Distributed Navigation Architecture for Drift Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems, reliant on GPS-aided inertial navigation, suffer from performance errors such as drift, and combining additional aiding mechanisms does not significantly improve accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A distributed navigation system architecture that includes multiple navigation platforms with universal navigation processors, relative navigation systems, navigation filters, and anchor navigation nodes, which communicate to provide accurate navigation information through a communication network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GPS-aided inertial navigation systems are used, then navigation capability is provided, but performance errors such as drift occur
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is segmented into multiple independent navigation platforms (anchor and non-anchor) that operate semi-autonomously. Each platform maintains its own navigation solutions, and anchor platforms periodically update non-anchor platforms, distributing the navigation function across segments rather than relying on a single centralized system.
Solution Approach 2:
Anchor navigation platforms serve as intermediaries between absolute navigation sources (GPS) and non-anchor platforms. The anchor platforms receive absolute navigation updates, process them through navigation filters, and transmit corrected navigation solutions to non-anchor platforms, mediating the navigation information flow to reduce drift accumulation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional aiding mechanisms are added to GPS/INS, then navigation functionality is enhanced, but accuracy does not significantly improve
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges absolute navigation (GPS), inertial navigation (INS), and relative navigation (inter-platform measurements) into a unified distributed architecture. By combining these navigation types across multiple platforms with different functional assignments, the system achieves improved accuracy that individual mechanisms cannot provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
Anchor navigation platforms perform multiple functions: they maintain their own navigation solutions, process absolute navigation updates, validate source information through navigation filters, and provide navigation solutions to non-anchor platforms. This multi-functionality allows the system to enhance accuracy without adding separate dedicated systems for each function.
3Reliability
If multiple navigation platforms are deployed in a distributed architecture, then system resilience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distributed architecture segments the navigation system into standardized anchor and non-anchor platforms, each with defined roles and capabilities. This segmentation provides resilience through redundancy while managing complexity by creating repeatable, modular platform configurations rather than a fully customized multi-platform system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having each platform independently process all navigation sources (which would increase complexity), the system inverts the information flow: non-anchor platforms receive pre-processed navigation solutions from anchor platforms, reducing their computational complexity while maintaining overall system resilience through the distributed architecture.
4Measurement precision
If anchor navigation nodes with multiple navigation systems are implemented, then navigation accuracy is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Anchor navigation nodes merge multiple navigation systems (absolute, inertial, and relative) into a single integrated platform configuration. This consolidation enhances navigation accuracy by combining multiple measurement sources while managing complexity through integration rather than separate independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Anchor platforms are designed as universal multi-functional nodes that can process absolute navigation updates, maintain inertial navigation solutions, perform relative navigation with other platforms, and validate source information. This multi-functionality achieves enhanced accuracy through diverse measurement sources while avoiding the complexity of separate dedicated systems for each navigation function.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed navigation system includes navigation platforms, each having a universal navigation processor, relative navigation systems to provide source information to the navigation platforms, navigation filters provided on one or more of the universal navigation processors, and an anchor navigation node disposed on one or more of the navigation platforms to form one or more anchor navigation platforms. Each anchor navigation node includes an inertial navigation system, a clock, and absolute navigation systems, which are used, in combination with source information, to determine navigation information. The anchor navigation platforms provide the navigation information to other navigation platforms. The system further includes a navigation processor system in communication with the universal navigation processors to provide operating information updates to the universal navigation processors and a graphical user interface to display the navigation information to a user and permit the user to review and control the navigation information.