System and method for determining high accuracy relative position solutions between two moving platforms
First Claim
1. A system for determining a relative solution vector for multiple moving platforms, comprising:
- a first Global Position System (GPS) receiver system associated with a first moving platform providing carrier phase tracking and pseudorange measurements with respect to a plurality of GPS satellites;
a second GPS receiver associated with a second moving platform providing carrier phase tracking and pseudorange measurements with respect to a plurality of GPS satellites;
a double differencing processor communicating with said first GPS receiver system and said second GPS receiver system to determine double differenced pseudorange and carrier phase calculations;
a plurality of independent Kalman filters communicating with said double difference processor to determine a plurality of independent sets of floating point ambiguities, each of said plurality of independent Kalman filters utilizing a different GPS satellite as a target;
a plurality of independent numerical ambiguity estimators correlated to said plurality of Kalman filters to determine a plurality of independent sets of fixed ambiguities; and
a position solution processor communicating with said plurality of independent Kalman filters, said plurality of numerical ambiguity estimators, and said double differencing processor to determine a relative solution vector between said first moving platform and said second moving platform.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for determining high accuracy relative position solutions between two moving platforms is disclosed. This system is particularly suited for aircraft carrier approach and landing operations. More specifically, a system is disclosed that modifies existing Kinematic Carrier Phase Tracking (KCPT) solutions, which are useful for solutions between a moving platform and a fixed ground based platform, to provide an acceptable relative solution vector in aircraft carrier approach and landing operations, or other environments involving multiple moving platforms. The system disclosed provides a relative KCPT (RKCPT) process that achieves significant advantages over old KCPT process technology. To do so, the system utilizes multiple independent Kalman filters linked to multiple independent numerical ambiguity estimators to provide multiple sets of floating and fixed ambiguities for an accurate solution vector determination. In particular, three independent Kalman filters are disclosed, which are directed to the three highest elevation positioning space vehicles and which are linked respectively to three independent numerical ambiguity estimators. More particularly, the numerical ambiguity estimators may be Teunissen ambiguity estimators. The positioning space vehicles may be the current Global Positioning System satellites, and the system may focus on wide lane GPS data to limit the calculations conducted. An associated method for determining a relative solution vector between multiple moving platforms is also disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for determining a relative solution vector for multiple moving platforms, comprising:
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a first Global Position System (GPS) receiver system associated with a first moving platform providing carrier phase tracking and pseudorange measurements with respect to a plurality of GPS satellites; a second GPS receiver associated with a second moving platform providing carrier phase tracking and pseudorange measurements with respect to a plurality of GPS satellites; a double differencing processor communicating with said first GPS receiver system and said second GPS receiver system to determine double differenced pseudorange and carrier phase calculations; a plurality of independent Kalman filters communicating with said double difference processor to determine a plurality of independent sets of floating point ambiguities, each of said plurality of independent Kalman filters utilizing a different GPS satellite as a target; a plurality of independent numerical ambiguity estimators correlated to said plurality of Kalman filters to determine a plurality of independent sets of fixed ambiguities; and a position solution processor communicating with said plurality of independent Kalman filters, said plurality of numerical ambiguity estimators, and said double differencing processor to determine a relative solution vector between said first moving platform and said second moving platform. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for determining a relative solution vector for aircraft carrier approach and landing operations, comprising:
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a first antenna system located on an aircraft carrier providing pseudorange and carrier phase tracking measurements from transmissions received from a plurality of positioning space vehicles; a second antenna system located on an aircraft providing pseudorange and carrier phase tracking measurements from transmissions received from a plurality of positioning space vehicles; a double differencing processor communicating with said first antenna system and said second antenna system to make double differenced pseudorange and carrier phase calculations; a plurality of independent Kalman filters utilizing different target positioning space vehicles and communicating with said double differencing processor to determine a plurality of independent sets of floating ambiguities; a plurality of independent numerical ambiguity estimators correlated to said plurality of Kalman filters to determine a plurality of independent sets of fixed ambiguities; and a position solution processor communicating with said Kalman filters, said numerical ambiguity estimators, and said double differencing processor to determine a relative solution vector between said aircraft and said aircraft carrier. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An aircraft system for determining high accuracy position solutions for aircraft carrier approach and landing operations, comprising:
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an antenna system constructed to receive transmissions from positioning space vehicles and make pseudorange and carrier phase tracking measurements; a receiver system constructed to communicate with a remote transmitter to receive pseudorange and carrier phase tracking measurements with respect to said positioning space vehicles and a remote platform; a double differencing processor communicating with said antenna system and said receiver system to make double difference pseudorange and carrier phase calculations; a plurality of independent Kalman filters utilizing different target positioning space vehicles and communicating with said double differencing processor to determine a plurality of independent sets of floating ambiguities; a plurality of independent numerical ambiguity estimators correlated to said plurality of Kalman filters to determine a plurality of independent sets of fixed ambiguities; and a position solution processor communicating with said Kalman filters, said numerical ambiguity estimators, and said double differencing processor to determine a relative solution vector between said aircraft and said aircraft carrier. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for determining a relative solution vector between multiple moving platforms, comprising:
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making pseudorange and carrier phase tracking measurements with respect to a plurality of visible positioning space vehicles and a first moving platform; making pseudorange and carrier phase tracking measurements with respect to a plurality of visible positioning space vehicles and a second moving platform; making double differenced pseudorange and carrier phase calculations from said pseudorange and carrier phase tracking measurements; resolving a plurality of independent sets of floating ambiguities utilizing a plurality of independent Kalman filters; resolving a plurality of independent sets of fixed ambiguities utilizing a plurality of Teunissen numerical ambiguity estimators correlated to said plurality of independent Kalman filters; and determining a relative solution vector between said first platform and said second moving platform. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification