Estimating vehicle speed through an advecting medium
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJeffrey Scott Willcox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method including operating a vehicle in a medium. The vehicle is subject to advection due to movement of the medium. The method also includes measuring, using a navigation system, positions of a vehicle over time. The method also includes measuring, using a directional sensor, a course-through-medium over the time. The method also includes calculating, using the positions and the course-through-medium, a variation of a speed-over-ground of the vehicle over the time as a function of the course-through-medium over the time. The method also includes concurrently estimating, using the variation, 1) an average speed-through-medium for the vehicle over the time, and 2) an advection rate of the medium, and 3) an advection direction of the medium.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- operating a vehicle in a medium, wherein the vehicle is subject to advection due to movement of the medium;
- measuring, using a navigation system, a plurality of positions of a vehicle over time;
- measuring, using a directional sensor, a course-through-medium over the time;
- calculating, using the plurality of positions and the course-through-medium, a variation of a speed-over-ground of the vehicle over the time as a function of the course-through-medium over the time;
- and
- concurrently estimating, using the variation, 1) an average speed-through-medium for the vehicle over the time, and 2) an advection rate of the medium, and 3) an advection direction of the medium.
A vehicle comprising:
- a body;
- a propulsion mechanism connected to the body;
- and
- a speed-through-medium estimation system connected to the body, wherein the speed-through-medium estimation system is configured, when the vehicle is moving through a medium which subjects the vehicle to advection due to movement of the medium, to:
- measure, using a navigation system, a plurality of velocities of the vehicle in the medium over time;
- measure, using a directional sensor, a course-through-medium over the time;
- calculate, using the plurality of velocities and the course-through-medium, a variation of a speed-over-ground of the vehicle over time as a function of the course-through-medium over the time;
- and
- concurrently estimate, using the variation, 1) an average speed-through-medium for the vehicle over the time, 2) an advection rate of the medium over the time, and 3) an advection direction of the medium over the time.
An aerospace vehicle comprising:
- an aerospace body;
- a propulsion mechanism connected to the aerospace body;
- and
- a speed-through-medium estimation system connected to the aerospace body, wherein the speed-through-medium estimation system is configured, when the aerospace vehicle is moving through a medium which subjects the aerospace vehicle to advection due to movement of the medium, to:
- measure, using a navigation system, a plurality of velocities of the vehicle in the medium over time;
- measure, using a directional sensor, a course-through-medium over the time;
- calculate, using the plurality of velocities and the course-through-medium, a variation of a speed-over-ground of the vehicle over time as a function of the course-through-medium over the time;
- and
- concurrently estimate, using the variation, 1) an average speed-through-medium for the vehicle over the time, 2) an advection rate of the medium over the time, and 3) an advection direction of the medium over the time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.