The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Joseph M Kinast

Juha-Pekka J Laine

Stephen P Smith

Benjamin F Lane

Robin Mark Adrian Dawson

Gregory P Blasche

Matthew T Jamula

Paul A Bohn

William W Whitacre

Michael A Aucoin

Eric T Hoke

Cort Nolan Johnson

Daniel M Meiser

Jeffrey D Jungemann

Peter A Lewis

Richard E Stoner

Simone B Bortolami

Brian P Timmons

Marc Steven Weinberg

Jonathan Jay Bernstein

Jeffrey A Korn

Amy Elizabeth Duwel

James Alan Bickford

William Joseph Trinkle, Jr

John Joseph LeBlanc

Charles Arant

Richard David Elliott, Iii

Timothy J McCarthy

Thomas Francis Marinis, Jr

Michael Joseph Tomaino-Iannucci

Antonije Radojevic

Ronald Edmund Gagnon, Jr

A distributed navigation system includes navigation platforms, each having a universal navigation processor, relative navigation systems to provide source information to the navigation platforms, navigation filters provided on one or more of the universal navigation processors, and an anchor navigation node disposed on one or more of the navigation platforms to form one or more anchor navigation platforms. Each anchor navigation node includes an inertial navigation system, a clock, and absolute navigation systems, which are used, in combination with source information, to determine navigation information. The anchor navigation platforms provide the navigation information to other navigation platforms. The system further includes a navigation processor system in communication with the universal navigation processors to provide operating information updates to the universal navigation processors and a graphical user interface to display the navigation information to a user and permit the user to review and control the navigation information.

Multi-source distributed navigation system architecture

A distributed navigation system architecture includes a plurality of navigation platforms, each having a universal navigation processor configured to communicate with other universal navigation processors, one or more relative navigation systems configured to provide source information to the navigation platforms, an anchor navigation node disposed on one or more of the plurality of navigation platforms in order to form one or more anchor navigation platforms, the anchor navigation node, including an inertial navigation system, a clock, and one or more absolute navigation systems, configured to determine navigation information based on the inertial navigation system, the clock, the one or more absolute navigation systems and optionally the source information, the one or more anchor navigation platforms providing the navigation information to the other navigation platforms, and a navigation processor system in communication with each of the universal navigation processors in order to provide operating information updates to the universal navigation processors.

A probabilistic landmark navigation system is arranged to obtain from one or more image sensors one or more terrain images of a target terrain to be traversed by a vehicle. The terrain images are characterized by multiple individually non-distinctive terrain features without distinctively identifiable landmark features. The non-distinctive terrain features in the one or more terrain images are compared to map database information to make a non-temporal probabilistic determination of absolute location coordinates to associate with the non-distinctive terrain features. Then a navigation path is determined for the vehicle across the target terrain based on the absolute location coordinates.

Probabilistic landmark navigation (PLN) system

Methods and apparatus automatically determine a location, such as of an aircraft or spacecraft, by matching images of terrain below the craft, as captured by a camera, radar, etc. in the craft, with known or predicted terrain landmark data stored in an electronic data store. A star tracker measures attitude of the camera. An additional navigation aiding sensor provides additional navigational data. Optionally, a rangefinder measures altitude of the camera above the terrain. A navigation filter uses the attitude, the additional navigational data, and optionally the altitude, to resolve attitude, and optionally altitude, ambiguities and thereby avoid location solution errors common in prior art terrain matching navigation systems.

Star tracker-aided airborne or spacecraft terrestrial landmark navigation system

A visual navigation system includes a compass configured to orient a user in a heading direction, an image sensor configured to capture a series of successive navigation images in the heading direction, one or more of the navigation images having at least two reference markers, data storage memory configured to store the series of successive navigation images, a navigation processor configured to identify at least one principal marker and at least one ancillary marker from the at least two reference markers, the principal marker positioned within a principal angle and the ancillary marker positioned within an ancillary angle, which is greater than the principal angle, and to determine heading direction information based on a position of the at least one principal marker and/or the at least one ancillary marker in the successive navigation images, and a user interface configured to provide the heading direction information to the user.

Camera-based heading-hold navigation

Methods and apparatus automatically determine a location, such as of an aircraft or spacecraft, by matching images of terrain below the craft, as captured by a camera, radar, etc. in the craft, with known or predicted terrain landmark data stored in an electronic data store. A star tracker measures attitude of the camera. Optionally, a rangefinder measures altitude of the camera above the terrain. A navigation filter uses the attitude, and optionally the altitude, to resolve attitude, and optionally altitude, ambiguities and thereby avoid location solution errors common in prior art terrain matching navigation systems.

An ultra-low noise sensor for magnetic fields comprises a mechanically resonant structure having a magnetized proof mass. The displacement of the proof mass due to a magnetic field provides a high resolution and highly amplified measurement of magnetic field fluctuations near the resonance frequency. A flux modulator may be used with the resonant structure to amplify magnetic fluctuations in a non-resonant frequency band. The resonant structure, combined with a high resolution readout device and a frequency-compensating numerical processor, can amplify magnetic fluctuations in a broad range of frequencies. A solenoid coil surrounding the resonant structure may be used to null the quasi-static earth's magnetic field and thereby increase the dynamic range of the sensor. Cryogenically cooling the resonant structure can improve the resolution of the sensor. A magnetometer that embodies features of the present invention is miniaturized and has improved amplification and resolution at room temperature.

Ultra-low noise sensor for magnetic fields

Methods and apparatus for providing coherent atom population transfer using coherent laser beam pairs in which the frequency difference between the beams of a pair is swept over time. Certain examples include a Raman pulse adiabatic rapid passage sweep regimen configured to be used as a beamsplitter and combiner in conjunction with an adiabatic rapid passage mirror sweep or a standard Raman mirror pulse in a 3-pulse interferometer sequence.

Adiabatic rapid passage atomic beamsplitter using frequency-swept coherent laser beam pairs

Methods and apparatus that provide for precise and continuously-controlled generation of hyperfine polarizations and coherences in samples of laser cooled atoms. In one example, coherent population trapping induced by Raman pulses with preselected parameters (such as phase and duration) is employed as a mechanism for producing well-controlled atomic coherences and polarizations. In one example, these coherences and polarizations are used to provide precision polarization references for normalization of polarization readout measurements, and/or to provide precision phase references for phase storage or phase comparison.

Methods and apparatus for controlled generation of hyperfine polarizations and coherences

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Joseph M Kinast