Pulse error correction for spinning vehicles

• US 9,638,502 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Herting, Brian J., Cook, Michael J., Sebast, Jonathan M., Oliver, Benjamin K., Kottman, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US14/461,904
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 701 38, 701 48, 701 96, 701 99, 701110, 701301, 116200, 244 31, 244164, 244 316, 180 65, 180197, 180248, 180249, 192104 R, 342 16, 34235759, 3031134, 280 615, 102384, 343705, 89 4122, 89204, 124 87, 235404, 434 20, 434 22
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 15/01 Arrangements thereon for guidance or control steering arrangements F42B10/60; aircraft flight control B64C; guidance systems other than those installed aboard F41G7/00, F41G9/00; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; flight control in general G05D1/00; computer aspects G06]
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/108 animated with a rolling movement

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for pulse error correction are disclosed. The apparatus may include a spinning vehicle having a plurality of antennas for generating pulse signals indicative of the rotational orientation of the spinning vehicle. The apparatus may utilize anti-jamming to detect and nullify a jamming signal. The apparatus may apply pulse error correction to correct inaccuracies in the pulse signals indicative of the rotational orientation of the spinning vehicle. More specifically, positional information of a source of the jamming signal relative to the spinning vehicle and positional information of a satellite relative to the spinning vehicle may be determined and utilized to calculate a rotational orientation correction.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a spinning vehicle including a plurality of antennas for generating a pulse signal indicative of a rotational orientation of the spinning vehicle;

an anti-jamming processor positioned on the spinning vehicle and configured to detect and nullify a jamming signal; and

a correction processor positioned on the spinning vehicle and configured to determine positional information of a source of the jamming signal relative to the spinning vehicle, to determine positional information of a satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, and to calculate a rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal, wherein the rotational orientation correction angle indicates an angular correction for the rotational orientation of the spinning vehicle in a plane perpendicular to a direction of travel of the spinning vehicle, and wherein the rotational orientation correction angle is calculated at least partially based on the positional information of the source of the jamming signal relative to the spinning vehicle and the positional information of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of the jamming signal is a jammer, and wherein the positional information of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle and the positional information of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle includes:

a first roll angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle;

a first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle;

a second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle; and

a second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the correction processor is further configured to:

determine a satellite roll angle offset of a radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas based on the first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle;

determine a jammer roll angle offset of the radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas based on the second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle; and

calculate a jammer-to-satellite roll correction based on;

the first roll angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, the second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle, the satellite roll angle offset, and the jammer roll angle offset.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the correction processor is further configured to:

calculate a jammer incidence correction based on the second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the correction processor is further configured to:

calculate a satellite incidence correction based on the first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the rotational orientation correction angle is a sum of the jammer-to-satellite roll correction, the jammer incidence correction, and the satellite incidence correction.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the correction processor is further configured to:

record strengths of the jamming signal when the plurality of antennas is at approximately Δ

°

, Δ

+90°

, Δ

+180°

, and Δ

+270°

about a spinning axis of the spinning vehicle; and

estimate the second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle at least partially based on the recorded strengths of the jamming signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anti-jamming processor and the correction processor form an integrated processor.

9. A method, comprising:

generating a pulse signal indicative of a rotational orientation of a spinning vehicle;

detecting a jamming signal;

nullifying the jamming signal;

determining positional information of a source of the jamming signal relative to the spinning vehicle;

determining positional information of a satellite relative to the spinning vehicle; and

calculating a rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal, the rotational orientation correction angle being calculated at least partially based on the positional information of the source of the jamming signal relative to the spinning vehicle and the positional information of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, the rotational orientation correction angle indicating an angular correction for the rotational orientation of the spinning vehicle in a plane perpendicular to a direction of travel of the spinning vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the source of the jamming signal is a jammer, and wherein the positional information of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle and the positional information of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle includes:

a first roll angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle;

a first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle;

a second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle; and

a second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pulse signal is generated based on a navigation signal received at an antenna mounted on the spinning vehicle, and wherein calculating the rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal further comprises:

determining a satellite roll angle offset of a radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas based on the first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle;

determining a jammer roll angle offset of the radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas based on the second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle; and

calculating a jammer-to-satellite roll correction based on;

the first roll angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, the second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle, the satellite roll angle offset, and the jammer roll angle offset.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal further comprises:

calculating a jammer incidence correction based on the second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle; and

calculating a satellite incidence correction based on the first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the rotational orientation correction angle is a sum of the jammer-to-satellite roll correction, the jammer incidence correction, and the satellite incidence correction.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the pulse signal is generated based on a navigation signal received at an antenna mounted on the spinning vehicle, the method further comprising:

recording strengths of the jamming signal when the antenna is at approximately Δ

°

, Δ

+90°

, Δ

+180°

, and Δ

+270°

about a spinning axis of the spinning vehicle; and

estimating the second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle at least partially based on the recorded strengths of the jamming signal.

15. A method, comprising:

generating a pulse signal indicative of a rotational orientation of a spinning vehicle, the pulse signal being generated based on a navigation signal received at an antenna mounted on the spinning vehicle;

detecting a jamming signal;

nullifying the jamming signal;

determining positional information of a source of the jamming signal relative to the spinning vehicle, including;

a first roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle, and a first incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle;

determining positional information of a satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, including;

a second roll angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, and a second incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle; and

calculating a rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal, the rotational orientation correction angle indicating an angular correction for the rotational orientation of the spinning vehicle in a plane perpendicular to a direction of travel of the spinning vehicle, the rotational orientation correction angle being calculated at least partially based on;

the second roll angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, the second incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, the first roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle, and the first incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein calculating the rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal further comprises:

determining a satellite roll angle offset of a radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas based on the first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle;

determining a jammer roll angle offset of the radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas based on the second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle; and

calculating a jammer-to-satellite roll correction based on;

the first roll angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle, the second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle, the satellite roll angle offset, and the jammer roll angle offset.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein calculating the rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal further comprises:

calculating a jammer incidence correction based on the second incidence angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein calculating the rotational orientation correction angle to offset the rotational orientation indicated by the pulse signal further comprises:

calculating a satellite incidence correction based on the first incidence angle of the satellite relative to the spinning vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the rotational orientation correction angle is a sum of the jammer-to-satellite roll correction, the jammer incidence correction, and the satellite incidence correction.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

recording strengths of the jamming signal when the antenna is at approximately Δ

°

, Δ

+90°

, Δ

+180°

, and Δ

+270°

about a spinning axis of the spinning vehicle; and

estimating the second roll angle of the jammer relative to the spinning vehicle at least partially based on the recorded strengths of the jamming signal.