System, apparatus, and method using ADS-B and TCAS data for determining navigation solutions for a vehicle

1. A system using automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data and traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) data for determining one or more navigation solutions for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a communal position system (CPS) comprising:

a communal position system (CPS) sensor located in the vehicle, the CPS sensor configured to receive automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data and traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) data from each of one or more proximate vehicles, wherein the ADS-B data comprises a latitude, a longitude, and a barometric altitude for each proximate vehicle, and wherein the TCAS data comprises one of, a slant range for each proximate vehicle, or a slant range, a bearing, and a relative altitude for each proximate vehicle;

a computer system coupled to the CPS, the computer system configured to perform the steps of:

checking the ADS-B data and the TCAS data for data reasonableness;

performing data synchronization of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data; and

computing a communal position system (CPS) position and a position accuracy based on the ADS-B data and the TCAS data,

wherein the CPS is used in determining one or more navigation solutions for the vehicle, the one or more navigation solutions comprising one or more of, an alternate navigation solution, an independent navigation solution, and a complementary navigation solution.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the CPS is integrated in one of, a flight management computer (FMC) in the vehicle, a global positioning system (GPS) in the vehicle, and a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) in the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data for each of the one or more proximate vehicles further comprises one or more of, identification information for each proximate vehicle, a position navigation integrity category (NIC) for each proximate vehicle, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) height for each proximate vehicle, a plurality of velocities for each proximate vehicle, and a navigation accuracy category for velocity (NACv) for each proximate vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) data for each of the one or more proximate vehicles further comprises identification information for each proximate vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the data reasonableness for the slant range and the bearing is checked using a last known position of each of the one or more proximate vehicles propagated to real-time and the ADS-B data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data synchronization takes into account a data latency due to a transmission and a computation of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the alternate navigation solution is used when one or more position sensors on the vehicle experiences one of, being non-operational, signal jamming, and interference.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the independent navigation solution is used for cross-checking and integrity monitoring of one or more position sensors on the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the complementary navigation solution is used when the ADS-B data and the TCAS data from the one or more proximate vehicles is integrated into a global positioning system (GPS), and the one or more proximate vehicles function as additional satellites providing additional range measurements, to improve a satellite-receiver geometry.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a host vehicle comprising an air vehicle, including one of, an aircraft, an unmanned air vehicle, a satellite, a glider, a rotorcraft, and a missile.

11. An apparatus for using automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data and traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) data for determining one or more navigation solutions for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a communal position system (CPS) sensor located in the vehicle, the CPS sensor configured to receive automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data and traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) data from each of one or more proximate vehicles, wherein the ADS-B data comprises a latitude, a longitude, and a barometric altitude for each proximate vehicle, and wherein the TCAS data comprises one of, a slant range for each proximate vehicle, or a slant range, a bearing, and a relative altitude for each proximate vehicle, and the CPS sensor being used to determine one or more navigation solutions for the vehicle, the one or more navigation solutions comprising one or more of, an alternate navigation solution, an independent navigation solution, and a complementary navigation solution,

wherein the CPS sensor is coupled to a computer system configured to perform the steps of:

checking the ADS-B data and the TCAS data for data reasonableness;

performing data synchronization of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data; and

computing a communal position system (CPS) position and a position accuracy based on the ADS-B data and the TCAS data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the CPS sensor is integrated in one of, a flight management computer (FMC) in the vehicle, a global positioning system (GPS) in the vehicle, and a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) in the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the CPS sensor receives ADS-B data further comprising one or more of, identification information for each proximate vehicle, a position navigation integrity category (NIC) for each proximate vehicle, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) height for each proximate vehicle, a plurality of velocities for each proximate vehicle, and a navigation accuracy category for velocity (NACv) for each proximate vehicle, and wherein the CPS sensor receives TCAS data further comprising identification information for each proximate vehicle.

14. A computer implemented method for using automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data and traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) data for determining one or more navigation solutions for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a communal position system (CPS) in the vehicle, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data and traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) data, from each of one or more proximate vehicles, wherein the ADS-B data comprises a latitude, a longitude, and a barometric altitude for each proximate vehicle, and wherein the TCAS data comprises one of, a slant range for each proximate vehicle, or a slant range, a bearing, and a relative altitude for each proximate vehicle;

conducting a data reasonableness check of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data using a computer system coupled to the CPS;

rejecting the ADS-B data and the TCAS data, if the data reasonableness check does not pass;

performing, with the computer system, a data synchronization of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data, if the data reasonableness check passes, the data synchronization taking into account a data latency due to a transmission and a computation of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data; and

computing, with the computer system, a communal position system (CPS) position and a position accuracy based on the ADS-B data and the TCAS data, and determining one or more navigation solutions for the vehicle, the one or more navigation solutions comprising one or more of, an alternate navigation solution, an independent navigation solution, and a complementary navigation solution.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising integrating the CPS in one of, a flight management computer (FMC) in the vehicle, a global positioning system (GPS) in the vehicle, and a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) in the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving the ADS-B data from each of the one or more proximate vehicles comprises receiving the ADS-B data further comprising one or more of, identification information for each proximate vehicle, a position navigation integrity category (NIC) for each proximate vehicle, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) height for each proximate vehicle, a plurality of velocities for each proximate vehicle, and a navigation accuracy category for velocity (NACv) for each proximate vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving the TCAS data from each of the one or more proximate vehicles comprises receiving the TCAS data further comprising identification information for each proximate vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein conducting the data reasonableness check of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data comprises checking the data reasonableness for the slant range and the bearing using a last known position of each of the one or more proximate vehicles propagated to real-time and the ADS-B data.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving by the vehicle, of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data, comprises receiving the ADS-B data and the TCAS data from one proximate vehicle having TCAS data comprising the slant range, the bearing, and the relative altitude, and having ADS-B data comprising the latitude, the longitude, and the barometric altitude.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving by the vehicle, of the ADS-B data and the TCAS data, comprises receiving the ADS-B data and the TCAS data from three proximate vehicles, each proximate vehicle having TCAS data comprising the slant range, and having ADS-B data comprising the latitude, the longitude, and the barometric altitude.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the method is performed in one of, an air-based location, and a ground-based location.