Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Daniel J Thuringer

Daryl L McCall

D Alexander Stratton

A cycle slip detector and detection method for a phase comparison circuit are provided. The cycle slip detector includes a cycle slip detection filter possessing a predetermined filter bandwidth and a predetermined high frequency cut-off. The cycle slip detection filter receives a phase difference generated by the phase comparison circuit and transforms the phase difference into a filtered phase difference. The cycle slip detector further includes a compensator communicating with the cycle slip detection filter. The compensator compensates the magnitude based on a predetermined compensation response. The cycle slip detector further includes a cycle slip occurrence detector communicating with the compensator. The cycle slip occurrence detector compares a compensated magnitude of the filtered phase difference to a predetermined cycle slip threshold and generates a cycle slip output if the compensated magnitude exceeds the predetermined cycle slip threshold.

Cycle slip detection using low pass filtering

Satellite navigation systems and receivers of the invention include an antenna which receives satellite signals from multiple satellites. Radio frequency circuitry coupled to the antenna converts the satellite signals into intermediate signals. Multiple signal processors coupled to the radio frequency circuitry implement similar or identical signal processing algorithms on the received satellite signals to provide redundant ranging information (i.e., code and carrier measurements). One or more navigation processors coupled to the signal processors process the ranging information and provide positioning data outputs. The navigation processor implements smoothing filter functions that combine the redundant ranging data in a manner which enhances the positional accuracy. The navigation processor also implements unique fault-detection filter functions on the redundant ranging information. The characteristic response of the fault-detection filter functions are matched to the response of the smoothing filter functions, ensuring that signal-processing faults are detected and before the smoothed data exhibits excessive errors.

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Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Daniel J Thuringer