Patent · US Expired

Attitude determination method and system

US6088653A · kind A · utility

85Cited by
20References
33Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 31, 1996
Grant dateJul 11, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 31, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S19/36
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for use in vehicle attitude determination includes generating GPS attitude solutions for a vehicle using three or more antennas receiving GPS signals from two or more space vehicles. An inertial navigation system is initialized by setting the attitude of the inertial navigation system to a GPS attitude solution generated for the vehicle and/or the attitude of the inertial navigation system is updated using the GPS attitude solutions generated for the vehicle or GPS estimated attitude error generated for the vehicle. A system for use in vehicle navigation is also provided. The system generally includes three or more GPS antenna/receiver sets associated with a vehicle, an inertial measurement unit that provides inertial measurements for the vehicle, a processing unit of the system having the capability for generating GPS attitude computations for the vehicle using the three or more GPS antenna/receiver sets and signals from two or more space vehicles; the GPS attitude computations include at least one of absolute attitudes and estimated attitude errors. The processing unit of the system also includes a filter for generating estimates of attitude for the vehicle using the ine…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.