Granted Patent B1

US 12,638,542 · App. 18/431,741 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventor: Joel M. Wichgers (Urbana, IA)

Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.

G01S5/0289G01S5/0221

Abstract

Claims (72)

1 . A system, comprising:

a node comprising at least one radio and at least one processor, the node configured to:

receive at least one first other node signal from a first other node, wherein each of the at least one first other node signal being a signal from the first other node;

obtain or determine a position of the first other node based at least on one or more of the at least one first other node signal;

receive at least one second other node signal from a second other node, wherein each of the at least one second other node signal being a signal from the second other node;

obtain or determine a position of the second other node based at least on one or more of the at least one second other node signal;

based at least on positions of first other node and the second other node, obtain or determine (a) a first angle measurement of a first angle between the node and the first other node and (b) a second angle measurement of a second angle between the node and the second other node;

based at least on the first angle measurement, the second angle measurement, and the positions of the first other node and the second other node, determine a first boundary of position (BoP), the first BoP containing points of possible positions of the node;

based at least on the first BoP, determine a position of the node; and

based at least on the position of the node, at least one of (a) output instructions to adjust communication parameters, (b) output instructions to adjust operational parameters of at least one of at least one sub-system or at least one sensor of the node, (c) output instructions to display at least one graphical image including information of the position of the node, (d) output instructions to navigate the node, (e) output instructions to communicate with at least one node, (f) authenticate position information obtained from at least one navigation system, (g) authenticate time information obtained from at least one time system, or (h) output instructions to the at least one node to support controlling communications with the node through the at least one node.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the node is further configured to: based at least on the position of the node, the position of the first other node, and the position of the second other node, determine the first angle and the second angle.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the node is further configured to: based at least on at least one of (a) the position of the node, (b) positions of the first other node and the second other node, or (c) at least one time reported by any of the first other node and the second other node, determine a time offset between the node and a synchronized time of the first other node and/or the second other node.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the node is further configured to: based at least on the first angle measurement of the first angle, the second angle measurement of the second angle, the first angle, and the second angle, determine a time offset between the node and a synchronized time of the first other node and/or the second other node.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the node is further configured to: based at least on the first BoP and at least one other BoP, determine the position of the node.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the node is further configured to:

receive at least one third other node signal from a third other node, wherein each of the at least one third other node signal being a signal from the third other node;

obtain or determine a position of the third other node based at least on one or more of the at least one third other node signal;

based at least on positions of (a) the first other node or the second other node and (b) the position of the third other node, obtain or determine a third angle measurement of a third angle between the node and the third other node;

based at least on (a) the first angle measurement or the second angle measurement, (b) the third angle measurement, and (c) the positions of (1) the first other node or the second other node and (2) the third other node, determine a second boundary of position (BoP), the second BoP containing points of possible positions of the node; and

based at least on the first BoP and the second BoP, determine the position of the node.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the node is further configured to:

receive at least one fourth other node signal from a fourth other node, wherein each of the at least one fourth other node signal being a signal from the fourth other node;

obtain or determine a position of the fourth other node based at least on one or more of the at least one fourth other node signal;

based at least on positions of (a) the first other node, the second other node, or the third other node and (b) the position of the fourth other node, obtain or determine a fourth angle measurement of a fourth angle between the node and the fourth other node;

based at least on (a) the first angle measurement, the second angle measurement, or the third angle measurement, (b) the fourth angle measurement, and (c) the positions of (1) the first other node, the second other node, or the third other node and (2) the fourth other node, determine a third boundary of position (BoP), the third BoP containing points of possible positions of the node; and

based at least on the first BoP, the second BoP, and the third BoP, determine the position of the node.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the node is further configured to:

receive the at least one first other node signal during a first time interval from the first other node, wherein each of the at least one first other node signal being a signal from the first other node during the first time interval;

obtain or determine the position of the first other node during the first time interval based at least on the one or more of the at least one first other node signal during the first time interval;

receive the at least one second other node signal during the first time interval from the second other node, wherein each of the at least one second other node signal being a signal from the second other node during the first time interval;

obtain or determine the position of the second other node during the first time interval based at least on one or more of the at least one second other node signal during the first time interval;

based at least on the positions of the first other node and the second other node during the first time interval, obtain or determine (a) the first angle measurement of the first angle between the node and the first other node during the first time interval and (b) the second angle measurement of the second angle between the node and the second other node during the first time interval;

based at least on the first angle measurement, the second angle measurement, and the positions of the first other node and the second other node during the first time interval, determine the first BoP, the first BoP containing points of possible positions of the node during the first time interval; and

perform at least one iteration of:

receive at least one subsequent first other node signal during a subsequent time interval from the first other node, wherein each of the at least one subsequent first other node signal being a signal from the first other node during the subsequent time interval;

obtain or determine a subsequent position of the first other node during the subsequent time interval based at least on one or more of the at least one subsequent first other node signal during the subsequent time interval;

receive at least one subsequent second other node signal during the subsequent time interval from the second other node, wherein each of the at least one subsequent second other node signal being a signal from the second other node during the subsequent time interval;

obtain or determine a subsequent position of the second other node during the subsequent time interval based at least on one or more of the at least one subsequent second other node signal during the subsequent time interval;

based at least on the subsequent positions of the first other node and the second other node during the subsequent time interval, obtain or determine (a) a subsequent first angle measurement of a subsequent first angle between the node and the first other node during the subsequent time interval and (b) a subsequent second angle measurement of a subsequent second angle between the node and the second other node during the subsequent time interval;

based at least on the subsequent first angle measurement, the subsequent second angle measurement, and the subsequent positions of the first other node and the second other node during the subsequent time interval, determine a subsequent BoP, the subsequent BoP containing points of possible positions of the node during the subsequent time interval; and

based at least on the first BoP and the subsequent BoP, determine a subsequent position of the node during the subsequent time interval.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein, during the performance of the at least one iteration the node is further configured to: based at least on the subsequent position of the node, at least one of (a) output instructions to adjust the communication parameters, (b) output instructions to adjust the operational parameters of the at least one of the at least one sub-system or the at least one sensor of the node, (c) output instructions to display the at least one graphical image including information of the position of the node, (d) output instructions to navigate the node, (e) output instructions to communicate with the at least one node, (f) authenticate the position information obtained from the at least one navigation system, (g) authenticate the time information obtained from the at least one time system, or (h) output instructions to the at least one node to support controlling the communications with the node through the at least one node.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the node does not transmit any radiofrequency signal during a time interval spanning performance of: the receipt of the at least one first other node signal; the obtaining or determination of the position of the first other node; the receipt of the at least one second other node signal; the obtaining or determination of the position of the second other node; the obtaining or determination of (a) the first angle measurement of the first angle and (b) the second angle measurement of the second angle; the determination of the first BoP; and the determination of the position of the node.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the node does not transmit any two-way timing and ranging (TWTR) interrogation message or TWTR response message during a time interval spanning performance of: the receipt of the at least one first other node signal; the obtaining or determination of the position of the first other node; the receipt of the at least one second other node signal; the obtaining or determination of the position of the second other node; the obtaining or determination of (a) the first angle measurement of the first angle and (b) the second angle measurement of the second angle; the determination of the first BoP; and the determination of the position of the node.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one signal is at least one radiofrequency signal.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the node further comprises at least one sensor.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of at least one electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, at least one radar sensor, or at least one LIDAR sensor.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the node further comprises at least one navigation system.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one navigation system comprises at least one of at least one inertial navigation system, at least one distance measuring equipment (DME), at least one tactical air navigation system (TACAN), at least one long-range navigation (LORAN) system, at least one global navigation satellite system (GNSS), at least one sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) navigation system, at least one magnetic anomaly navigation system, and/or at least one navigation system that uses low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the least one inertial navigation system comprises at least one of at least one Ring Laser Gyro, at least one Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), at least one Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG), or at least one Micro-Electromechanical System (MEMS).

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the node further comprises at least one antenna.

19 . A node, comprising:

at least one radio; and

at least one processor,

wherein the node is configured to:

receive at least one first other node signal from a first other node, wherein each of the at least one first other node signal being a signal from the first other node;

obtain or determine a position of the first other node based at least on one or more of the at least one first other node signal;

receive at least one second other node signal from a second other node, wherein each of the at least one second other node signal being a signal from the second other node;

obtain or determine a position of the second other node based at least on one or more of the at least one second other node signal;

based at least on positions of first other node and the second other node, obtain or determine (a) a first angle measurement of a first angle between the node and the first other node and (b) a second angle measurement of a second angle between the node and the second other node;

based at least on the first angle measurement, the second angle measurement, and the positions of the first other node and the second other node, determine a first boundary of position (BoP), the first BoP containing points of possible positions of the node;

based at least on the first BoP, determine a position of the node; and

based at least on the position of the node, at least one of (a) output instructions to adjust communication parameters, (b) output instructions to adjust operational parameters of at least one of at least one sub-system or at least one sensor of the node, (c) output instructions to display at least one graphical image including information of the position of the node, (d) output instructions to navigate the node, (e) output instructions to communicate with at least one node, (f) authenticate position information obtained from at least one navigation system, (g) authenticate time information obtained from at least one time system, or (h) output instructions to the at least one node to support controlling communications with the node through the at least one node.

20 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a node comprising at least one radio and at least one processor, at least one first other node signal from a first other node, wherein each of the at least one first other node signal being a signal from the first other node;

obtaining, by the node, or determine a position of the first other node based at least on one or more of the at least one first other node signal;

receiving, by the node, at least one second other node signal from a second other node, wherein each of the at least one second other node signal being a signal from the second other node;

obtaining or determining, by the node, a position of the second other node based at least on one or more of the at least one second other node signal;

based at least on positions of first other node and the second other node, obtaining or determining, by the node, (a) a first angle measurement of a first angle between the node and the first other node and (b) a second angle measurement of a second angle between the node and the second other node;

based at least on the first angle measurement, the second angle measurement, and the positions of the first other node and the second other node, determining, by the node, a first boundary of position (BoP), the first BoP containing points of possible positions of the node;

based at least on the first BoP, determining, by the node, a position of the node; and

based at least on the position of the node, at least one of (a) outputting, by the node, instructions to adjust communication parameters, (b) outputting, by the node, instructions to adjust operational parameters of at least one of at least one sub-system or at least one sensor of the node, (c) outputting, by the node, instructions to display at least one graphical image including information of the position of the node, (d) outputting, by the node, instructions to navigate the node, (e) outputting, by the node, instructions to communicate with at least one node, (f) authenticating, by the node, position information obtained from at least one navigation system, (g) authenticating, by the node, time information obtained from at least one time system, or (h) outputting, by the node, instructions to the at least one node to support controlling communications with the node through the at least one node.

Assignments (1)

References Cited (30)