Relative position navigation system with means for computing synthetic azimuth

摘要

A relative position navigation system and method installed in a first participant for computing the relative position, in range and azimuth, of at least one other participant in the system without using azimuth-sensing apparatus. The system includes ranging apparatus for determining the distance between the first participant and the other selected participant for at least three selected points in time. A processor determines the change in position of the first participant relative to the second participant during the time periods between the first and second, and second and third points in time, and computes the "synthetic" (rather than measured) azimuth coordinate of the selected other participant relative to the first participant at the third point in time as a function of the distance and change in relative position data obtained by the system. The method includes the steps of determining the distance between the two participants at three times, determining the change in position of the first participant relative to the second over the resulting two time intervals and computing the non-ambiguous solution for the relative position as a function of the distances and changes in relative position.