Terrain-aided position determination using range angle radar altimetry
| DWPI Title: Terrain-aided positioning system for positioning data by comparing terrain measurements with digital elevation map using range-angle radar altimetry, comprises memory that stores computer-executable instructions, and processor executes computer-executable instructions |
| Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide for a terrain-aided location determination using a range/angle radar altimetry. Range/angle radar systems use vertical synthetic aperture radar measurements which do not include any cross-track resolution, such that if a range/Doppler cloud from a single VSAR image is compared to a regular DEM, there can be ambiguity in determining the cross-track position. By modifying the DEM to inherently include additional terrain signature information that could be compared to VSAR measurement, the limitation can be overcome, and a single range/angle radar system can provide an accurate position without the additional complexity of a range/angle/angle radar system. |
| Use: Terrain-aided positioning system for positioning data by comparing terrain measurements with a digital elevation map (DEM) using a range-angle radar altimetry. |
| Advantage: The navigation system is based on a single antenna and range-angle (R/A) radar system, that uses the MRND approach to improve the positioning accuracy of the R/A radar system. The terrain-aided positioning system enables significant computational efficiency in the generation of the modified DEM and in the MRND position determination processing. The navigation information can be provided to a control system to facilitate control of the airborne vehicle, and the navigation system can control the airborne vehicle directly and provide control information to correct the actual path of the airborne vehicle to match a planned path. |
| Novelty: The terrain-aided positioning system comprises a memory that stores computer-executable instructions. A processor executes the computer-executable instructions, that cause the processor to perform operations. A modified digital elevation map is received for an area of the earth (104). The modified digital elevation map includes a first set of predicted minimum range nadir Doppler bin values for a reference vector based on a reference heading and a reference altitude of a device traveling over the area of the earth. A second set of minimum range nadir Doppler bin values corresponding to a set of radar measurements generated by a radar system of the device is identified. |
| Filed: 11/1/2021 |
| Application Number: US17515720A |
| Tech ID: SD 15653.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
| Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Clarivate content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Clarivate. Clarivate and its logo, as well as all other trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners and used under license. |