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Fail-safe/fail-operational differential GPS ground station system

  • US 5,596,328 A
  • Filed: 08/23/1994
  • Issued: 01/21/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A FAIL-SAFE differential satellite positioning system ground station operative for determining a satellite-specific pseudo range error associated with each received satellite signal transmitted from a plurality of satellites, the ground station comprising:

  • a plurality of GPS receivers operative for receiving selected satellite signals and deriving from the satellite data associated with each of said received satellite signals at least i) a satellite-receiver-specific pseudo range value at a corresponding receiver-specific measurement time, where said satellite-receiver-specific pseudo range value is an estimate of the true range value between a corresponding one of said plurality of receivers and one of said plurality of satellites derived from said satellite signal and related to the corresponding satellite signal travel time from the specific satellite of said plurality of satellites to the specific receiver of said plurality of receivers, and ii) the corresponding satellite-receiver-specific position of said one satellite at said satellite-receiver-specific measurement time; and

    a plurality of differential correction processor, each including,means for determining a receiver-satellite-specific calculated range for each receiver and each of said selected satellites, where said calculated range is the range between corresponding ones of the geocentric position of each of said plurality of receivers and the satellite-receiver-specific geocentric position of each of said satellites,means for calculating a receiver-satellite-specific difference between corresponding ones of said receiver-satellite-specific calculated ranges and said satellite-receiver-specific pseudo range values, andmeans for deriving said satellite-specific pseudo range error associated with said satellite signal transmitted from each of said selected plurality of satellites as a function of a plurality of said satellite receiver-specific pseudo range values from said plurality of GPS receivers and associated with a specific one satellite;

    at least a pair of input/output control devices each including at least one voter operative to validate the identical data received from each of said plurality of processors, said input/output control devices operative for eliminating data from a faulty one of said plurality of processors, said pair of input/output control devices further including means for monitoring transmitted and received data from a pair of data-link transmitters.

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