GPS analytic redundancy for gyroscope failure detection

• US 6,266,582 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Science Center, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Bruckner, Juergen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/086,323
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 701/14, 701/213, 701/215, 701/220, 701/224, 701/120, 701/300, 342/357.03, 342/357.05, 342/357.08, 342/357.11, 342/357.12, 342/357.14
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments

Abstract

An inertial measurement system for determining the attitude and rate of change of attitude of a vehicle such as an aircraft is disclosed. Redundancy of the inertial measurement system may be accomplished by utilizing a global positioning system having three receivers and a set of antennas strategically disposed on the vehicle. The global positioning system having receivers may be utilized for accomplished failure detection and isolation of the inertial measurement system rather than providing a redundant inertial measurement system. Failure detection of the IMUs may be accomplished with only dual antenna/receiver configuration.

Claims

1. An inertial measurement system for determining the attitude and rate of change of attitude of a vehicle, about an IMU directional axis of a first reference system:

a second reference system comprising a global positioning system having dual receivers for deriving two coordinate position and attitude inputs from satellite reference signals from a pair of antennas, said antennas being mounted on the vehicle along a directional axis of the vehicle, said directional axis being non-coincidental with respect to said IMU directional axis;

said second reference system providing an independent measurement of the performance of said first reference system for detecting a failure of said first reference system.

2. An inertial measurement system for determining an attitude and rate of change of attitude of a vehicle, comprising:

an inertial measurement unit mounted along a first directional axis of the vehicle for providing attitude and rate of change of attitude information of the vehicle about said first directional axis; and

a reference system comprising a global positioning system having three receivers for deriving three coordinate positions and attitudes from satellite reference signals from a triplet of antennas, said antennas being mounted on the vehicle along second and third directional axes of the vehicle, said second and third axes being independent of said first directional axis;

said reference system provides an independent measurement of the performance of said inertial measurement unit for detecting failure of said inertial measurement unit.