US 12,235,368 B2
Multi-source distributed navigation system architecture
Juha-Pekka J. Laine, Boston, MA (US); Benjamin F. Lane, Sherborn, MA (US); William W. Whitacre, Boston, MA (US); Robin Mark Adrian Dawson, Waltham, MA (US); Joseph M. Kinast, Arlington, MA (US); Cort Nolan Johnson, Arlington, MA (US); Gregory P. Blasche, Burlington, MA (US); Michael A. Aucoin, North Andover, MA (US); Jeffrey D. Jungemann, Cordova, MD (US); Peter A. Lewis, Reston, VA (US); and Stephen P. Smith, Acton, MA (US)
Assigned to The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/454,560.
Application 18/454,560 is a continuation of application No. 17/509,912, filed on Oct. 25, 2021, granted, now 11,774,602.
Application 17/509,912 is a continuation of application No. 16/177,419, filed on Oct. 31, 2018, abandoned.
Application 16/177,419 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/494,898, filed on Apr. 24, 2017, granted, now 11,150,357, issued on Oct. 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0012164 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 19/47 (2010.01); G01C 21/16 (2006.01); G01C 21/28 (2006.01); G01S 5/00 (2006.01); G01S 19/05 (2010.01)
CPC G01S 19/47 (2013.01) [G01C 21/165 (2013.01); G01C 21/28 (2013.01); G01S 5/0009 (2013.01); G01S 5/0072 (2013.01); G01S 19/05 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A distributed navigation system comprising:
a plurality of navigation platforms, each navigation platform having a universal navigation processor configured to communicate with other universal navigation processors over distribution channels in a communication network;
one or more relative navigation systems, in communication with the universal navigation processors, configured to provide source information to the navigation platforms;
one or more navigation filters provided on one or more of the universal navigation processors, each navigation filter configured to process the source information, wherein at least one of the one or more navigation filters is configured to apply at least one statistical model to determine and provide an estimate of the quality and an estimate of the integrity of the source information;
an anchor navigation node disposed on one or more of the plurality of navigation platforms configured to form one or more anchor navigation platforms, the anchor navigation node including an inertial navigation system, a clock, and one or more absolute navigation systems and configured to determine navigation information based on the inertial navigation system, the clock, the one or more absolute navigation systems and the source information, the one or more anchor navigation platforms configured to provide the navigation information over the distribution channels to the other navigation platforms in the communication network;
a navigation processor system in communication with each of the universal navigation processors in the communications network configured to provide software updates or program code to the universal navigation processors; and
a graphical user interface configured to display the navigation information to a user and permit the user to review and control the navigation information.