The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 28, 1988
Filed:
Sep. 10, 1982
Alison K Brown, Malibu, CA (US);
W Michael Bowles, Long Beach, CA (US);
Tom P Thorvaldsen, Hingham, MA (US);
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
An attitude sensing system which incorporates the precision in attitude sensing of a satellite navigation system with the dynamic tracking capabilities of an inertial measurement unit. Optimally estimated attitude and system error signals are combined with the outputs of an inertial measurement unit to control the phase differences of signals received on an interferometer array from a navigation satellite. The outputs from the inertial measurement unit and the phase differences are processed in an optimal estimator filter to produce periodically updated attitude and system error signals. This permits inertial attitude sensing to benefit from the long term accuracy of attitude estimation based upon signals from the satellite navigation system. During conditions of high dynamic maneuvering in which attitude changes are rapid, the output of the inertial measurement unit continues to provide attitude information and controls the attitude sensing loop to insure that the system is not disoriented by such high dynamic conditions.