초록 ▼

A relative position navigation system and method installed in a first participant for computing the relative position, in range and azimuth, of at least one other participant in the system without using azimuth-sensing apparatus. The system includes ranging apparatus for determining the distance bet

A relative position navigation system and method installed in a first participant for computing the relative position, in range and azimuth, of at least one other participant in the system without using azimuth-sensing apparatus. The system includes ranging apparatus for determining the distance between the first participant and the other selected participant for at least three selected points in time. A processor determines the change in position of the first participant relative to the second participant during the time periods between the first and second, and second and third points in time, and computes the “synthetic”(rather than measured) azimuth coordinate of the selected other participant relative to the first participant at the third point in time as a function of the distance and change in relative position data obtained by the system. The method includes the steps of determining the distance between the two participants at three times, determining the change in position of the first participant relative to the second over the resulting two time intervals and computing the non-ambiguous solution for the relative position as a function of the distances and changes in relative position.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of finding the relative position between a first participant and at least one other participant at a selected point in time comprising the steps: (a) deterining the range between the first participant and the other participant and receiving the velocity vector of the other participant from

A method of finding the relative position between a first participant and at least one other participant at a selected point in time comprising the steps: (a) deterining the range between the first participant and the other participant and receiving the velocity vector of the other participant from the other participant at each of at least three points in time, t0, t1, t2, that define two time intervals, (t0 to t1) and (t1 tp t2), during at least one of which intervals the direction of motion of the first participant relative to the other participant changes; (b) determining the change in position of the first participant relative to the other selected participant for time intervals (t0 to t1) and (t1 to t2); (c) computing the non-ambiguous solution for the azimuth coordinate at time t2 a a function of the range between the first and other participant for each of the three selected points in time, t0, t1, t2 and the change in position of the first participant relative to the other participant during each of the time intervals (t0 to t1) and (t1 and t2); and (d) computing the confidence level for the azimuth as a function of the statistical variances of the range-determining system and the velocity vector data.