US 6,389,354 B1 · Terrain navigation apparatus

Abstract

Terrain navigation apparatus (1) for a stationary or moving vehicle (2) when the apparatus (1) is mounted thereon, including a system (3) for determining position, velocity, altitude and attitude incorporating at least six sensing means operable to provide signals indicative of a first measured height (5), a first velocity (7) and a first position (9) of the vehicle (2), scanning means (11) operable to scan terrain (13) around the vehicle (2) and measure a range (15) from the vehicle (2) thereto, first combining means (17) for combining signals indicative of the first measured height, the range and the first position (5, 15, 9) of the vehicle (2), together with error estimates (19) associated therewith, and for outputting results of said combining process, error-estimating means (21) for receiving as input signals results of said combining process and for providing said error estimates(19), such that the error-estimating means (21) and first combining means (17) operatively interact to effect terrain navigation of the stationary or moving vehicle (2).

Claims16

Dependent claims

Terrain navigation apparatus for a stationary or moving vehicle when the apparatus is mounted thereon, including

a system for determining position, velocity, altitude and attitude of the vehicle incorporating at least six sensing means operable to provide signals indicative of a first measured height, a first velocity and a first position of the vehicle,
scanning means operable to scan terrain around the vehicle and measure a range from the vehicle thereto,
first combining means for combining signals indicative of the first measured height, the range and the first position of the vehicle, together with error estimates associated therewith, and for outputting results of said combining process,
error-estimating means for receiving as input signals results of said combining process and for providing said error estimates, such that the error-estimating means and first combining means operatively interact to effect terrain navigation of the stationary or moving vehicle.

1 more element

A method for terrain navigation of a stationary or moving vehicle, including the steps of

operating six sensing means, forming part of a system for determining position, velocity, altitude and attitude of the vehicle, to provide signals indicative of a first measured height, a first velocity and a first position of the vehicle,
operating scanning means to measure a range from the vehicle to surrounding terrain,
inputting the first measured height, the range and the first position of the vehicle to first combining means and outputting a height error therefrom,
inputting the height error into error-estimating means,
establishing in said error-estimating means estimates of errors associated with the sensing means output signals,
subtracting, in the first combining means, said estimates of errors from the corresponding output signals in order to provide a corrected position and a corrected height, and using the same to effect terrain navigation of the stationary or moving vehicle.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Terrain navigation apparatus

Life of this patent

Terrain navigation apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16