Precision multiple vehicle navigation system

• US 9,157,744 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hardesty, William Mark, Caldwell, Don G., Cerchie, Dino A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US13/664,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/301, 701/36, 701/400, 701/408, 701/41, 701/468, 701/469, 701/470, 701/472, 701/482, 342/357.48, 342/357.31, 342/357.27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/24 specially adapted for cosmonautical navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/50 whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0684 on a moving platform, e.g. aircraft carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing movement. A navigation system comprises a first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device having a first inertial measurement unit with a first level of accuracy in a first vehicle and is configured to provide first information that identifies a position of the first vehicle relative to a second vehicle. The navigation system further comprises a second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device in the first vehicle having a second inertial measurement unit with a second level of accuracy that is greater than the first level of accuracy and is configured to provide second information that identifies the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle. The navigation system further comprises a controller that is configured to perform an action based on a desired level of accuracy of the first information.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device in a first vehicle that has a first inertial measurement unit with a first level of accuracy, wherein the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device is configured to provide first information that identifies a position of the first vehicle relative to a second vehicle, and wherein the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device is configured to provide the first information that identifies the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle using current position information received from the second vehicle;

a second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device in the first vehicle having a second inertial measurement unit with a second level of accuracy that is greater than the first level of accuracy when a problem exists in at least one of the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device, a global positioning system device in the second vehicle, and communications between the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device and the second vehicle, wherein the second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device is configured to provide second information that identifies the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle, and the problem is an absence of a desired level of accuracy or a desired level of quality; and

a controller configured to perform an action when the problem exists in at least one of the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device, the global positioning system device in the second vehicle, and the communications between the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device and the second vehicle, wherein the action is selected from one of generating an alert, changing a desired separation, prohibiting a maneuver requiring a desired level of accuracy that cannot be provided without the current position information from the second vehicle, and changing a travel plan for the first vehicle.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle using the first information from the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device and current position information received from the second vehicle when the problem does not exist in at least one of the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device, the global positioning system device in the second vehicle, and the communications between the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device and the second vehicle.

3. The navigation system of claim 1 further comprising:

a communications system in the first vehicle configured to exchange information with the second vehicle.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the communications system comprises:

a first communications unit connected to the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device; and

a second communications unit connected to the second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device.

5. The navigation system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to identify the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle using current position information received from the second vehicle over the second communications unit when the current position information from the second vehicle is unavailable using the first communications unit.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller is located in at least one of a computer system in the first vehicle and the second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device in the first vehicle.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises identifying the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle using prior position information received from the second vehicle and position information generated by at least one of a global positioning system unit and the second inertial measurement unit in the second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the current position information received from the second vehicle comprises at least one of a three-dimensional location, an attitude, error correction information, a velocity, and a heading for the second vehicle.

9. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional location is a location on the second vehicle.

10. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are selected from one of a ship, a carrier, an aircraft, a helicopter, an airplane, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a spacecraft, a missile, a submarine, a car, a tank, a tanker aircraft, and a train.

11. A method for processing navigation information in a navigation system, the method comprising:

receiving first information from a first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device in a first vehicle that has a first inertial measurement unit with a first level of accuracy, wherein the first information identifies a position of the first vehicle relative to a second vehicle, and wherein the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device is configured to provide the first information that identifies the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle using current position information received from the second vehicle;

receiving second information from a second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device in the first vehicle having a second inertial measurement unit with a second level of accuracy that is greater than the first level of accuracy responsive to identifying that a problem exists in at least one of the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device, a global positioning system device in the second vehicle, and communications between the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device and the second vehicle, wherein the second information identifies the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle, and the problem is an absence of a desired level of accuracy or a desired level of quality; and

performing an action when the problem exists in at least one of the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device, the global positioning system device in the second vehicle, and the communications between the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device and the second vehicle, wherein the action is selected from one of generating an alert, changing a desired separation, prohibiting a maneuver requiring a desired level of accuracy that cannot be provided without the current position information from the second vehicle, and changing a travel plan for the first vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying a difference in the position of the first vehicle between the first information and the second information; and

determining whether the difference in the position of the first vehicle meets a desired level of accuracy for the first information.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving current position information from the second vehicle; and

generating, by the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device, the first information that identifies the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle using the current position information received from the second vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the current position information is received from the second vehicle over a communications system comprising a first communications unit connected to the first inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device and a second communications unit connected to the second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the current position information received from the second vehicle comprises at least one of a three-dimensional location, an attitude, error correction information, a velocity, and a heading for the second vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional location is a location on the second vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the action is selected from one of identifying the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle using prior position information received from the second vehicle and position information generated by at least one of a global positioning system unit and the second inertial measurement unit in the second inertial measurement unit enabled global positioning system device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are selected from one of a ship, a carrier, an aircraft, a helicopter, an airplane, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a spacecraft, a missile, a submarine, a car, a tank, a tanker aircraft, and a train.