Patent ID: 6052647
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: G01S,G05D

Abstract:
A system for controlling a ground vehicle using Carrier-Phase Differential GPS, comprising:a plurality of vehicle GPS antennas disposed fixedly to the vehicle to receive GPS signal;GPS receiver means coupled to the plurality of vehicle GPS antennas for producing vehicle attitude measurements and vehicle carrier- and code-phase measurements;vehicle steering control means for selectively changing the state of the vehicle;a ground reference station including at least one reference GPS antenna and GPS receiver means coupled thereto for producing reference phase carrier phase measurement and reference code differential corrections;means for providing a wireless communications channel between the reference station and the vehicle;means to calculate values defining the attitude of the vehicle based on phase differences received at the GPS antennas; andprocessing means including means for receiving as input data the vehicle attitude measurements, the vehicle carrier- and code phase measurements, the reference carrier phase measurements and reference code differential corrections, and controller means for calculating on the basis of the input data a control signal based on the deviation of the actual vehicle state from a desired vehicle state.