ARAIM Satellite Clustering for Computational Load Reduction

The patent segments the set of visible satellites into multiple clusters or groups. Instead of generating sub-solutions for every possible combination of faulty satellites, the system creates sub-solutions by excluding entire clusters at a time. This segmentation reduces the number of sub-solutions from exponential growth (based on individual satellite combinations) to a manageable number (based on cluster combinations), thereby maintaining comprehensive fault monitoring coverage while dramatically reducing computational complexity.

The patent merges multiple individual satellites into larger cluster units. By combining satellites into clusters based on geometric relationships and fault probability, the system treats each cluster as a single entity for sub-solution generation. This merging approach allows the system to handle increased numbers of visible satellites from multiple GNSS constellations without experiencing exponential growth in computational requirements, as the complexity scales with the number of clusters rather than individual satellites.

The patent performs preliminary clustering of satellites into groups based on their geometric relationships and potential fault patterns before the actual integrity monitoring process. This pre-organization of satellites into clusters allows the system to quickly generate sub-solutions by simply excluding clusters rather than individually analyzing every possible satellite combination. The preliminary clustering action enables rapid fault detection while maintaining comprehensive coverage of multiple simultaneous faults, significantly reducing processing time compared to exhaustive combination analysis.