System and method for attitude determination in global positioning systems (GPS)

• US 6,336,061 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Deines, Steven D., Murphy, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/510,915
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 701/13, 701/4, 701/3, 701/213, 701/207, 701/214, 701/215, 701/225, 342/26, 342/357.01, 342/357.1, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 342/357.04, 342/352, 342/463, 342/357.11, 342/357.03
• US Class Current: 701/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/55 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method

Abstract

A system for attitude determination of a platform in global positioning systems (GPS) is disclosed herein. The system includes at least two receivers and an attitude determination circuit. The receivers each include an antenna. The antenna is capable of receiving GPS signals. Each receiver also produces a representation of the received GPS signal by estimating how fast the distance from a GPS satellite to the antenna is changing by determining a rate of change of a locally generated code sequence as it changes to approximate the GPS signal transmitted by the GPS satellite. The attitude determination circuit calculates platform attitude from the rate of change determined by the receivers.

Claims

1. A system for attitude determination of a platform in global positioning systems (GPS), the system comprising:

at least two receivers, a first receiver and a second receiver, the receivers each including an antenna, the antenna capable of receiving GPS signals, each receiver producing a representation of the received GPS signals, each receiver using a second order code tracking loop to provide an estimated measurement of a velocity of the receiver at the antenna to estimate how fast a distance from a GPS satellite to the antenna is changing; and

an attitude determination circuit, the attitude determination circuit calculating platform attitude from the velocity estimated by the receivers.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a code generator, the code generator generating a locally generated code sequence for comparison with received GPS signals.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a code numerically controlled oscillator (NCO), the code NCO regulating the rate of the code generator.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a carrier numerically controlled oscillator (NCO), the carrier NCO regulating the rate by which a locally generated signal is mixed with the received GPS signal.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a delay detector, the delay detector measuring code phase error in the GPS signal mixed with the locally generated signal.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a code loop filter determining a rate of change required of the code NCO and the carrier NCO, wherein the rate of change required corresponds to how fast the distance from the GPS satellite to the antenna is changing.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the code loop filter determines the rate of change from the code phase error determined by the delay detector.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mixer to combine the locally generated code sequence with the received GPS signals.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the attitude determination circuit calculates platform attitude from (a) the difference in phase between the GPS signal representation from the first receiver and the GPS signal representation from the second receiver and (b) a determination of which of the antennas of either receiver is closer to the GPS satellite sending the received GPS signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determination of which of the antennas of the receivers is closer to the GPS satellite sending the received GPS signal includes subtracting the locally generated carrier signal of the first receiver from the locally generated carrier signal of the second receiver.

11. A system for attitude determination of a platform in global positioning systems (GPS), the system comprising:

at least two means for receiving GPS signals, each of said at least two means including;

means for generating a code sequence for comparison with the received GPS signals;

means for regulating the rate of the means for generating a code sequence;

means for measuring code phase error in the GPS signal mixed with the locally generated signal; and

means for using a second order code tracking loop to provide an estimated measurement of a velocity of the receiver at the antenna to estimate how fast a distance from the GPS satellite to the antenna is changing; and

means for calculating platform attitude from data provided by the means for receiving GPS signals.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a means for mixing the code sequence with the received GPS signals.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the code sequence generated for comparing with the received GPS signals is a pseudorandom (PRN) code corresponding to the satellite from which the GPS signal is received.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the rate by which the locally generated signal is mixed with the received GPS signal is approximately equal to ⅛

^th the frequency of the received GPS signal.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the rate required of the regulating means is determined from the code phase error.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a means for comparing a calculated phase angle of the received GPS signal to the calculated phase angle from another means for receiving GPS signals, whereby a more accurate measurement of the GPS signal is obtained.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for calculating platform attitude further comprises:

determining the difference in phase between a GPS signal representation from the first receiving means and a GPS signal representation from the second receiving means; and

determining which receiving means is closer to the GPS satellite sending the received GPS signal.

18. A method of attitude determination for a platform in global positioning systems (GPS), the method comprising:

receiving a GPS signal into at least two receiving units; and

using a second order tracking loop to provide an estimated measurement of a velocity of the at least two receiving units at an antenna to estimate how fast a distance from a GPS satellite to the antenna is changing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the locally generated code sequence is a pseudorandom (PRN) code corresponding to the satellite from which the GPS signal is received.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprises:

mixing a locally generated signal with the received GPS signal.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprises:

measuring code phase error in the GPS signal mixed with the locally generated signal.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprises:

determining a rate of change of the locally generated code sequence from the code phase error in the GPS signal mixed with the locally generated signal.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

comparing the phase of the mixture of the locally generated signal and the received GPS signal to the phase determined by another receiving unit for a more accurate measurement of the actual phase of the GPS signal received.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining which of the at least two receiving units is closer to the GPS satellite sending the received GPS signal by subtracting a locally generated carrier signal of the first receiving unit from a locally generated carrier signal of the second receiving unit.