Method and apparatus for improved navigation of a moving platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9488480-B2
Application number	US-201414306118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2011
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A navigation module and method for providing an INS/GNSS navigation solution for a moving platform, comprising a receiver for receiving absolute navigational information from an external source (e.g., such as a satellite), means for obtaining speed or velocity information and an assembly of self-contained sensors capable of obtaining readings (e.g., such as relative or non-reference based navigational information) about the moving platform, and further comprising at least one processor, coupled to receive the output information from the receiver, sensor assembly and means for obtaining speed or velocity information, and operative to integrate the output information to produce a navigation solution. The at least one processor may operate to provide a navigation solution by using the speed or velocity information to decouple the actual motion of the platform from the readings of the sensor assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a navigation solution for a moving platform, the method comprising:
providing a processor for processing and filtering absolute navigational information, sensor readings and substantially uninterrupted speed information to produce the navigation solution,
utilizing the speed information to decouple motion of the platform from the sensor readings, and utilizing advanced models of stochastic errors in the sensor readings for producing the navigation solution.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing a state estimation technique.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the state estimation technique uses a system and measurement model.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the state estimation technique is non-linear.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the state estimation technique is linear.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method determines the navigation solution by utilizing a loosely coupled or a tightly coupled integration scheme.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the absolute navigational information is GNSS information and the method further comprising assessing the GNSS information and detects degraded performance.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing the sensor readings and the platform.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising automatically switching between a loosely coupled integration scheme and a tightly coupled integration scheme.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, in the tightly coupled integration scheme, automatically assessing the measurements from each GNSS satellite visible to a receiver for receiving the absolute navigational information and detecting degraded measurements.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing sensor readings and the platform.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein the absolute navigational information is GNSS information and the method further comprising in using the tightly coupled integration scheme, further automatically assessing the measurements from a GNSS satellite visible to a receiver and detecting degraded measurements.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing the sensor readings and the platform.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

20. The method of claim 6 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing the sensor readings and the platform.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

22. The method of claim 6 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the advanced models of stochastic errors are non-linear or linear models with increased memory length.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising providing additional measurement updates for the stochastic errors.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

26. The method of claim 24 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing the sensor readings and the platform.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the absolute navigational information is GNSS information and the method further comprising in using the tightly coupled integration scheme, further automatically assessing the measurements from a GNSS satellite visible to a receiver and detecting degraded measurements.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

30. The method of claim 28 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing the sensor readings and the platform.

31. The method of claim 30 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

32. The method of claim 24 , wherein the absolute navigational information is GNSS information and the method further comprising assessing the GNSS information and detects degraded performance.

33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

34. The method of claim 32 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing the sensor readings and the platform.

35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

36. The method of claim 32 , further comprising automatically switching between a loosely coupled integration scheme and a tightly coupled integration scheme.

37. The method of claim 36 , further comprising, in the tightly coupled integration scheme, automatically assessing the measurements from each GNSS satellite visible to a receiver for receiving the absolute navigational information and detecting degraded measurements.

38. The method of claim 37 , further comprising performing a backward smoothed solution subsequent to the navigation solution and blending the two solutions to provide an enhanced solution.

39. The method of claim 37 , further comprising calculating misalignment between a sensor assembly providing sensor readings and the platform.

40. The method of claim 39 , furt

Assignees

• Trusted Positioning Inc
• Invensense Inc

Inventors

• Georgy Jacques
• Noureldin Aboelmagd

Classifications

• G01C21/165 Primary

  combined with non-inertial navigation instruments · CPC title

• G01S19/49

  whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled · CPC title

• G01C21/10 Primary

  by using measurements of speed or acceleration (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01S19/47

  the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial · CPC title