Terrain referenced navigation--woods data base model

• US 5,335,181 A
• Filed: 01/15/1992
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: McGuffin, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/821,725
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/449, 364/450, 364/456, 364/453, 364/460, 342/63, 342/64, 342/65
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/935 for terrain-avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0646 to follow the profile of undulating ground

Abstract

A terrain referenced navigation system utilizing a woods database model including a method for increasing terrain referenced navigation accuracy by compensating for the existence of deciduous forests. Deciduous forests present increased terrain referenced navigation inaccuracies during months that trees lack leaves. The terrain referenced navigation database is modified to include a woods bit to indicate the existence of a deciduous forest. The terrain referenced navigation algorithm is modified to account for the existence of the deciduous forest.

Claims

1. A terrain referenced navigation system for use in an aircraft comprising:

(a) a means for determining a current terrain elevation from the aircraft having a current terrain elevation output;

(b) a means for inertial navigation having a latitude/longitude positional output, a selected position update input and a selected velocity update input;

(c) a means for storing a digital terrain elevation map having a terrain latitude/longitude input connected to the latitude/longitude positional output and having a digital terrain elevation residual output and a woods indicator output and a digital terrain elevation output wherein the means for storing a digital terrain elevation map provides the digital terrain elevation residual output, woods indicator output, and digital terrain elevation output in response to the terrain latitude/longitude input, and wherein the woods indicator output indicates the existence or absence of a deciduous forest in the terrain;

(d) a means for generating a woods state adjustment to the digital terrain elevation output so as to provide a woods adjusted digital terrain elevation output in accordance with the present season when said deciduous forest is indicated, the woods state adjustment means being coupled to the woods indicator output and the digital terrain elevation output;

(e) a means for computing the difference between elevations connected to the current terrain elevation output and the woods adjusted digital terrain elevation output, wherein the means for computing the difference between elevations also includes a terrain error output; and

(f) a means for terrain correlation connected to the digital terrain elevation residual output and the terrain error output and wherein the means for terrain correlation provides a terrain velocity update and a terrain position update.

2. The terrain referenced navigation system of claim 1 wherein the means for terrain correlation is a kalman filter.

3. The terrain referenced navigation system of claim 1 wherein the means for determining a current terrain elevation from the aircraft further comprises a barometric altimeter and a radar altimeter wherein the current terrain elevation is calculated from the difference between the barometric altimeter and the radar altimeter.

4. The terrain referenced navigation system of claim 1 wherein the means for inertial navigation further comprises a laser gyro inertial navigation system.

5. The terrain referenced navigation system of claim 1 wherein the means for storing a digital terrain elevation map further comprises an optical disk.