Navigation system with minimal on-board processing

• US 7,890,260 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ring, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche; Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US11/264,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 701/200, 701/220, 342/357.14, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.12, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/188 for accumulated errors, e.g. by coupling inertial systems with absolute positioning systems

Abstract

A navigation system that provides a position estimate. In one embodiment, a method includes integrating an acceleration estimate in each of three dimensions. Subtracting a GPS velocity in each of the dimensions from the integrated acceleration estimate in each dimension to determine a velocity noise error in each dimension. Filtering the velocity noise error in each dimension. Adding the filtered velocity noise error to the integrated acceleration estimate in each dimension to obtain a velocity estimate in each dimension. Integrating the velocity estimate in each dimension to determine an integrated velocity estimate in each dimension. Subtracting a GPS position in each dimension from the integrated velocity estimate in each dimension to determine a position noise error in each dimension. Filtering the position noise error in each dimension and adding the filtered position noise error in each dimension to the integrated velocity estimate to obtain a position estimate in each dimension.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position estimate of an object, the method comprising:

integrating an acceleration estimate to determine an integrated acceleration estimate;

subtracting a GPS velocity from the integrated acceleration estimate to determine a velocity noise error;

filtering the velocity noise error;

adding the filtered velocity noise error to the integrated acceleration estimate within a first filter circuit to obtain a velocity estimate;

integrating the velocity estimate to determine an integrated velocity estimate;

subtracting a GPS position from the integrated velocity estimate to determine a position noise error;

filtering the position noise error; and

adding the filtered position noise error to the integrated velocity estimate within a second filter circuit to obtain a position estimate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the acceleration estimate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the velocity noise error further comprises:

filtering the velocity noise error at a select time constant based on a desired output.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the position estimate in three dimensions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the position noise error further comprises:

filtering the position noise error at a time constant based on a desired output.

6. A method of determining a position estimate of an object, the method comprising:

providing at least one processor configured to execute instructions to perform a process of generating a position estimate of an object in three dimensions, the process comprising;

integrating an acceleration estimate in each of three dimensions to determine an integrated acceleration estimate for each of the dimensions;

subtracting a GPS velocity in each of the dimensions from the integrated acceleration estimate for each of the dimensions to determine a velocity noise error in each dimension;

filtering the velocity noise error in each dimension;

adding the filtered velocity noise error to the integrated acceleration estimate in each dimension to obtain a velocity estimate in each dimension;

integrating the velocity estimate in each dimension to determine an integrated velocity estimate in each dimension;

subtracting a GPS position in each dimension from the integrated velocity estimate in each dimension to determine a position noise error in each dimension;

filtering the position noise error in each dimension; and

adding the filtered position noise error in each dimension to the integrated velocity estimate to obtain a position estimate in each dimension.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining the acceleration estimate in each of the three dimensions.

8. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to perform a method of generating a position estimate of an object, the method comprising:

integrating an acceleration estimate to determine an integrated acceleration estimate;

subtracting a GPS velocity from the integrated acceleration estimate to determine a velocity noise error;

filtering the velocity noise error;

adding the filtered velocity noise error to the integrated acceleration estimate to obtain a velocity estimate;

integrating the velocity estimate to determine a position;

subtracting a GPS position from the integrated velocity estimate to determine a position noise error;

filtering the position noise error; and

adding the filtered position noise error to the integrated velocity estimate to obtain a position estimate.

9. The non-transitory machine readable instructions of claim 8 further comprising:

generating the acceleration estimate with an orbital acceleration equation.

10. A position determining device to estimate the position of an object in three dimensions, comprising:

means for determining an acceleration estimate;

means for integrating the acceleration estimate to determine an integrated acceleration estimate;

means for subtracting a GPS velocity from the integrated acceleration estimate to determine a velocity noise error;

means for filtering the velocity noise error;

means for adding the filtered velocity noise error to the integrated acceleration estimate to obtain a velocity estimate;

means for integrating the velocity estimate to determine an integrated velocity estimate;

means for subtracting a GPS position from the integrated velocity estimate to determine a position noise error;

means for filtering the position noise error; and

means for adding the filtered position noise error to the integrated velocity estimate to obtain a position estimate.

11. A position determining device for determining a position of an object, the device comprising:

a first filter circuit including,

a first integrator adapted to integrate an acceleration estimate to determine an integrated acceleration,

a first subtractor adapted to subtract a GPS velocity from the determined integrated acceleration estimate to determine a velocity noise error,

a first low pass filter adapted to filter the velocity noise error,

a first adder adapted to add the filtered velocity noise error to the integrated acceleration estimate to determine a velocity estimate; and

a second filter circuit including,

a second integrator adapted to integrate the velocity estimate to determine an integrated velocity estimate,

a second subtractor adapted to subtract a GPS position from the determined integrated velocity estimate to determine a position noise error,

a second low pass filter adapted to filter the position noise error, and

a second adder adapted to add the filtered position noise error to the integrated velocity estimate to determine a position estimate.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a clock adapted to provide a time reference for outputs of the device.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a GPS position input router adapted to receive the GPS position; and

a GPS velocity input router adapted to receive the GPS velocity.

14. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

an acceleration output adapted to provide the acceleration estimate to the first integrator.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the acceleration output further comprises:

an orbital acceleration equation function adapted to determine the acceleration of a vehicle in orbit in three dimensions.