Method for attitude determination using GPS carrier phase measurements from nonaligned antennas
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for determining a correction to a differential phase measurement of a carrier signal received by nonaligned antennas, said nonaligned antennas provided on a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining by a carrier signal receiver provided in the vehicle and coupled to the nonaligned antennas a correction term based on the circular polarization of the carrier signal received by each of the nonaligned antennas; and
correcting by the carrier signal receiver each differential phase measurement using the correction terms.
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Abstract
A correction to a differential phase measurement used for vehicle attitude determination on nonaligned antenna arrays is determined by calculating a carrier phase angle of carrier signals received by each antenna, and correcting the measurement for the right-hand circular polarization effect on the nonaligned antennas. Accordingly, circular polarization effects of the carrier signals are removed from a nonaligned antenna array, allowing the nonaligned antenna array to be used for vehicle attitude determination.
59 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for determining a correction to a differential phase measurement of a carrier signal received by nonaligned antennas, said nonaligned antennas provided on a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining by a carrier signal receiver provided in the vehicle and coupled to the nonaligned antennas a correction term based on the circular polarization of the carrier signal received by each of the nonaligned antennas; and correcting by the carrier signal receiver each differential phase measurement using the correction terms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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7. A method for determining an attitude of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving by a carrier signal receiver provided in the vehicle carrier signals, said carrier signal receiver being coupled to nonaligned antennas receiving the carrier signals; determining by the carrier signal receiver the differential phase measurements of the carrier signals; determining by the carrier signal receiver a correction term for each of the differential phase measurements; correcting by the carrier signal receiver the differential phase measurements using the correction terms; and determining the attitude of the vehicle based upon the corrected differential phase measurements. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 13)
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18. An apparatus determining a correction to a differential phase measurement of a carrier signal received by nonaligned antennas coupled to the apparatus and used to determine the vehicle attitude, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining a correction term based on the circular polarization of the carrier signal received by each of the nonaligned antennas; and means for correcting each differential phase measurement using the correction terms. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An apparatus determining the attitude of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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nonaligned antennas receiving carrier signals; and a processor, coupled to the nonaligned antennas, receiving the carrier signals, determining a position of the vehicle, and determining an attitude of the vehicle by determining correction terms based on the circular polarization of the received carrier signals and correcting each differential phase measurement using the correction terms. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification