Estimating Attitude From GPS Measurements on One Antenna

A technique for estimating the boresight direction of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver antenna involves utilization of the relationship between the strengths of received signals and the direction-dependent antenna gain pattern. The technique is fundamentally different from, and much less precise than, other attitude-determination techniques based on interferometry with multiple antennas. The major advantage of this technique is that it quickly gives a coarse estimate, using data from only one antenna. The coarse estimate is not suitable for fine-attitude applications like aiming a telescope or a laser beam, but it can be used, for example, to guide the orientation of a broad-beam communication antenna, to aim a solar panel, or to initialize a fine attitude-determination algorithm or instrument.