SOLUTION DIFFERENCE METHOD AND DEVICE FOR A GROUND-BASED GPS SYSTEM

摘要

Global positioning systems (GPSs) estimate positions of vehicles based on signals from earth-orbiting satellite transmitters. For accuracy and reliability reasons, these systems have traditionally not be used for critical phases of aircraft navigation and guidance, such as aircraft landings. However, recent years have seen the development of ground-augmented GPS systems for use in automatic landing systems. These augmented systems rely on broadcast correction data to correct positions estimates, or solutions, and thus provide more accurate position solutions. Unfortunately, the conventional methods of measuring accuracy in these augmented systems cannot adequately cope with loss of correction data or satellite signals and thus lead to more aborted landings than acceptable. Accordingly, the inventor devised a ground-augmented GPS system that incorporates a better method for determining the accuracy of its position solution. One exemplary embodiment determines a main position solution and one or more position subsolutions, with the main solution using all broadcast correction data and each subsolution using a respective subset of the correction data. Differences or separations between the main position solution and the subsolution are then used to determine accuracy, or protection, limits for the main position solution. Another embodiment uses Kalman filters to incorporate vehicle motion data into the calculation of the main solution and the subsolutions, enabling the determination of protection limits during periods lost GPS or correction data.