Near field navigation system

• US 9,423,489 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: Astrium GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Von Voithenberg, Michael Voith, Steffes, Julian, Oehler, Veit
• Primary Examiner(s): McGue, Frank J
• Application Number:
  US13/491,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 342/139
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

A near field navigation system is equipped with a base segment provided on a base structure. The base segment includes at least four transmitters. Each transmitter is provided with a base antenna and the base antennas are positioned relative to each other at known distances. A user segment is provided on a user structure, the user segment including at least one receiver, at least one user antenna connected to the receiver, and a processing unit connected to the receiver. The receiver and each of the transmitters together form distance measuring units and the processing unit is adapted to calculate the relative three-dimensional position data of the user structure with respect to the base structure on the basis of distance data obtained from the distance measuring units.

Claims

1. A near field navigation system, comprising:

a first object comprising a user segment of the near field navigation system, the user segment having a plurality of receivers and a plurality of user antennas mounted on a user structure, wherein each of the plurality of user antennas is connected to one of the plurality of receivers, and wherein the user segment includes a processing unit connected to the plurality of receivers; and

a second object comprising a base segment of the near field navigation system, the second object having at least four transmitters, wherein each of the at least four transmitters is connected to one of a plurality of base antennas provided on a base structure of the second object, wherein the plurality of base antennas are positioned relative to each other at known distances, and wherein the first object moves relative to the second object,

wherein the receiver and each of the transmitters together form distance measuring units,

wherein at least a first one of the transmitters is provided with an inter-transmitter distance measuring unit that is configured to determine a distance between the base antenna of the first transmitter and the base antenna of at least one other transmitter of the base segment,

wherein the base segment comprises an inter-transmitter distance measuring control unit configured to control the inter-transmitter distance measuring unit,

wherein the inter-transmitter distance measuring control unit is provided in only one of the transmitters, which thus forms a master transmitter configured to transmit the determined inter-transmitter distance data to the user segment, and

wherein the processing unit of the user segment is configured to calculate a relative three-dimensional position data of the user structure with respect to the base structure on the basis of determined inter-transmitter distance data obtained from the master transmitter.

2. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the user segment comprises at least three receivers, wherein each receiver is provided with one of the user antennas and wherein the receivers are connected to the processing unit.

3. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitters are RADAR transmitters,

the plurality of receivers are RADAR receivers, or

the distance measuring units are RADAR-based distance measuring units.

4. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the inter-transmitter distance measuring unit of the at least one transmitter is a RADAR-based distance measuring unit.

5. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein each one of the transmitters of the base segment is provided with a satellite navigation unit and wherein the absolute position data of each transmitter obtained from the satellite navigation units are transmitted to the user segment.

6. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter is configured to transmit the determined inter-transmitter distance data together with a RADAR signal to the user segment or via a separate communication link to the user segment.

7. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the base segment is provided on the ground or on a mobile vehicle.

8. The near field navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the mobile vehicle is a naval vessel.

9. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the user segment is provided on a helicopter, a naval vessel, or an aircraft.

10. The near field navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein each transmitter of the base segment is powered by an autonomous power supply.

12. The near field navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the autonomous power supply is a battery.

13. The near field navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the base segment or the user segment is provided with at least one additional position detecting unit, and

the processing unit is configured to also use the data obtained from the additional position detecting unit for calculating the absolute or relative three-dimensional position data of the user structure with respect to the base structure.

14. The near field navigation system according to claim 13, wherein the additional position detecting unit is an altimeter unit, inertial measurement unit, or a global navigation satellite system position detecting unit.