Method and apparatus for generating navigation data

Abstract

The invention is a method and apparatus for generating navigation data. The method comprises the steps of (a) determining the position vector for one or more observation points in an earth-fixed reference frame and (b) determining either (1) the position vector for a target point in the earth-fixed reference frame from directions in either a model-based or a gravity-based reference frame from the one or more observation points to the target point or (2) the directions in either a model-based or a gravity-based reference frame from the one or more observation points to the target point from the position vector for the target point in the earth-fixed reference frame, the model-based reference frame having a vertical axis with a specified orientation with respect to a normal to an ellipsoidal model of the earth and having horizontal axes with specified orientations with respect to the earth-fixed reference, the gravity-based reference frame having a vertical axis with a specified orientation with respect to the gravity vector and having horizontal axes with specified orientations with respect to the earth-fixed reference frame. The apparatus for practicing the method for generating navigation data comprises an inertial navigation system, a GPS antenna and receiver, and direction-finding apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.