Patent attributes
Systems and methods for model based vehicle navigation are provided. In one embodiment, a navigation system: a strapdown navigation processor; a propagator-estimator filter, the navigation processor configured to input inertial sensor data and navigation corrections from the filter to generate a navigation solution comprising a vehicle velocity estimate and a vehicle attitude estimate; a vehicle physics model configured to perform calculations utilizing dynamics equations for a rigid body. The model inputs 1) vehicle state estimates from the navigation solution and 2) platform inputs indicative of forces acting on a vehicle platform. The model outputs a set of three orthogonal predicted translational acceleration measurements based on the inputs. The filter comprises a measurement equation associated with the model and is configured to input the navigation solution and inertial sensor data, and to input and process the translational acceleration measurements as a navigation aid to generate the navigation corrections.