Triply redundant integrated navigation and asset visibility system

• US 8,068,984 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Stephen F., Moore, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US11/583,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/220, 701/214, 342/450, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/560
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/24 the synchronised signals being pulses or equivalent modulations on carrier waves and the transit times being compared by measuring the difference in arrival time of a significant part of the modulations , e.g. LORAN systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for a navigation system. A method includes providing a global positioning system fix having a plurality of tracking parameters; providing a theater positioning system fix; monitoring the plurality of tracking parameters for predetermined conditions; and, when the predetermined conditions are met, sending a notifying signal and switching to the theater positioning system fix as a primary fix. An apparatus includes a system controller; a global positioning system receiver coupled to the system controller; a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller; and an operator interface coupled to the system controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a system controller;

a Global Positioning System receiver coupled to the system controller;

a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller;

a precision timing subsystem coupled to the system controller; and

an operator interface coupled to the system controller;

wherein the system controller is configured to monitor at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the Global Positioning System receiver;

wherein the system controller is configured to adjust a position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver based on a position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver in response to a determination that the at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic indicates that the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver is valid; and

wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver to the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver as a primary fix in response to a determination that the at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic indicates that the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver is invalid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an inertial navigation system coupled to the system controller;

wherein the system controller is configured to monitor at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the radio frequency locating receiver, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver to a position fix associated with the inertial navigation system as the primary position fix based on the at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the radio frequency locating receiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inertial navigation system comprises MEMS or optical accelerometers and gyroscopes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor array coupled to the system controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sensor array comprises magnetometers, tilt meters, and altimeters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precision timing subsystem is configured to generate a timing signal that integrates a time value associated with the Global Positioning System fix and a time value associated with the radio frequency locating receiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the precision timing subsystem comprises an oscillator array in a spatially cubic arrangement.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller comprises field programmable gate arrays.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to monitor at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the Global Positioning System receiver for a predetermined condition, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver to the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver as the primary fix when the predetermined condition is met.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the system controller is configured to monitor at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the Global Positioning System receiver for a second predetermined condition, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver to the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver as the primary fix when the second predetermined condition is met.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to calculate a difference between the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver and the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver to the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver as the primary fix when the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency locating receiver comprises a multilateration radiolocation receiver configured to generate the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver by multilateration based on receipt of a plurality of spread spectrum radiolocation signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency locating receiver comprises a multilateration radiolocation receiver configured to generate the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver by multilateration based on receipt of a plurality of radiolocation signals, and wherein at least one of the plurality of radiolocation signals comprises a hybrid spread spectrum waveform that combines a direct sequence modulation with a frequency hopping, a time hopping, or a time gating protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency locating receiver generates initialization data for the Global Positioning System receiver during initialization, and wherein the Global Positioning System receiver generates calibration data for the radio frequency locating receiver during navigation.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to adjust the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver to match the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver in response to the determination that the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver is valid.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a system controller;

a Global Positioning System receiver coupled to the system controller;

a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller;

an operator interface coupled to the system controller;

an inertial navigation system coupled to the system controller;

a sensor array coupled to the system controller; and

a precision timing subsystem coupled to the system controller;

wherein the system controller is configured to calculate a difference between a position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver and a position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver to the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver as a primary fix when the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the system controller is configured to monitor at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the Global Positioning System receiver for a first predetermined condition, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from a position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver to a position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver as a primary fix when the first predetermined condition is met.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the system controller is configured to monitor at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the Global Positioning System receiver for a second predetermined condition, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver to the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver as the primary fix when the second predetermined condition is met;

wherein the system controller is configured to monitor at least one signal quality or location tracking characteristic associated with the radio frequency locating receiver for a third predetermined condition, and wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver to a position fix associated with the inertial navigation system as the primary position fix when the third predetermined condition is met.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the radio frequency locating receiver comprises a multilateration radiolocation receiver configured to generate a position fix by multilateration based on receipt of a plurality of spread spectrum radiolocation signals.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the system controller is configured to adjust the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver based on the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver in response to a determination that the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver is valid;

and

wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver to the position fix associated with the radio frequency locating receiver as the primary position fix in response to a determination that the position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver is invalid.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a system controller;

a Global Positioning System receiver configured to provide a first position fix to the system controller based on receipt of a plurality of Global Positioning System satellite signals;

a multilateration radiolocation receiver configured to provide a second position fix to the system controller by multilateration based on receipt of a plurality of spread spectrum radiolocation signals;

an inertial navigation system configured to provide a third position fix to the system controller; and

a timing subsystem coupled to the system controller;

wherein the system controller is configured to select the first position fix, the second position fix, the third position fix, or a composite position fix as a primary position fix based on at least one characteristic of the first position fix, the second position fix, or the third position fix.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the system controller is configured to select the second position fix as the primary position fix upon determination that the first position fix is unavailable, inaccurate, or invalid;

and

wherein the system controller is configured to select the third position fix as the primary position fix upon determination that the first and second position fixes are unavailable, inaccurate, or invalid.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the system controller is configured to combine data from the Global Positioning System receiver and data from the radio frequency locating receiver to generate the composite position fix as the primary position fix upon determination that the first and second position fixes are individually incomplete.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a dynamically changing signal, position, or timing quality characteristic associated with the Global Positioning System receiver or the multilateration radiolocation receiver.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the system controller is configured to adjust the second position fix associated with the multilateration radiolocation receiver based on the first position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver in response to a determination that the first position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver is valid;

and

wherein the system controller is configured to switch from the first position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver to the second position fix associated with the multilateration radiolocation receiver as the primary position fix in response to a determination that the first position fix associated with the Global Positioning System receiver is invalid.