Ship position and velocity using satellite ephemerides and radar range measurement of satellite
First Claim
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1. A method for geolocation of a movable platform, said method comprising the steps of:
- operating a radar system mounted on said movable platform;
measuring, with said radar system, a range from the movable platform to each of N satellites in Earth orbit, where N is greater than 2, and where N is the total number of range measurements made using the radar system;
providing a memory having ephemerides data for each of said N satellites;
obtaining from said memory on said movable platform, said ephemerides data for said satellites;
establishing an initial estimated position of said movable platform;
iteratively performing in a computer coupled to said memory and to said radar system, and using as input the N range measurements from the movable platform to the corresponding satellite, the steps of;
estimating a range to each of the N satellites based on the estimated position;
comparing the estimated ranges to the N range measurements obtained from the radar system;
setting up range equations which express the geolocation relative to said satellites; and
updating the estimated position of the movable platform by applying a least-squares solution based on the range equations, the N range measurements and the estimated ranges; and
determining the geolocation of the movable platform based on the estimated position in response to a determination that an iteration threshold has been reached.
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Abstract
There may be situations in which a ship at sea is lost and GPS is not available due to jamming, and neither a position fix nor GPS is available. A system and method allow estimation of ship position (SPOS) using only single radar range measurements and satellite ephemeris data. The same radar can determine ship velocity using radar range rate information.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for geolocation of a movable platform, said method comprising the steps of:
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operating a radar system mounted on said movable platform; measuring, with said radar system, a range from the movable platform to each of N satellites in Earth orbit, where N is greater than 2, and where N is the total number of range measurements made using the radar system; providing a memory having ephemerides data for each of said N satellites; obtaining from said memory on said movable platform, said ephemerides data for said satellites; establishing an initial estimated position of said movable platform; iteratively performing in a computer coupled to said memory and to said radar system, and using as input the N range measurements from the movable platform to the corresponding satellite, the steps of; estimating a range to each of the N satellites based on the estimated position; comparing the estimated ranges to the N range measurements obtained from the radar system; setting up range equations which express the geolocation relative to said satellites; and updating the estimated position of the movable platform by applying a least-squares solution based on the range equations, the N range measurements and the estimated ranges; and determining the geolocation of the movable platform based on the estimated position in response to a determination that an iteration threshold has been reached. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for geolocation of a movable platform, said method comprising the steps of:
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operating a radar system mounted on said movable platform; measuring, with said radar system, a range from the movable platform to each of N satellites in Earth orbit, where N is equal to 2, and where N is the total number of range measurements made using the radar system, wherein said movable platform is an earth-bound sea-based ship determined to be on an ellipsoid approximating the Earth'"'"'s surface; providing a memory having ephemerides data for each of said N satellites; obtaining from said memory on said movable platform, said ephemerides data for said satellites; establishing an initial estimated position of said movable platform; iteratively performing in a computer coupled to said memory and to said radar system, and using as input the N range measurements from the movable platform to the corresponding satellite, the steps of; estimating a range to each of the N satellites based on the estimated position; comparing the estimated ranges to the N range measurements obtained from the radar system; setting up range equations which express the geolocation relative to said satellites; and updating the estimated position of the movable platform by applying a least-squares solution based on the range equations, the N range measurements and the estimated ranges, wherein said step of applying a least-squares solution includes the steps of; receiving the estimated position; and performing computer steps of; loading said satellite ephemeris data from said memory on said movable platform, computing a geometry matrix composed of a set of linearized range equations, computing a Jacobian matrix relating ship latitude and longitude to three-dimensional position, and solving for an incremental position estimate; and determining the geolocation of the movable platform based on the estimated position in response to a determination that an iteration threshold has been reached. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method for geolocation of a ship platform, where the ship platform carries a radar system, a memory, and a computer, said method comprising the steps of:
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using said radar system, measuring a range from the ship platform to each of N satellites in Earth orbit, where N is greater than two and where N is the total number of range measurements made using the radar; storing on said memory, ephemerides data for each satellite of said N satellites; loading into said computer from said memory coupled to said computer, the static ephemerides data for said satellites; loading into said computer, an initial estimate as to the position of said ship platform, to define an estimated position; iteratively performing the following steps using as input, the N range measurements; using said computer, estimating ranges to each satellite based on the estimated position of said platform, to thereby generate calculated ranges; comparing said N range measurements to said estimated ranges; calculating a geometry matrix; using said geometry matrix, making an estimate of the incremental position of said platform; and updating the previous estimated position with the current estimate of the incremental position, in response to a determination that an iteration threshold has not been reached. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A system for geolocation of a movable platform, said system comprising:
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a radar system mounted on said movable platform configured to measure a range from the movable platform to each of N satellites in Earth orbit, where N is greater than two, and where N is the total number of range measurements made using the radar system; a memory storing ephemerides data for each satellite of said N satellites; a source of an initial estimated position of said movable platform; and a processor coupled to said radar system, to said initial source of the estimated position, and to said memory containing said ephemerides, said processor configured to iteratively perform, using as input, the measured ranges made using the radar, the steps of; calculating a set of estimated ranges from the estimated position to each satellite of the N satellites, based on the ephemerides data for each satellite of the N satellites; comparing the input set of measured ranges to the set of estimated ranges; calculating range equations which express the geolocation of the movable platform based on the comparison; and applying a least-squares solution based on the set of range equations to update the estimated position. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A system for determining the velocity of a movable platform, said system comprising:
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a radar system mounted to said movable platform configured to measure a range from the movable platform to each of N satellites in Earth orbit, wherein N is greater than two and where N is the total number of range measurements and range rate measurements made by the radar system; a memory storing ephemerides data for each satellite in the N satellites; a source of an initial estimated position of said movable platform; and a processor coupled to said radar system, to said source of the initial estimated position, and to said memory containing said ephemerides data of each satellite of said plurality of satellites, said processor configured to iteratively perform, using as input, the N range measurements, the steps of; calculating range equations which express the range from estimated position of said platform relative to said satellites to determine calculated ranges, comparing said calculated ranges to said N measured ranges, and updating the estimated position by applying a least-squares solution based on the range equations, the estimated ranges and the N measured ranges, and from said range rate, establish the velocity of said satellites by said ephemerides, and the lines of sight between said moving platform and said satellites, determining the velocity of said movable platform relative to the Earth. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A system for geolocation of a ship platform, said system comprising:
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a radar system mounted on said ship platform for measuring a range from the ship platform to each of N satellites in Earth orbit, wherein N is greater than 2 and where N is the total number of range measurements made using the radar system; a memory on said ship platform, having stored thereon, ephemerides data for each satellite of N satellites; a source of an initial estimated position of said ship platform; a computer coupled to said radar, to said memory storing said satellite ephemerides, and to said source of the initial estimated position, and configured to iteratively, using as input, the N range measurements, perform the steps of; (a) calculating ranges to each satellite from said estimated position of said ship platform, to thereby generate estimated ranges, (b) comparing said measured ranges to said estimated ranges, (c) calculating a geometry matrix, (d) using said geometry matrix, making a new estimate of position of said ship platform with the current estimate representing an incremental position of said ship platform. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification