Systems and methods include UAVs that serve to assist carrier personnel by reducing the physical demands of the transportation and delivery process. A UAV generally includes a UAV chassis including an upper portion, a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis, and a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis. UAV support mechanisms are utilized to load and unload parcel carriers to the UAV chassis, and the UAV lands on and takes off from the UAV support mechanism to deliver parcels to a serviceable point. The UAV includes computing entities that interface with different systems and computing entities to send and receive various types of information.

A determination device according to one embodiment includes an acquiring unit (231) and a determination unit (233). The acquiring unit (231) acquires positional information that is related to a terminal device installed at an arbitrary location serving as a reference for a path of an air vehicle and that is calculated on the basis of correction information that includes information on coordinates of a reference station associated with an area in which the terminal device is positioned and information based on a satellite signal received by the reference station. The determination unit (233) determines a flight path of the air vehicle on the basis of the positional information acquired by the acquiring unit.

A system and for determining precision navigation solutions decorrelates GPS carrier-phase ambiguities derived from multiple-source GPS information via Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment (LAMBDA) algorithms. The set of decorrelated floating-point ambiguities is used to compute protection levels and the probability of almost fix (PAF), or the probability that the partial almost-fix solution corresponding to the decorrelated ambiguities is within the region of correctly-fixed or low-error almost-fixed ambiguities. While the PAF remains below threshold and the protection levels remain below alert levels, the optimal navigation solution (floating-point, partial almost-fix, or fully fixed) is generated by fixing the decorrelated ambiguities are one at a time in the LAMBDA domain and replacing the appropriate carrier-phase ambiguities with the corresponding fixed ambiguities, reverting to the last solution if PAF reaches the threshold or if protection levels reach the alert levels.

A system and for determining precision navigation solutions decorrelates GPS carrier-phase ambiguities derived from multiple-source GPS information via Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment (LAMBDA) algorithms. The set of decorrelated floating-point ambiguities is used to compute protection levels and the probability of almost fix (PAF), or the probability that the partial almost-fix solution corresponding to the decorrelated ambiguities is within the region of correctly-fixed or low-error almost-fixed ambiguities. While the PAF remains below threshold and the protection levels remain below alert levels, the optimal navigation solution (floating-point, partial almost-fix, or fully fixed) is generated by fixing the decorrelated ambiguities are one at a time in the LAMBDA domain and replacing the appropriate carrier-phase ambiguities with the corresponding fixed ambiguities, reverting to the last solution if PAF reaches the threshold or if protection levels reach the alert levels.

A method comprises receiving an ILS transmission signal in an onboard ILS receiver during an aircraft approach, and receiving a GNSS position signal in an onboard GNSS augmentation system receiver during the approach. The method determines a first set of flight path deviations based on the ILS transmission signal, and a second set of flight path deviations based on the GNSS position signal. The first set of flight path deviations are sent to a first complementary filter, which outputs a first filtered deviations signal. The second set of flight path deviations is sent to a second complementary filter, which outputs a second filtered deviations signal. A scale factor is applied to the first filtered deviations signal or the second filtered deviations signal, such that the filtered deviations signals are normalized to the same scale. The method combines the normalized filtered deviations signals to produce a hybrid signal for further processing.

Some embodiments include methods performed by a processor associated with a wireless communication device for enabling an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to operate in an automatic user tracking mode. Such embodiments may include capturing image data of surroundings by a camera while the UAV is operating in the automatic user tracking mode, calculating estimated position information for the wireless communication device based on captured image data, and transmitting estimated position information to the UAV for use in tracking a user of the wireless communication device. Some embodiments include methods performed by a processor of a UAV for enabling the UAV to automatically follow a user. Such embodiments may include calculating a current position of the UAV, receiving from a user's wireless communication device estimated position information derived from image data captured by a camera of the wireless communication device, and determining whether an update to the UAV motion is required.

Systems, devices, and methods for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle having a first GPS antenna and a second GPS antenna, where the second GPS antenna is disposed distal from the first GPS antenna; and an aerial vehicle flight controller, where the flight controller is configured to: utilize a GPS antenna signal via the GPS antenna switch from the first GPS antenna or the second GPS antenna; receive a pitch level of the aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicle sensors in vertical flight or horizontal flight; determine if the received pitch level is at a set rotation from vertical or horizontal; and utilize the GPS signal not being utilized via the GPS antenna switch if the determined pitch level is at or above the set rotation.

A receiver includes an RF module to receive and down convert multiple types of RF signals received from at least one antenna; a communication unit configured to communicate signals with at least one external device; and a processing unit communicatively coupling the radio frequency module with the communication unit. Processing unit receives operation mode selection. When first operation mode is selected, processing unit receives first input signal from antenna via RF module (the first input signal including ILS signal and/or VOR signal) and outputs first output signal based on first input signal to external device. When second operational mode is selected, processing unit receives second input signal from antenna via radio frequency unit (second input signal including AIS signal including data regarding a current location of remotely located transmitting device) and outputs second output signal based on second input signal to external device.

A receiver includes an RF module to receive and down convert multiple types of RF signals received from at least one antenna; a communication unit configured to communicate signals with at least one external device; and a processing unit communicatively coupling the radio frequency module with the communication unit. Processing unit receives operation mode selection. When first operation mode is selected, processing unit receives first input signal from antenna via RF module (the first input signal including ILS signal and/or VOR signal) and outputs first output signal based on first input signal to external device. When second operational mode is selected, processing unit receives second input signal from antenna via radio frequency unit (second input signal including AIS signal including data regarding a current location of remotely located transmitting device) and outputs second output signal based on second input signal to external device.

Improvements in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing detection of a vehicle are disclosed utilizing bearing and/or range measurements acquired independently from GNSS technology. Bearing and/or range measurements are determined from a GNSS-calculated position. Additionally, bearing and/or range measurements are acquired from an independent sensor, such as a Radio Detection and Ranging (radar) and a terrain database. The differences between the GNSS-based bearing and/or range and the bearing and/or range determined from the independent sensor, along with any applicable sources of error or uncertainty (including the post-hoc residuals from the GNSS-calculated position), are input into an analytical algorithm (e.g., RAIM) to determine whether GNSS spoofing is present with respect to the calculated GNSS position. If spoofing is detected, an alternative position determining system can be used in lieu of GNSS technology, and alerts can be sent notifying appropriate entities of the spoofing result.