of said vehicle is entirely unknown at all points along its path including the end points of said path, waves being simultaneously transmitted across the entirely unknown distances between said moving vehicle and said reference points, doppler sensitive means being used to perform simultaneous measurements on said waves, which measurements collectively define physically the position-motion state of said moving vehicle, the position-motion information contained in said measurements being converted to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said system comprising wave communications apparatuses at the locations of all of the reference points and aboard the moving vehicle, said method comprising the following non-mental elements:

1. Establishing at the locations of each of at least four non-colinear reference points wave transmitting communications means cooperative with wave receiving communications means installed aboard said moving vehicle;

2. Installing aboard said moving vehicle wave receiving communications means cooperative with wave transmitting communications means established at each of said reference points;

3. Transmitting continuous waves between said cooperative communications apparatuses;

4. Detecting said waves using mixing means and filter means to create alternating current electrical signals whose instantaneous time rates of phase change are linearly dependent upon the time rates of change of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving vehicle;

45. Automatically measuring the magnitudes of the time variations of phase of said alternating current electrical signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

6. Automatically introducing said physical representations into automatic computing means;

7. Introducing into said automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion state of said reference points;

8. Computing automatically in said automatic computing means the dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving vehicle in said useful coordinate system;

9. Automatically extracting from said automatic computing means a physical representation of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said vehicle.

46. In an automatic position determining system a method of determining in three-dimensional space dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to well separated reference points, said moving object being capable of reflecting waves, the position-motion state of each said reference point being known and the position of said moving object relative to said reference points being entirely unknown at all points along its path including the end points of said path, waves being simultaneously transmitted across the entirely unknown distances between said moving object and said reference points, said moving object being illuminated by wave radiation means, doppler sensitive means being used to perform simultaneous measurements on the waves reflected from said moving object, the position-motion information contained in said measurements being converted to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said system comprising wave communications apparatuses at the locations of all of the reference points, said method comprising the following non-mental elements:

1. Establishing at the locations of each of at least four non-colinear reference points wave communications means providing at least one separate wave path for each reference point;

2. Illuminating the moving object by continuous wave radiation means;

3. Detecting waves reflected from said moving object using mixing and filter means to create alternating current electrical signals whose instantaneous time rates of phase change are linearly dependent upon the time rates of change of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving object;

4. Automatically measuring the magnitudes of the time rates of change of phase of said alternating current electrical signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

5. Automatically introducing said physical representations into automatic computing means;

6. Introducing into said automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion state of said reference point;

7. Computing automatically in said automatic computing means the dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving object;

8. Automatically extracting from said automatic computing means a physical representation of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said object.

47. In an automatic tracking system a method of determining in three-dimensional space dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving vehicle relative to well separated reference points whose positions are known and relative to which the position of said moving vehicle is entirely unknown at all points along its path including the end points of said path, pulse waves being transmitted and received across the entirely unknown distances between said moving vehicle and said reference point, doppler sensitive means being used to perform simultaneous measurements on said wave pulses, which measurements collectively define physically the position-motion state of said moving vehicle, the position-motion information contained in said measurements being converted to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said system comprising wave apparatuses at the locations of all of the reference points and aboard the moving vehicle, said method comprising the following non-mental elements:

1. Establishing at the locations of each of at least four non-colinear points pulse wave receiving means cooperative with pulse wave transmitting means installed aboard said moving vehicle;

2. Installing aboard said moving vehicle pulse wave transmitting means cooperative with said pulse wave receiving means established at each of said reference points;

3. Transmitting wave pulses to said cooperative pulse wave receiving means recited in Element 1 from cooperative pulse wave transmitting means recited in Element 2;

4. Detecting said wave pulses to create signals dependent upon the time rates of change of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving vehicle;

48. Automatically measuring the magnitudes of variations of said signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

6. Automatically introducing said physical representations into automatic computing means;

7. Introducing into said automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion state of said reference points;

8. Computing automatically in said automatic computing means the dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving vehicle in said useful coordinate system;

9. Automatically extracting from said automatic computing means a physical representation of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said vehicle.

53. An apparatus as recited in claim 48 further limited in that said wave stations serving as reference points are wave transmitters, further limited in that the wave means aboard said moving vehicle is a wave receiving means sensitive to each of said wave transmitting means.

54. An apparatus as recited in claim 48 further limited in that the wave means aboard said moving vehicle is a wave transmitting means, further limited in that said wave stations serving as reference points are wave receiving means sensitive to the waves emitted by said transmitting means, said receiving means being connected by communications means to a common location, and further limited in performing the recited automatic functions at said common location.

49. In an automatic position determining system a method of determining in three-dimensional space dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to well separated reference points whose positions are known and relative to which the position of said moving object is entirely unknown at any point of the path of said object including the end points of said path, pulse waves being simultaneously transmitted across the entirely unknown distances between said moving object and said reference points, said moving object being illuminated by pulse wave radiation means, doppler sensitive means being used to perform simultaneous measurements on the pulse waves reflected from said moving object which simultaneous measurements collectively define the position-motion state of said moving object, the position-motion information contained in said simultaneous measurements being converted to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said system comprising pulse wave apparatus at the locations of all of said reference points, said method comprising the following non-mental elements:

1. Establishing at the locations of each of at least four non-colinear reference points pulse wave means providing at least one separate wave path for each reference point;

2. Illuminating the moving object by pulse wave radiation means;

3. Detecting pulse wave signals reflected from said moving object to create signals dependent upon the time rates of change of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving object;

50. Automatically measuring the magnitudes of time variations of said signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

5. Automatically introducing said physical representations into automatic computing means;

6. Introducing into said automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion states of said reference points;

7. Computing automatically in said automatic computing means the dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving object;

8. Automatically extracting from said automatic computing means a physical representation of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said object.

51. In an automatic position determining system, apparatus for determining in three-dimensional space dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving vehicle relative to well separated reference points whose positions are known and relative to which the position of said vehicle is entirely unknown at all points along the path of said vehicle including the end points of said path, said apparatus transmitting waves across the entirely unknown distances between said moving vehicle and each said reference point, said apparatus also performing simultaneous doppler measurements on said waves which measurements collectively define physically the position-motion state of said moving vehicle, said apparatus also converting by computing means the position-motion information contained in said measurements to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said apparatus comprising the following elements:

1. At least four wave stations serving as space reference points and as terminals for performing doppler measurements relative to said reference points, said stations cooperative with wave means aboard said moving vehicle;

2. Aboard said moving vehicle wave means cooperative with said wave stations recited in Element 1;

3. Detecting means detecting waves transmitted along at least four paths between the apparatuses recited in Element 1 and the apparatus recited in Element 2, said means for detecting waves creating at least four signals whose instantaneous time rates of phase change are linearly dependent upon the time rates of change of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving vehicle;

52. Measuring means connected to said detecting means automatically measuring the magnitudes of the time variations of phase of said signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

5. Automatic computing means connected to said measuring means and responsive to said physical representations;

6. Automatic data processing means automatically introducing into automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion state of said reference points;

7. Second automatic data processing means automatically extracting from said automatic computing means a physical representation of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said vehicle.

59. An apparatus as recited in claim 52 further limited in that said pulse wave stations serving as reference points are pulse wave transmitters, further limited in that the pulse wave means aboard said moving vehicle is a pulse wave receiving means sensitive to each of said pulse wave transmitting means.

60. An apparatus as recited in claim 52 further limited in that the pulse wave means aboard said moving vehicle is a pulse wave transmitting means, further limited in that said pulse wave stations serving as reference points are pulse wave receiving means sensitive to the pulse waves emitted by said transmitting means, said receiving means being connected by communications means to a common location, and further limited in performing the recited automatic functions at said common location.

67. The system as defined in claim 59 wherein said loop is a phase lock loop.

68. The system as defined in claim 59 wherein said loop is a pulse tracking loop.

69. In a system as recited in claim 59, said means for tracking further defined in comprising, at its input, synchronous detection means, said synchronous detection means feeding error signals to multiplier means, further comprising a chain of integrator elements and adder elements, said integrator elements being successively connected to one another along the chain by said adder elements, the first integrator element of the chain being supplied its input signal from a separate output of said multiplier means, each adder element being supplied its input from one of said integrator elements and from a separate output of said multiplier means, each integrator element along the chain after the first integrator element being supplied its input from a separate one of said adder elements, the last of said adder elements of the chain feeding its output signal to frequency controlled oscillation means so as to control the frequency thereof, the output of said oscillation means feeding its signal to said synchronous detection means, separate outputs of said chain of integrator elements and adder elements providing the output signals of said means for tracking.

55. In an automatic position determining system, apparatus for determining in three-dimensional space dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to well separated reference points whose positions are known and relative to which the position of said object is entirely unknown at all points along the path of said object including end points of the path, said moving object being capable of reflecting waves, said apparatus transmitting waves across the entirely unknown distances between said moving object and each said reference point, said apparatus performing simultaneous doppler measurements on waves reflected by said moving object which measurements collectively define physically the position-motion state of said moving object, said apparatus also converting by computing means the position-motion information contained in said measurement to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said apparatus comprising the following elements:

56. At least four wave stations serving as noncolinear space reference points and as terminals for performing doppler measurements relative to said reference points;

2. Wave radiation means illuminating said moving object;

3. Detecting means detecting waves reflected from said moving object, said waves being originally transmitted by said radiation means illuminating said moving object, said detecting means creating at least four signals whose instantaneous time rates of change are linearly dependent upon the time rates of change of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving object;

4. Measuring means connected to said detecting means automatically measuring the magnitudes of the time variations of phase of said signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

5. Automatic computing means connected to said measuring means and responsive to said physical representations;

6. Automatic data processing means automatically introducing into said automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion states of said reference points;

7. Second automatic data processing means automatically extracting from said automatic computing means physical representations of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving object.

57. In an automatic position determining system, apparatus for determining in three dimensional space dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving vehicle relative to well separated reference points whose positions are known and relative to which the position of said moving vehicle is entirely unknown at all points along the path of said vehicle including end points of said path, said apparatus transmitting pulse waves across the entirely unknown distance between said moving vehicle and each said reference point, said apparatus also performing simultaneous doppler measurements on said pulse waves which measurements collectively define physically the position-motion state of said moving vehicle, said apparatus also converting by computing means the position-motion information contained in said measurements to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said apparatus comprising the following elements:

1. At least four pulse wave stations serving as non-colinear space reference points and as terminals for performing doppler measurements relative to said reference points, said stations cooperative with pulse wave means aboard said moving vehicle;

2. Aboard said moving vehicle pulse wave means cooperative with said stations recited in Element 1;

3. Detecting means detecting pulse waves transmitted along at least four paths between the apparatuses recited in Element 1 and the apparatus recited in Element 2, said detecting means creating at least four signals whose time rates of change are linearly dependent upon the time rates of change of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving vehicle;

65. The apparatus as defined in claim 57 wherein said wave transmitters are continuous wave transmitters and said digital means comprise digital phase lock loop means.

58. Measuring means connected to said detecting means automatically measuring the magnitudes of the time variations of said signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

5. Automatic computing means connected to said measuring means and responsive to said physical representations;

6. Automatic data processing means automatically introducing into said automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion state of said reference points;

7. Second automatic data processing means automatically extracting from said automatic computing means a physical representation of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said vehicle.

61. In an automatic position determining system, apparatus for determining in three dimensional space dimensions of the position-motion state of a moving object relative to well separated reference points whose positions are known and relative to which the position of said moving object is entirely unknown at all points along the path of said object including the end points of said path, said moving object being capable of reflecting waves, said apparatus transmitting pulse waves across the entirely unknown distances between said moving object and each said reference point, said apparatus also performing simultaneous doppler measurements on pulse waves reflected by said moving object which measurements collectively define physically the position-motion state of said moving object, said apparatus also converting by computing means the position-motion information contained in said measurement to a more useful coordinate system relative to which the position-motion states of said reference points are known, said apparatus comprising the following elements:

1. At least four pulse wave stations serving as noncolinear space reference points and as terminals for performing doppler measurements relative to said reference points;

2. Pulse wave radiation means illuminating said moving object;

62. Pulse wave detecting means detecting pulse waves reflected from said moving object, said pulse waves being originally transmitted by said pulse wave radiation means illuminating said moving object, said pulse wave detecting means creating at least four signals whose variations with respect to time are linearly dependent upon the variations with respect to time of the simultaneous distances between said reference points and said moving object;

4. Measuring means connected to said pulse wave detecting means automatically measuring the magnitudes of the time variations of said signals and generating physical representations of the magnitudes resultant of said measuring;

5. Automatic computing means connected to said measuring means and responsive to said physical representations;

6. Automatic data processing means automatically introducing into said automatic computing means physical representations of the dimensions of the position-motion state of said reference points;

7. Second automatic data processing means automatically extracting from said automatic computing means a physical representation of said dimensions of the position-motion state of said moving object.

63. A method of determining the entirely unknown position and the entirely unknown velocity of a moving object in three dimensional space, comprising the following elements:

1. Establishing wave communications means at each of at least six separate known sites deployed in at least two space dimensions in three-dimensional space;

2. Employing the wave communications means of Element 1 performing a measurement of a signal quantity linearly related to the rate of change of the distance between each of said wave communications means and said moving object;

3. Performing said measurements simultaneously with the performance of each other said measurement;

4. Using the data resultant of said measurements, computing the position and velocity of said moving object in three-dimensional space.

64. An apparatus for determining at least one dimension of the position-motion state of a moving object comprising the following elements:

Element 1. A plurality of wave stations linked to said moving object by wave propagation paths,

Element 2. A plurality of wave detecting means detecting waves transmitted over said wave propagation paths,

Element 3. Analog-to-digital conversion means connected to said wave detecting means,

Element 4. Digital means coupled to said analog-to-digital conversion means for isolating digital signals corresponding to said moving object from digital signals corresponding to noise and other interfering signals, for determining the values of quantities linearly dependent upon variations of the continuously unknown and unmeasured wave propagation path lengths, and for determining from these quantities at least one dimension of the position-motion state of said moving object, said position-motion state being relative to the position points of said plurality of wave stations.

66. In a system for tracking moving objects, means for tracking simultaneously the time derivatives, said derivatives comprising derivatives of higher order than the first order, of a varying signal parameter comprising a signal feedback loop, said loop comprising an integrator chain, the input of each integrator of said chain other than the first integrator being linearly related to the output signal of the preceeding integrator, arranged so that said loop is a tracking loop of higher order than the first order, said loop having multiple separate output signals each of said separate signals representing the value of a time derivative of a separate particular order of said varying signal parameter, and computer means responsive to said output signals.