Honeywell International Inc.

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Charles T Bye

Brian W Schipper

Wayne A Soehren

Lawrence C Vallot

Wesley J Hawkinson

Kenneth Steven Morgan

Christopher A Lund

Mahesh K Jeerage

Fan Liu

Charles L Keyes

An attitude estimator system is provided. The attitude estimator system includes a navigation system, a Kalman filter, and a form observations module. The navigation system receives input from a first accelerometer and gyroscope, a second accelerometer and gyroscope, and a third accelerometer and gyroscope. The form observations module receives input from at least one high performance accelerometer and/or gyroscope; forms and outputs at least one of velocity-derived observations and attitude-derived observations. The Kalman filter processes by at least one of: inputting the velocity-derived observations formed in the form observations module, rotating the velocity-derived observation into a sensor-frame, and zeroing gains associated with at least one low performance accelerometer and/or gyroscope; or inputting the attitude-derived observations that are based on output from at least one of the first high performance accelerometer, the first high performance gyroscope, and the second high performance accelerometer.

Method to improve leveling performance in navigation systems

A method to improve estimation and stabilization of heading in an inertial navigation system is provided. The method includes operating an inertial measurement unit oriented in a first orientation, forward-rotating the operational inertial measurement unit by a selected-rotation angle about a Z-body axis of the inertial navigation system, wherein the inertial measurement unit is oriented in a second orientation, operating the inertial measurement unit oriented in the second orientation, reverse-rotating the operational inertial measurement unit by the selected-rotation angle about the Z-body axis, wherein the inertial measurement unit is oriented in the first orientation, continuously receiving information indicative of an orientation of the inertial measurement unit at a rotational compensator, and continuously-rotationally compensating navigation module output at the rotational compensator, wherein output of the rotational compensator is independent of the rotating.

Technique to improve navigation performance through carouselling

A state is added to a Kalman filter to model GPS multipath errors. The multipath states may be modeled as either a random walk model or a Gauss-Markov process. The choice of the model depends on the characteristics of the multi-path error and the GPS receiver. Adding this state to the Kalman filter to model multipath improves the navigation system's robustness when operating as a deeply integrated system when multipath is present.

Multipath modeling for deep integration

A system comprises at least one inertial sensor operable to provide inertial sensor data during a trip; a processing unit coupled to the at least one inertial sensor, the processing unit operable to calculate navigation data based on the inertial sensor data and to estimate error in the inertial sensor data, wherein the processing unit is further operable to adjust subsequent inertial sensor data received during the trip from the at least one inertial sensor in order to compensate for the estimated error; and a memory coupled to the navigation unit and operable to store data between power cycles; wherein the processing unit is further operable to calculate a current trip error estimate from a plurality of error estimates during the trip and to estimate a repeatability error component based on the current trip error estimate and previous trip error estimates stored in the memory; wherein the repeatability error component is stored in the memory, the processing unit being further operable to update inertial sensor data during a subsequent trip based on the repeatability error component.

System and method of auto-calibration of inertial sensors

A self-contained device and method provides that a first body or unit is held in, mounted on or otherwise place in a predetermined position relative to an orientation transfer device that determines its orientation and/or position. The orientation transfer device is mounted to, held in or by or otherwise placed in a predetermined position relative to a second body or unit and the second unit is moved to a position and/or orientation that is the same as that of the first body, or difference in position and/or orientation of the second body relative to the first body is determined, thereby establishing the orientation of the second body.

Orientation transfer device and method

A method of determining a location is provided. The method comprises placing a plurality of radio frequency (RF) tags within an area, mapping the placement of the plurality of RF tags within the area, detecting one or more of the plurality of RF tags in the area, and determining a location based in part on the mapping and on probability distributions associated with each of the one or more detected RF tags.

Navigation system using radio frequency tags

A navigation system includes an inertial navigation unit. The navigation system also includes a Kalman filter that generates corrective feedback for use by the inertial navigation unit. The Kalman filter generates the corrective feedback as a function of at least one of GPS/DGPS information, sensor information, user input, terrain correlation information, signal-of-opportunity information, and/or position information output by a motion classifier.

Personal navigation using terrain-correlation and/or signal-of-opportunity information

A navigation system with resume logic and mode logic provides as an output an accurate navigation solution using multiple RF sensors. The resume logic determines which sensors are currently providing good data to the navigation system. The mode logic selects an operating mode of the navigation system and selects which data to use for calculating corrections to the navigation solution. The mode logic makes the selections based on the results of the resume logic. The resume logic continues to test data from the sensors. If a sensor that has previously provided erroneous data starts providing good data, the mode logic will automatically select that data for use in calculating the corrections to the navigation solution. The tracking of RF transmitters by the multiple RF sensors is controlled using a plurality of available inertial and non-inertial sensors.

System and method for using multiple aiding sensors in a deeply integrated navigation system

A system for providing connectivity to co-located instruments includes a processor for receiving and processing GPS data and IMU data, a GPS receiver antenna operable to supply the GPS data to the processor, and an IMU, co-located with the GPS receiver antenna, operable to provide the IMU data to the processor. A single cable is provided between the processor and co-located equipment and, by using filtering mechanisms, the single cable is operable to simultaneously supply DC power to the IMU and to transmit the GPS data and the IMU data to the processor.

System and method for multiplexing and transmitting DC power, IMU data and RF data on a single cable

A navigation system includes an inertial measurement unit, a navigation computer, a GPS receiver, and a clock controller. The inertial measurement unit has a first clock and a first switch, the navigation computer has a second clock and a second switch, and the GPS receiver has a third clock. The clock controller controls the first and second switches. Accordingly, the inertial measurement unit, the navigation computer, and the GPS receiver may use their own clocks, or the inertial measurement unit and the navigation computer may use the second clock, or the inertial measurement unit, the navigation computer, and the GPS receiver may use the third clock.

GPS/IMU clock synchronization particularly for deep integration vector tracking loop

A GPS receiver acquires GPS data from at least one GPS satellite. A code offset and a frequency offset are determined based on the acquired GPS data. A change in GPS position of the GPS receiver during the determination of the code offset is determined, and a change in rate of the GPS receiver during the determination of the frequency offset is also determined. The code offset is updated based on the change in GPS position, and the frequency offset is updated based on the change in rate. The updated code offset and the updated frequency offset are handed over to a tracking function.

Software GPS based integrated navigation

A navigation system includes a Kalman filter to compensate for bias errors in inertial sensing elements. An observed pitch, roll or heading change is input to the Kalman filter either from an aiding source or when the navigation system is in a known condition. The Kalman filter generates a correction signal that is provided to the navigation computation system.

Attitude change kalman filter measurement apparatus and method

The present invention relates to a method for optimizing a route of a vehicle including planning an initial route using rules to estimate navigation system performance and to enhance accuracy of the navigation system and then utilizing a navigation performance prediction tool to evaluate possible success of the initial route. If the initial route is deemed a failure, estimated error may be recalculated based on the initial route and then the estimated error may be utilized to evaluate possible success of the initial route. If the initial route is deemed a failure, the rules may be used to designate at least one error correcting maneuver to be added to the initial route to reduce error and then the estimated error of the initial route including the error correcting maneuver may then be recalculated using the navigation prediction process. The possible success of the initial route including the error correcting maneuver may then be evaluated. This method may be repeated in whole or in part until a satisfactory route is obtained.

System and method for trajectory optimization using adaptive navigation performance estimation

A navigation system for mounting on a human. The navigation system includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the human and outputting one or more corresponding motion signals. An inertial processing unit coupled to one or more of motion sensors determines a first position estimate based on one or more of the corresponding signals from the motion sensors. A distance traveled is determined by a motion classifier coupled to one or more of the motion sensors, where the distance estimate is based on one or more of the corresponding motion signals processed in one or more motion models. A Kalman filter is also integrated into the system, where the Kalman filter receives the first position estimate and the distance estimate and provides corrective feedback signals to the inertial processor for the first position estimate. In an additional embodiment, input from a position indicator, such as a GPS, provides a third position estimate, and where the Kalman filter provides corrections to the first position estimate, the distance estimate and parameters of the motion model being used.

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Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Charles T Bye