Range estimation using floating reference points

Abstract

A method of rapidly reacquiring a pseudonoise spread spectrum coded signal after short outages includes calculating the new positions of the moving stations relative to the old positions of the moving stations and for determining the accurate displacement and the accurate direction the platforms have moved in their new direction after a short time outage. The method includes calculating a triangle which includes the displacement between the moving stations' old position and the moving stations new position and the included angle between the direction of movement and the line of sight between said moving platforms at the time of outage. A range displacement adjustment is calculated on the basis of the triangle for each moving station and the range factor resulting from this calculation is applied to the PN generators of the receiver and transmitter in each of the moving stations to independently adjust for each station's movement. The directional antennas of the moving stations are pointed in new directions toward the area in which the other moving station will be found. The directional antennas are moved simultaneously toward each other and a sweep or reacquisition adjustment of the PN generators of each moving station is made employing a small window of uncertainty which results in reacquisition of the PN coded signal being transmitted from the other station.