Apparatus and method of determining an orientation of a GPS receiver
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsGary S. Bechman, Robert I. Bowen
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method of determining an orientation of an object wherein a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver acquires a position of a global positioning system transmitter. An orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver is determined with respect to the global positioning system transmitter, the determined orientation of the direction antenna corresponding to the object so as to enable the orientation of the object to be determined.
Claims20
A method of determining an orientation of an object including a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver, comprising:
- acquiring a position of a global positioning system transmitter;
- and
- determining an orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system transmitter by determining a portion of the directional antenna which receives a signal from the global positioning system transmitter, wherein the orientation of the directional antenna corresponds to the object so as to enable the orientation of the object to be determined in three dimensions.
An apparatus for determining an orientation relative to a global positioning system transmitter, comprising:
- a global positioning system receiver suitable for acquiring a position of the global positioning system receiver by receiving signals from the global positioning system transmitter and also suitable for resolving a position of the global positioning system transmitter by receiving signals from the global positioning system transmitter;
- and
- a directional antenna suitable for determining the orientation of the apparatus with respect to a first global positioning system transmitter and a second global positioning system transmitter.
A method of determining an orientation of a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver, comprising:
- positioning the global positioning system receiver in a known plane;
- acquiring a position of a first global positioning system transmitter;
- acquiring a position of a second global positioning system transmitter;
- and
- determining an orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver with respect to the first global positioning system transmitter and the second global positioning system transmitter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.