GPS/IMU clock synchronization particularly for deep integration vector tracking loop
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsCharles T. Bye, Brian W. Schipper, Lawrence C. Vallot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A navigation system includes an inertial measurement unit, a navigation computer, a GPS receiver, and a clock controller. The inertial measurement unit has a first clock and a first switch, the navigation computer has a second clock and a second switch, and the GPS receiver has a third clock. The clock controller controls the first and second switches. Accordingly, the inertial measurement unit, the navigation computer, and the GPS receiver may use their own clocks, or the inertial measurement unit and the navigation computer may use the second clock, or the inertial measurement unit, the navigation computer, and the GPS receiver may use the third clock.
Claims33
A navigation system comprising:
- an inertial measurement unit having a clock;
- a navigation computer having a clock;
- and,
- a clock controller, wherein the clock controller enables only the navigation computer to be clocked by the clock of the navigation computer at times, and wherein the clock controller enables both the navigation computer and the inertial measurement unit to be clocked by the clock of the navigation computer at other times.
A navigation system comprising:
- an inertial measurement unit having a first clock and a first switch;
- a navigation computer having a second clock and a second switch;
- and,
- a clock controller, wherein the clock controller controls the first and second switches so as to selectively supply a clock signal from the second clock to only the navigation computer and to both the navigation computer and the inertial measurement unit.
A method comprising:
- supplying a first clock signal from a clock of a navigation computer only to components of the navigation computer in response to a first condition;
- supplying the first clock signal from the clock of the navigation computer to components of the navigation computer and to components of an inertial measurement unit in response to a second condition;
- and,
- supplying a second clock signal from a clock of a GPS receiver to components of the GPS receiver, to components of the navigation computer, and to components of the inertial measurement unit in response to a third condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.