Atmospheric Reference Node Selection for Receiver Altitude Estimation

The patent changes the parameter of data selection by introducing quality metrics that evaluate atmospheric reference data from multiple reference nodes. These metrics assess factors such as sensor drift, calibration status, and environmental conditions to dynamically determine which nodes provide reliable data. This allows the system to adaptively select or weight data from reference nodes based on current conditions, resolving the contradiction between using multiple nodes for precision while filtering out unreliable data for reliability.

The patent applies local quality by assigning different weights or quality scores to atmospheric reference data from individual reference nodes based on their specific conditions. Instead of treating all nodes uniformly, the system evaluates each node's data quality independently using metrics that consider local environmental factors, sensor performance, and calibration status. This allows high-quality local data to contribute more to the altitude estimation while minimizing the impact of unreliable data, maintaining both productivity and precision.

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing quality metrics and selection criteria for atmospheric reference data before the altitude estimation process. The system pre-evaluates reference nodes based on their historical performance, environmental conditions, and sensor characteristics, creating a framework that guides data selection. This preliminary setup reduces the complexity of real-time decision-making by providing predetermined rules and thresholds for data acceptance, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing processing complexity.