Apparatus and method of determining an orientation of a GPS receiver

• US 6,359,585 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Bechman, Gary S., Bowen, Robert I.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/575,878
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.11, 342/357.06, 342/359, 342/417
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/40 adjusting orientation of a single directivity characteristic to produce maximum or minimum signal, e.g. rotatable loop antenna or equivalent goniometer system

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of determining an orientation of an object wherein a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver acquires a position of a global positioning system transmitter. An orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver is determined with respect to the global positioning system transmitter, the determined orientation of the direction antenna corresponding to the object so as to enable the orientation of the object to be determined.

Claims

1. A method of determining an orientation of an object including a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver, comprising:

acquiring a position of a global positioning system transmitter; and

determining an orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system transmitter by determining a portion of the directional antenna which receives a signal from the global positioning system transmitter, wherein the orientation of the directional antenna corresponds to the object so as to enable the orientation of the object to be determined in three dimensions.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the orientation of the directional antenna is capable of being determined while the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver is stationary in space.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the directional antenna includes at least one of a nulling antenna and a beam steering antenna suitable for determining the orientation of directional antenna with respect to the global positioning system.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising resolving a position of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver so that the orientation of the directional antenna with respect to the global positioning system transmitter is suitable for being utilized for figuring an orientation of the directional antenna in space.

5. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising computing a directional alignment of a reference point with respect to the directional antenna, wherein the directional alignment is computed by determining an angle between the position of the directional antenna and the global positioning system transmitter and the reference point.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein the reference point is included as a part of a global positioning system receiver.

7. The method as described in claim 5, wherein the directional alignment corresponds to at least one of a horizontal heading and a vertical heading.

20. The method as described in claim 1, wherein determining an orientation of the object in three dimensions includes at least one of:

determining a position of the global positioning system receiver and determining an orientation of the directional antenna with respect to a first global positioning system transmitter and a second global positioning system transmitter; and

determining an orientation of the object in three dimensions includes determining an orientation of the directional antenna with respect to a first global positioning system transmitter, a second global positioning system transmitter and a third global positioning system transmitter.

8. An apparatus for determining an orientation relative to a global positioning system transmitter, comprising:

a global positioning system receiver suitable for acquiring a position of the global positioning system receiver by receiving signals from the global positioning system transmitter and also suitable for resolving a position of the global positioning system transmitter by receiving signals from the global positioning system transmitter; and

a directional antenna suitable for determining the orientation of the apparatus with respect to a first global positioning system transmitter and a second global positioning system transmitter.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the orientation of the apparatus is capable of being determined while the apparatus is stationary in space.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the directional antenna includes at least one of a beam steering antenna and a nulling antenna.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein orientation is in at least one of two dimensions and three dimensions.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the directional antenna is suitable for computing a directional alignment of a reference point with respect to the apparatus, wherein the directional alignment is computed by determining an angle between the position of the global positioning system transmitter and the directional antenna and the reference point.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 12, wherein the directional alignment corresponds to at least one of a horizontal heading and a vertical heading.

14. A method of determining an orientation of a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver, comprising:

positioning the global positioning system receiver in a known plane;

acquiring a position of a first global positioning system transmitter;

acquiring a position of a second global positioning system transmitter; and

determining an orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver with respect to the first global positioning system transmitter and the second global positioning system transmitter.

15. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the plane is user specified.

16. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the orientation of global positioning system receiver is capable of being determined while the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver is stationary in space.

17. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the directional antenna includes at least one of a beam steering antenna and a nulling antenna.

18. The method as described in claim 14, further comprising computing a directional alignment of a reference point with respect to the global positioning receiver, wherein the directional alignment is computed by determining an angle between the position of at least one of the first global positioning system transmitter and the second global positioning system transmitter;

and the directional antenna and the reference point.

19. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the reference point is capable of being user specified.