Patents by Inventor William J. Bencze
William J. Bencze has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20240045080Abstract: User equipment receives a GNSS signal that includes a GNSS signal from a satellite. The user equipment also receives a first data input from a motion sensor of the user equipment that is indicative of a motion of the user equipment, receives a second data input from the temperature sensor of the user equipment that is indicative of a temperature of the user equipment, and performs a coherent operation based on the pilot channel of the GNSS signal over a coherent period of time based on the first data input and the second data input to generate a resulting signal. The user equipment performs a non-coherent operation based on the resulting signal to amplify the resulting signal, and outputs a position of the user equipment based on the resulting signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2022Publication date: February 8, 2024Inventors: Glenn D. MacGougan, Robert G. Lorenz, Kevin X. Chin, William J. Bencze
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Publication number: 20230239656Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Robert W. Brumley, Robert William Mayor, William J. Bencze, Alejandro J. Marquez, Shang-Te Yang, Xu Chen, Indranil S. Sen, Mohit Narang
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Patent number: 11627433Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2021Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Robert W. Brumley, Robert William Mayor, William J. Bencze, Alejandro J. Marquez, Shang-Te Yang, Xu Chen, Indranil S. Sen, Mohit Narang
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Publication number: 20220191644Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2021Publication date: June 16, 2022Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Robert W. Brumley, Robert William Mayor, William J. Bencze, Alejandro J. Marquez, Shang-Te Yang, Xu Chen, Indranil S. Sen, Mohit Narang
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Patent number: 11212642Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2019Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Robert W. Brumley, Robert William Mayor, William J. Bencze, Alejandro J. Marquez, Shang-Te Yang, Xu Chen, Indranil S. Sen, Mohit Narang
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Publication number: 20210396619Abstract: Described herein are techniques to enable a mobile device to perform multi-source estimation of an altitude for a location. A baseline altitude may be determined at ground level for a location and used to calibrate a barometric pressure sensor on the mobile device. The calibrated barometric pressure sensor can then estimate changes in altitude relative to ground level based on detected pressure differentials, allowing a relative altitude to ground to be determined. Baseline calibration for the barometric sensor calibration can be performed to determine an ambient ground-level barometric pressure.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2021Publication date: December 23, 2021Inventors: Lei Wang, William J. Bencze, Kumar Gaurav Chhokra, Fatemeh Ghafoori, Stephen P. Jackson, Cheng Jia, Yi-Wen Liao, Glenn D. Macgougan, Isaac T. Miller, Alexandru Popovici, Christina Selle, Aditya Narain Srivastava, Richard Warren, Michael P. Dal Santo, Pejman Lotfali Kazemi
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Publication number: 20190297457Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Robert W. Brumley, Robert William Mayor, William J. Bencze, Alejandro J. Marquez, Shang-Te Yang, Xu Chen, Indranil S. Sen, Mohit Narang
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Patent number: 10285013Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Robert W. Brumley, Robert William Mayor, William J. Bencze, Alejandro J. Marquez, Shang-Te Yang, Xu Chen, Mohit Narang, Indranil S. Sen
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Publication number: 20180234797Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2018Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Robert W. Brumley, Robert William Mayor, William J. Bencze, Alejandro J. Marquez, Shang-Te Yang, Xu Chen, Mohit Narang, Indranil S. Sen
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Patent number: 9618625Abstract: A system and method of continuous carrier wave reconstruction includes a radio navigation receiver that includes one or more processors, memory coupled to the one or more processors, and an input for receiving a signal from a transmitter. The signal has a phase. The one or more processors are configured to obtain phase lock on the received signal, extract first phase information from the received signal, detect a loss in phase lock on the received signal, and extrapolate second phase information while phase lock is lost using a model of the phase. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are further configured to reconstruct the carrier signal based on the first and second phase information. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are further configured to scale the first and second phase information from a first nominal frequency of the received signal to a different second nominal frequency.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2014Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Isaac T. Miller, William J. Bencze, Robert W. Brumley, Brent M. Ledvina, Mark L. Psiaki, Thomas J. Holmes, Clark E. Cohen
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Patent number: 9557422Abstract: Systems, methods, devices and subassemblies for creating and delivering a GNSS augmentation service include one or more reference stations for receiving signals transmitted by navigation beacons and an augmentation server coupled to the reference stations. At least one of the reference stations is able to receive at least one of the signals from a low earth orbit satellite. Each of the reference stations determines first navigation observables based on the received signals and transmit information associated with the first navigation observables to the augmentation server. The augmentation server is configured to determine and distribute augmentation information to a receiver. The augmentation information is based on the received information associated with the first navigation observables, locations of the reference stations, and computational models.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2013Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Isaac T. Miller, William J. Bencze, Robert Brumley, Brent M. Ledvina
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Publication number: 20160313449Abstract: Position, navigation and/or timing (PNT) solutions may be provided with levels of precision that have previously and conventionally been associated with carrier phase differential GPS (CDGPS) techniques that employ a fixed terrestrial reference station or with GPS PPP techniques that employ fixed terrestrial stations and corrections distribution networks of generally limited terrestrial coverage. Using techniques described herein, high-precision PNT solutions may be provided without resort to a generally proximate, terrestrial ground station having a fixed and precisely known position. Instead, techniques described herein utilize a carrier phase model and measurements from plural satellites (typically 4 or more) wherein at least one is a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite. For an Iridium LEO solution, particular techniques are described that allow extraction of an Iridium carrier phase observables, notwithstanding TDMA gaps and random phase rotations and biases inherent in the transmitted signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2016Publication date: October 27, 2016Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Isaac T. Miller, Clark E. Cohen, Robert W. Brumley, William J. Bencze, Brent M. Ledvina, Thomas J. Holmes, Mark L. Psiaki
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Patent number: 9360557Abstract: Position, navigation and/or timing (PNT) solutions may be provided with levels of precision that have previously and conventionally been associated with carrier phase differential GPS (CDGPS) techniques that employ a fixed terrestrial reference station or with GPS PPP techniques that employ fixed terrestrial stations and corrections distribution networks of generally limited terrestrial coverage. Using techniques described herein, high-precision PNT solutions may be provided without resort to a generally proximate, terrestrial ground station having a fixed and precisely known position. Instead, techniques described herein utilize a carrier phase model and measurements from plural satellites (typically 4 or more) wherein at least one is a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite. For an Iridium LEO solution, particular techniques are described that allow extraction of an Iridium carrier phase observables, notwithstanding TDMA gaps and random phase rotations and biases inherent in the transmitted signals.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2013Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Isaac T. Miller, Clark E. Cohen, Robert W. Brumley, William J. Bencze, Brent M. Ledvina, Thomas J. Holmes, Mark L. Psiaki
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Publication number: 20150042511Abstract: A system and method of continuous carrier wave reconstruction includes a radio navigation receiver that includes one or more processors, memory coupled to the one or more processors, and an input for receiving a signal from a transmitter. The signal has a phase. The one or more processors are configured to obtain phase lock on the received signal, extract first phase information from the received signal, detect a loss in phase lock on the received signal, and extrapolate second phase information while phase lock is lost using a model of the phase. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are further configured to reconstruct the carrier signal based on the first and second phase information. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are further configured to scale the first and second phase information from a first nominal frequency of the received signal to a different second nominal frequency.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2014Publication date: February 12, 2015Applicant: Coherent Navigation, Inc.Inventors: Isaac T. Miller, William J. Bencze, Robert W. Brumley, Brent M. Ledvina, Mark L. Psiaki, Thomas J. Holmes, Clark E. Cohen
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Patent number: 7978130Abstract: A practical method for adding new high-performance, tightly integrated Nav-Com capability to any Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) user equipment requires no hardware modifications to the existing user equipment. In one example, the iGPS concept is applied to a Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) and combines Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, such as Iridium, with GPS or other GNSS systems to significantly improve the accuracy, integrity, and availability of Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) and to enable new communication enhancements made available by the synthesis of precisely coupled navigation and communication modes. To achieve time synchronization stability between the existing DAGR and a plug-in iGPS enhancement module, a special-purpose wideband reference signal is generated by the iGPS module and coupled to the DAGR via the existing antenna port.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2009Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Coherent Navigation, Inc.Inventors: Clark E. Cohen, Todd E. Humphreys, Brent M. Ledvina, William J. Bencze, Mark L. Psiaki, Bryan T. Galusha
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Publication number: 20110163913Abstract: A practical method for adding significant new high-performance, tightly integrated Nav-Com capability to any Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) user equipment, such as GPS receivers, requires no hardware modifications to the existing user equipment. In one example, the iGPS concept is applied to a Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) and combines Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, such as Iridium, with GPS or other GNSS systems to significantly improve the accuracy, integrity, and availability of Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)—in some cases by three orders of magnitude, to enable high precision GNSS carrier phase observable to be more readily exploited to improve PNT availability—even under interference conditions or occluded environments, and to enable new communication enhancements made available by the synthesis of precisely coupled navigation and communication modes.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2009Publication date: July 7, 2011Applicant: Dalaware CorporationInventors: Clark E. Cohen, Todd E. Humphreys, Brent M. Ledvina, William J. Bencze, Mark L. Psiaki, Bryan T. Galusha
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Publication number: 20110109506Abstract: A method and apparatus for simulating radio-frequency Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals that are carrier-phase and code-phase aligned with ambient GNSS signals at a user-specified location in the vicinity of the simulator. Such phase alignment allows the synthesized signals to be made to appear substantially the same as the authentic signals to a target receiver, allowing the target receiver to transition seamlessly between authentic and simulated signals. The method is embodied in a device, a phase-coherent GNSS signal simulator, which can be implemented on a digital signal processor for embedded applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2010Publication date: May 12, 2011Applicant: COHERENT NAVIGATION, INC.Inventors: Todd E. Humphreys, Brent M. Ledvina, William J. Bencze, Bryan T. Galusha, Clark E. Cohen
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Publication number: 20110102259Abstract: A method of countering GNSS signal spoofing includes monitoring a plurality of GNSS signals received from a plurality of GNSS signal sources and comparing broadcast data to identify outlying data, which is excluded from generation of a navigation solution defined by the plurality of GNSS signals. The outlying data can be a vestigial signal from a code or carrier Doppler shift frequency. The method includes triggering a spoofing indicator upon identification of the outlying data or other phenomenon. The phenomenon can include a shift in a phase of a measured GNSS navigation data bit sequence or a profile phenomenon of a correlation function resulting from correlation of the incoming GNSS signals with a local signal replica. The profile phenomenon can be the presence of multiple sustained correlation peaks. A nullifying signal can be generated and superimposed over a compromised signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2010Publication date: May 5, 2011Applicant: COHERENT NAVIGATION, INC.Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Todd E. Humphreys, William J. Bencze, Bryan T. Galusha, Clark E. Cohen
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Publication number: 20110068973Abstract: A method for upgrading GNSS equipment to improve position, velocity and time (PVT) accuracy, increase PVT robustness in weak-signal or jammed environments and protect against counterfeit GNSS signals (spoofing). A GNSS Assimilator couples to an RF input of existing GNSS equipment, e.g., a GPS receiver, and extracts navigation and timing information from available RF signals, including non-GNSS signals, or direct baseband aiding, e.g., from an inertial navigation system, frequency reference, or GNSS user. The Assimilator fuses the diverse navigation and timing information to embed a PVT solution in synthesized GNSS signals provided to a GNSS receiver RF input. The code and carrier phases of the synthesized GNSS signals are aligned with those of actual GNSS signals to appear the same at the target receiver input. The Assimilator protects against spoofing by continuously scanning incoming GNSS signals for signs of spoofing, and mitigating spoofing effects in the synthesized GNSS signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2010Publication date: March 24, 2011Applicant: COHERENT NAVIGATION, INC.Inventors: Todd E. Humphreys, Brent M. Ledvina, William J. Bencze, Bryan T. Galusha, Clark E. Cohen
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Patent number: 7372400Abstract: A navigation system provides a significant level of protection against all forms of interference or jamming to GPS in a cost-effective way. The system employs a network of ground reference stations and Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites in conjunction with GPS. A common-view ranging geometry to a GPS satellite is established that links a reference station and a user. A second common-view geometry to a LEO satellite between the same reference station and user pair is also established. The ground stations synthesize real-time aiding signals by making carrier phase measurements of GPS the LEO satellite signals. This aiding information is transmitted via the LEO satellites to the user receiver at high power to penetrate ambient jamming. The user receiver locks onto the carrier phase of the LEO satellite, demodulates the aiding information, then applies the carrier phase measurements and the aiding information to enable extended coherent measurements of the GPS signals.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2005Date of Patent: May 13, 2008Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Clark E. Cohen, Robert W. Brumley, Mark L. Psiaki, Gregory M. Gutt, William J. Bencze, Brent M. Ledvina, Barton G. Ferrell, David A. Whelan