System and method for localizing two or more moving nodes

1. A program storage device readable by a computer machine, tangibly embodying program instructions executable by the computer machine to perform method steps for a method for distributing and localizing two or more moving nodes, the method steps comprising:

providing inertial components on two or more moving nodes;

measuring positional relationships between two or more moving nodes;

providing a communications network;

enabling communication between nodes;

providing and associating a computational device with each node;

making positional relationship measurements by the computational device with each node using the inertial components;

obtaining measurements one at a time, using time-of-arrival and changes in position, provided by a local inertial navigation unit of a moving node;

providing a filtering algorithm for the computational device of each node;

determining, by the filtering mechanism for the computational device of each node, the position of the nodes using the inertial measurements and the positional relationship measurements;

creating a spring network among the nodes; and

using the springs to pull position and navigation solutions to a more accurate location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising step of:

encoding absolute and relative measurements into a partial constraint.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

co-locating one or more mapping sensors co-located with one or more nodes; and

building a map from the mapping sensors, relationship measurements, inertial measurements, and filtering mechanism.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

determining the positional relationship between nodes using ranging radios located between the nodes.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

measuring the positional relationship between nodes using wireless ranging between nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

co-locating a GPS receiver at one or more node locations.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

placing an anchor node at a point with a known location; and

using the location of the anchor node by the filtering mechanism.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

placing nodes at one or more arbitrary points that will be visited in multiple instances; and

determining, by the filtering mechanism, the location of a point and therefore the location of the nodes when the nodes were at the point.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

co-locating one or more sensors at one or more nodes that can detect the positional relationship to one or more features in the surroundings, where the location of a feature is known to some accuracy;

detecting one or more features in the surroundings by the co-located sensors;

determining the positional relationship to the feature and the position and accuracy of the feature; and

aiding in determining node positions by the filtering mechanism.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

co-locating one or more sensors with one or more nodes;

detecting the positional relationship to one or more features in the surroundings;

calculating the positional relationship of the node to the one or more features in the surroundings;

using the positional relationship to the feature from multiple passes of the same node by the filtering mechanism; and

determining node position.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

co-locating one or more sensors with one or more nodes that can detect the positional relationship to one or more features in the surroundings;

calculating the positional relationship of a node to the one or more features in the surroundings;

using the positional relationship to the feature from multiple passes of multiple nodes by the filtering mechanism; and

determining node position.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

co-locating one or more sensors with one or more nodes that can detect the positional relationship to one or more features in the surroundings;

detecting one or more features in the surrounding by the co-located sensors;

using the positional relationship to the feature from multiple passes of the same node by the filtering mechanism; and

determining node position.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

co-locating one or more sensors with one or more nodes that can detect the positional relationship to one or more features in the surroundings;

detecting one or more features in the surrounding by the co-located sensors;

using the positional relationship to the feature from multiple passes of multiple nodes by the filtering mechanism; and

determining node position.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

providing a display screen; and

allowing each node to know its location and the location of other nodes.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:

generating a partial or fused map from the locations of the nodes; and

displaying the partial or fused maps on the display screen.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

determining the node location of other nodes that the individual node location when it has active communications between the two nodes.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of:

re-incorporating one or more nodes that come back into active communications or have data relayed through other nodes.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

selecting which data to use in the filter.