Phase Comparison Patents (Class 342/127)
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Patent number: 8643538Abstract: A system and method for determining a position of a locus comprising a locator device for disposition at the locus; the locator device configured for receiving an electromagnetic signal from a beacon device, the locator device receiving at a distance from the beacon device within near field range of the electromagnetic signal; the locator device configured for distinguishing at least two characteristics of the electromagnetic signal sensed at the locus; the system employing the at least two characteristics to effect the determining of the position of the locus.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2010Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Q-Track CorporationInventors: Hans Gregory Schantz, Robert Edward DePierre, David Wesley Langford
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Patent number: 8624774Abstract: The invention concerns a method and system of locating objects by means of UWB signals, the system including a search device (D1), incorporated in a portable apparatus (11) and provided with a pair of antennae (A1, A2), and at least one target device (D2) attached to an object sought (12). The target device (D2) includes, in addition to the transceiver (34, 35), a very low power consumption wake up receiver (46) which, when the target device is in a standby state, can receive a UWB wake up signal to switch on said device. This target device is arranged for measuring a time difference (tdiff) between the respective receptions of two locating signals respectively emitted by the two antennae (A1, A2) of the search device and for transmitting said time difference in a return signal that further contains, in a preferred variant, a signal processing time (trproc). Thus, it is not necessary for the two devices to be synchronized.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2011Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventor: Luca De Rosa
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Patent number: 8620344Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems for location-based application program management are described. A mobile device can receive a first application program to be executed in an application subsystem. The first application program can be configured to be invoked or notified when the mobile device is located at a defined location. The mobile device can register the first application program to a second application program that executes in a baseband subsystem. The mobile device can set the application subsystem to a power-saving operating mode. The second application program can monitor a current location of the mobile device. When the mobile device is currently located at the defined location, the second application program can set the application subsystem to an active operating mode, and invoke the first application program.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2010Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Ronald K. Huang, Morgan Grainger
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Patent number: 8537014Abstract: A system, techniques, and apparatus for determining RFID tag movement are disclosed. The system includes an RFID reader that is configured to detect an RFID tag's motion by comparing backscattered signals received from the tag. The system can also generate and filter alerts according to pre-defined business rules based on the detection.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2008Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Dirk A. Broer
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Patent number: 8537050Abstract: The present invention is a signal processing method to significantly improve the detection and identification of source emissions. More particularly, the present invention offers a processing method to reduce the false alarm rate of systems which remotely detect and identify the presence of electronic devices through an analysis of a received spectrum the devices' unintended emissions. The invention identifies candidate emission elements and determines their validity based on a frequency and phase association with other emissions present in the received spectrum. The invention compares the measured phase and frequency data of the emissions with a software solution of the theoretically or empirically derived closed-form expression which governs the phase and frequency distribution of the emissions within the source. Verification of this relationship serves to dramatically increase the confidence of the detection.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2010Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Nokomis, Inc.Inventors: Stephen Dorn Freeman, Walter John Keller, III
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Publication number: 20130181862Abstract: Disclosed is a distance measuring apparatus which includes: a first pulse generating means (135) which generates reference signals; a second pulse generating means (137) which generates subject detection signals; a time measuring section (139) which measures a period of time from a time when a first pulse is generated to a time when a second pulse is generated; a first phase detecting section (141) which detects the first phase of a signal received using a signal at a first frequency; a second phase detecting section (163) which detects the second phase of a signal received using a signal at a second frequency; and a distance calculating section (165) which calculates the distance to the subject on the basis of output from the time measuring section, the first phase detecting section and the second phase detecting section.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2012Publication date: July 18, 2013Applicant: NIRECO CORPORATIONInventor: NIRECO CORPORATION
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Patent number: 8487810Abstract: An integrated radar system includes a processing module and a radar device. The radar device includes an antenna module, a configurable shaping module, and a configurable transceiver module. The processing module generates an outbound signal and a control signal to configure the integrated radar system. The configured transceiver module converts the outbound signal into an outbound wireless signal. The configured shaping module shapes the outbound wireless signal into a shaped signal. The antenna module transmits the shaped signal and then receives an inbound radar signal. The configured shaping module shapes the inbound radar signal into an inbound wireless signal. The configured transceiver module converts the inbound wireless signal into an inbound symbol stream. The processing module determines location information regarding an object based on the inbound symbol stream.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2010Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Alfred Grau Besoli, Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos, Jesus Alfonso Castaneda
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Publication number: 20130135138Abstract: A method, executed by one or more computers, for unwrapping phase wrapped data including a plurality of nodes. The method includes: selecting a root node from the plurality of nodes to start unwrapping (102); selecting next nodes to be unwrapped, from the neighbor nodes of the root node; dynamically calculating a confidence factor for each node being unwrapped (104); when a closed loop wherein one node can be unwrapped from either of two previously unwrapped nodes is encountered and an unwrapped value predicted by each of the prior nodes of the two nodes are different during unwrapping, comparing calculated confidence factors for the two previously unwrapped nodes (106); using the compared confidence factors of the two previously unwrapped nodes to determine which one of the two nodes is an erroneous node (108); and reprocessing the erroneous node to correct a previous unwrapping error (112).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2011Publication date: May 30, 2013Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANYInventor: Morrison R. Lucas
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Patent number: 8446254Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described which are useful for determining a location characteristic between an RFID tag and an RFID tag reader or a second RFID tag. In various embodiments, signals backscattered from a singulated tag over a range of frequencies are evaluated for in-phase I and in-quadrature Q signal components. The I-Q data is processed to determine phase delay angles associated with each signal frequency. The phase delay data can be processed by a sum of squared errors method or Fourier transform method to determine a distance to the singulated tag. The methods can also be used to determine any of a location, a radial velocity, a directional velocity of the singulated tag, and proximity of the singulated tag to a second tag.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2009Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: ThingMagic, Inc.Inventors: John C. Carrick, Yael G. Maguire
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Patent number: 8362788Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus for detecting the position of a reflection body in a line structure is provided that includes a sensor device, which has at least one antenna for feeding a transmission signal as an electromagnetic wave into the line structure and for receiving the electromagnetic wave reflected on the reflection body. The sensor device also includes evaluation electronics which are configured to determine the position of the reflection body from the phase difference between the transmitted and the received wave.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2008Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Astyx GmbHInventors: Guenther Trummer, Ralf Gehring
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Patent number: 8358235Abstract: A wireless sensor device includes a transmission signal generation unit that generates a frequency-spread high frequency transmission signal such that a transmission frequency is continuously increased and decreased with a predetermined period, a transmitter antenna that radiates the high frequency transmission signal, a receiver antenna that receives a reflected wave from an object having received the high frequency transmission signal, and outputs a frequency-spread high frequency reception signal, a mixer circuit that receives a part of the high frequency transmission signal as a first frequency-spread high frequency signal, receives the high frequency reception signal as a second frequency-spread high frequency signal, and outputs a DC beat signal by operating as a phase detector when frequencies of the first and second signals coincide with each other, and a DC component extraction circuit that extracts the DC beat signal from an output signal of the mixer circuit.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2010Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Dou Yuanzhu
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Patent number: 8354951Abstract: A method for determining position and orientation of a rotating wing aircraft (e.g. helicopter) with respect to a ground station includes transmitting an electromagnetic signal from the aircraft. The signal includes a plurality of electromagnetic signals, each signal having a different selected frequency. The signal is detected at an array of sensors disposed on the ground surface in a selected pattern. The array includes at least one reference sensor and at least three spaced apart time difference determination sensors. A difference in arrival time of the signals between the reference sensor and each of the time difference determination sensors is determined and a spatial position of the aircraft is determined from the time differences.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2010Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: Intelligent Sciences, Ltd.Inventors: Jacques Y. Guigné, James A. Stacey, Nicholas G. Pace
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Patent number: 8340686Abstract: We describe a device that is able to compute its range and time offset relative to another similar device, and thereby also a three-dimensional position, speed and time relative to other similar devices provided that at least four are present and within range. It does so by transmitting at least two signals at different frequencies and by receiving similar signals transmitted by the other devices. The signals are constructed so that they are independent of the radio band used and so that they lead to cancellation of common-mode effects in the transmitter and receiver circuits. No fixed infrastructure of transmitters, receivers or local measurement units is required and the devices do not need to be synchronized. The system scales to very large networks of devices in which they work collectively each solving a part of the problem that describes the relative positions of all interconnected devices.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Omnisense LimitedInventor: David Bartlett
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Patent number: 8305258Abstract: A radar device includes: a receive antenna having a plurality of element antennas disposed in the left-right direction such that at least some of the plurality of element antennas is shifted in the up-down direction from the others; and a position detecting ECU. The position detecting ECU Includes: a first position detecting section, which detects a position of an object in the up-down direction, based on a phase difference between the respective reception signals received by the plurality of element antennas; and a first position correcting section which corrects the position in the up-down direction, based on the history of the position in the up-down direction, and obtains a first corrected position which is a position in the up-down direction after the correction.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2011Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naoyuki Yamada, Toshiaki Watanabe, Makoto Nakai
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Patent number: 8299936Abstract: A method for generating electromagnetic waves in the ELF/ULF comprising the steps of using a ground-based Horizontal Electric Dipole (HED) antenna to send electromagnetic pulses upwardly in the E-region of the ionosphere to form an oscillatory or pulsed electric field; allowing said pulsed electric field to interact with magnetized plasma of the lower ionosphere to generate a pulsed horizontal and vertical current which have associated Horizontal and Vertical Electric Dipole moment; and allowing them to radiate.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2009Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.Inventor: Konstantinos Papadopoulos
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Patent number: 8279112Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described which are useful for determining a distance between an RFID tag and an RFID tag reader. In various embodiments, signals backscattered from a singulated tag over a range of frequencies are evaluated for in-phase I and in-quadrature Q signal components. The I-Q data is processed to determine phase delay angles associated with each signal frequency. The phase delay data can be processed by a sum of squared errors method or Fourier transform method to determine a distance to the singulated tag. The methods can also be used to determine any of a location, a radial velocity, a directional velocity of the singulated tag, and proximity of the singulated tag to a second tag.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Trimble Navigation LimitedInventor: John C. Carrick
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Publication number: 20120223854Abstract: A communication processing apparatus alternately transmits a carrier wave carrying a command and receives a response from a tag while transmitting an unmodulated carrier wave. A transmission control unit changes the phase of the unmodulated carrier wave transmitted from a transmission/reception circuit in response to start of reception of the reflected wave from the tag. The transmission/reception circuit includes a circuit for separating and detecting an I signal and a Q signal included in the reflected wave from the tag. A phase detection unit uses the I signal and the Q signal to detect change of the phase of the reflected wave. A distance calculation unit measures a time from a change of the phase of the unmodulated carrier wave to a detection of a corresponding change in the phase of the reflected wave, and uses the time to calculate the distance from the antenna to the tag.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2011Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: OMRON CORPORATIONInventors: Hidekatsu NOGAMI, Hirokazu KASAI, Shuichi MATSUI
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Patent number: 8260319Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining a distance between a wireless transceiver and a wireless receiver arranged to communicate with each other in a wireless communication network, the wireless receiver having an active and an inactive reception state, the method comprising transmitting, with the wireless receiver in the active reception state, a first transmission signal, receiving a first reflection signal, the first reflection signal being a reflection of the first transmission signal and influenced by the active reception state of the wireless receiver, transmitting, with the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state, a second transmission signal, receiving a second reflected signal, the second reflection signal being a reflection of the second transmission signal and influenced by the inactive reception state of the wireless receiver, and determining a distance between the wireless transceiver and the wireless receiver based on the second reflection signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2008Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Rosemount Tank Radar ABInventors: Fabian Wenger, Mats Nordlund
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Publication number: 20120176268Abstract: A vehicular traffic surveillance Doppler radar system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises a modulation circuit portion for generating modulated FM signals. An antenna circuit portion transmits the modulated FM signals to a target and receives the reflected modulated FM signals therefrom. A ranging circuit portion performs a quadrature demodulation on the reflected modulated FM signals and determines a range measurement based upon phase angle measurements derived therefrom.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Inventor: John L. Aker
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Patent number: 8212715Abstract: A radar system includes at least two modules, each having a phase detector and a first high-frequency source and each having an antenna output and/or each having one or more antennas. At least two modules include a device for synchronization between the first high-frequency source of a first module of the at least two modules and the first high-frequency source of a second module of the at least two modules of the radar system. The phase detector has a first input for a first reference signal. The phase detector also has a second input for a first loop signal. A module for a radar system has the design of one of the modules of the radar system described above.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Armin Himmelstoss, Joachim Hauk, Elisabeth Hauk, legal representative, Rahel Hauk, legal representative, Manuel Hauk, legal representative, Dirk Steinbuch
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Patent number: 8188908Abstract: Distance to a modulated backscatter tag is measured with a RFID reader that measures changes in phase with frequency of modulated backscattered RF signals. Measured distances are linked to a specific tag. The effects of other sources of reflected and interfering signals are mitigated. The techniques eliminate the need for high RF bandwidth used in time-of-flight methods, and may be used with linear, limiting or other types of amplifiers in the reader receiver. Unambiguous distance to a tag may be found using the derivative of phase with RF frequency of the modulated signal backscattered by a tag. The distance to a tag can be measured with an accuracy on the order of a centimeter. The techniques utilize the characteristics of cooperative backscatter tags (transponders, labels, etc.). New readers implement the techniques which may use unmodified tags.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2010Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Amtech Systems, LLCInventor: Jeremy A. Landt
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Patent number: 8183981Abstract: A passive tag receiving a reader signal provided by a reader is disclosed. The passive tag includes an antenna, an oscillator circuit, and an internal chip. The antenna receives the reader signal. The reader signal is within an operation frequency band. The oscillator circuit is coupled to the antenna and generates a frequency signal. The internal chip processes the reader signal according to power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal when the reader signal is received and the frequency signal is generated.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2009Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and TechnologyInventors: Hsin-Chin Liu, Jhih-Guo Peng
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Patent number: 8174434Abstract: An apparatus and a method for determining a distance (r) to a target object (200) proposes transmitting electromagnetic waves in the form of a transmission signal (120a) by a transmitter (111a), receiving at least one part of said transmission signal (120a) reflected by a the target object (200) in the form of a reception signal (120c, 120d) by receiving device (111b) and evaluating the reception signal (120c, 120d) according a reference signal (1230b) which has a known phase difference with respect to the transmission signal (120a) and a frequency equal to the frequency thereof. The reference (120) and reception (120c, 120d) signal frequencies are reduced in a frequency divider (113) with the same predefined divider factor (x) while preserving the existing phase difference between the reference signal (120b) and the reception (120c, 120d) signal in such a way that a reduced frequency reception signal (120b?) and a reduced frequency reception signal (120d) are obtained.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2006Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbHInventors: Frank Künzler, Udo Haberland, Robert Rehner, Jochen Weinzierl, Lorenz-Peter Schmidt
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Patent number: 8159344Abstract: A method of detecting a moving target within a predefined protected region with a microwave motion detector, by transmitting microwave frequency signals and receiving the microwave frequency signals reflected by a target. A target distance is then determined from the received microwave frequency signals, and a target angle is determined from the received microwave frequency signals. Then, a target location is determined from the target distance and the target angle, and an alarm condition is set if the target location is within the predefined protected region.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.Inventor: XiaoDong Wu
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Patent number: 8131224Abstract: Phase and gain of a transmit signal are measured at a transmitter by determining a first time delay having a first resolution at a measurement receiver between a reference signal from which the transmit signal is generated and a measured signal derived from the transmit signal by comparing amplitudes of the reference signal and the measured signal. A second time delay having a second resolution finer than the first resolution is determined at the measurement receiver between the reference signal and the measured signal based on the first time delay. The reference signal and the measured signal are time aligned at the measurement receiver based on the second time delay and the phase and gain of the transmit signal are estimated after the reference signal and the measured signal are time aligned.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2009Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: St-Ericsson SAInventors: Wael A. Al-Qaq, Zhihang Zhang, Nikolaus Klemmer
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Patent number: 8115672Abstract: The present invention relates to a procedure for measuring distance. It applies notably in respect of short-range radars, but not exclusively. The method uses an electromagnetic wave comprising at least one emission sequence (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) of the FSK type, at least two emission frequencies (F1, F2), emitted successively towards the said target a given number p of times inside the sequence. The gap ?F between the emission frequencies (F1, F2) is substantially equal to an integer number k of times the repetition frequency (SPRF) of the cycle of frequencies, the distance measurement being obtained on the basis of the measurement of difference of phases ?? between the signals received corresponding respectively to a first frequency (F1) and to a second frequency (F2).Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2010Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: ThalesInventors: Myriam Nouvel, Stéphane Kemkemian
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Patent number: 8094061Abstract: The present invention comprising: a first local oscillator for generating a first frequency; a second local oscillator for generating a second frequency; phase-difference setting means for setting a first phase difference between a transmission signal and an output of the aforementioned first local oscillator; phase-difference detection means for detecting a second phase difference which is the phase difference between a reception signal and an output of the aforementioned second local oscillator, and calculation means for calculating a distance to a communication counterpart from a third phase difference and a fourth phase difference which are notified by the communication counterpart, and from the aforementioned first phase difference and second phase difference, wherein the third phase difference is set to the second frequency by the communication counterpart, and the fourth phase difference is set to the first frequency by the communication counterpart.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2008Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Yuuichi Aoki
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Publication number: 20110285578Abstract: An RF beam is used to probe the presence or absence of a rotating blade in a known field of view. Timing of appearance or disappearance or “zero-crossing” of a reflected signal is correlated with timing of the blade movement.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2011Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Andy Peczalski, David Daniel Lilly, Dinkar Mylaraswamy
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Patent number: 8054216Abstract: A radar device has a plurality of receiving antennas which receive, as a reception wave, a radar wave sent in a predetermined reference direction and reflected by a target; a phase difference detection unit which detects a first phase difference of the reception wave received by a first receiving antenna pair that is spaced by a first gap, and a second phase difference of the reception wave received by a second receiving antenna pair that is spaced by a second gap smaller than the first gap; and an angle detection unit which performs a first process of determining, as a detection angle, an angle of the target relative to the reference direction being a mutually coincident angle from among a plurality of first angles corresponding to the first phase difference and a plurality of second angles corresponding to the second phase difference. The radar device allows expanding an angle detection range without reducing the resolution of the angle corresponding to the second phase difference.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2009Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motohide Kinoshita, Hisateru Asanuma, Jun Tsunekawa, Motomi Iyoda, Tomoya Kawasaki
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Patent number: 8044843Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining the thickness of material layers of a container-held substance comprising a first material disposed in an upper layer and a second material disposed in a lower layer, by transmitting a radio signal through the substance towards a container portion; receiving reflected signals from a surface of the upper layer, a surface of the second layer, and the container portion; varying the frequency of the transmitted signal to determine phase displacement between transmitted and reflected signals; determining optical distances to the surfaces and the container portion, dependent on the phase displacements; determining the thickness of one of said layers dependent on phase displacement through and index of refraction of that layer; and determining the thickness of the other layer dependent on the thickness of said one of said layers.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2006Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Agellis Group ABInventor: Lars Bååth
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Patent number: 7986270Abstract: A system and method for estimating the range between two devices performs two or more ranging estimates with subsequent estimates performed using a clock that is offset in phase with respect to a prior estimate. The subsequent estimate allows estimate uncertainties due to a finite clock resolution to be reduced and can yield a range estimate with a higher degree of confidence. In one embodiment, these additional ranging estimates are performed at n/N (for n=1, . . . N?1, with N>1 and a positive integer) clock-period offset introduced in the device. The clock-period offset can be implemented using a number of approaches, and the effect of clock drift in the devices due to relative clock-frequency offset can also be determined. To eliminate the bias due to clock-frequency offset, a system and method to estimate the clock-frequency offset is also presented.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2008Date of Patent: July 26, 2011Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventors: Ghobad Heidari-Bateni, Khawza Iftekhar-Uddin Ahmed
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Patent number: 7928897Abstract: A radar device includes a transmission antenna and a reception antenna having a plurality of antenna elements. The radar device switches the antenna elements in synchronization with a modulation cycle, thereby obtaining a reception signal. At this time, the radar device obtains the reception signal by switching the antenna elements using a first measurement phase and a second measurement phase having different switching cycles as one set. The radar device calculates an azimuth sine value sin ?1 from the reception signal in the first measurement phase and also calculates an azimuth sinusoidal value sin ?2 from the reception signal in the second measurement phase. Then, the radar device calculates a relative velocity V from the azimuth sine value sin ?1, the azimuth sine value sin ?2, an interval time difference ?t between switching cycles, and an inter-antenna element spacing d.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2009Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Toru Ishii, Tetsu Nishimura
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Patent number: 7924217Abstract: A radar level gauge system for determining a filling level of a product contained in a tank, comprising: a transceiver for generating, transmitting and receiving frequency-modulated electromagnetic signals; a transmitting propagating device electrically connected to the transceiver and arranged to propagate transmitted electromagnetic signals towards a surface of the product contained in the tank; and a receiving propagating device electrically connected to the transceiver and arranged to return echo signals resulting from reflections at impedance transitions encountered by the transmitted electromagnetic signals, including a surface echo signal resulting from reflection at the surface, back to the transceiver.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2008Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Rosemount Tank Radar ABInventor: Anders Jirskog
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Patent number: 7903022Abstract: A transmission controller 7B is configured to transmit an R/W request signal for requesting transmission of a tag response signal to a RFID tag 1 twice. At this time, a frequency controller 7A controls a PLL section 5A to transmit the R/W request signal via different carrier frequencies. A phase information acquirer 8A detects a phase change amount of the tag response signal that is transmitted via different carrier frequencies. A distance calculator 8B calculates the distance between the reader/writer 2 and the RFID tag 1 on the basis of the phase change amount.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2009Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: Omron CorporationInventors: Hideyuki Ohara, Takehiro Kawai, Keisuke Saito, Kosuke Hayama
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Patent number: 7898460Abstract: A radar apparatus includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna that has a plurality of antenna elements, and switches the plurality of antenna elements in synchronization with a modulation period to acquire receiving signals. At this time, the antenna elements are switched in accordance with a combination of a first sub-phase and a second sub-phase in which the antenna elements are sequentially switched in opposite directions to thereby acquire the receiving signals. The radar apparatus calculates an azimuth sine value sin ?1 from the acquired receiving signals of the first sub-phase and calculates an azimuth sine value sin ?2 from the receiving signals of the second sub-phase. Next, the radar apparatus calculates an actual azimuth ? through an averaging process of these azimuth sine values sin ?1 and sin ?2.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2009Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tetsu Nishimura, Toru Ishii
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Patent number: 7898456Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting and locating hidden objects employs a symmetrical array of five directional antennas, including a central transmit antenna and a pair of receive antennas at each side of the transmit antenna, respectively. All of the antennas are pointed in the same general direction toward an object field of interest. The transmit antenna radiates a beam of high-frequency electromagnetic energy, and the receive antennas receive high-frequency electromagnetic energy returned by hidden objects. Each pair of receive antennas has an associated phase detector, the output of which represents the phase difference between receive antenna signals corresponding to the received electromagnetic energy. A circuit determines when the outputs of the phase detectors represent predetermined phase differences and operates indicator devices.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2009Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: Prairielands Energy Marketing Inc.Inventors: Paul A. Cloutier, Delbert R. Oehme
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Patent number: 7884756Abstract: A radar apparatus measures an azimuth angle with a calculation device that performs super-resolution angle measuring processing in which relative speeds and relative distances among target objects are calculated, when two azimuth angles are obtained for a given target object that has been detected, the calculation device performs an other-signal detection processing in which, among other detected target objects, a target object is searched whose azimuth angle is the same as one of the two azimuth angles and whose beat frequency upon frequency-increasing modification or frequency-decreasing modification is the same as that of the given target object; and when, through the other-signal detection processing, another target object that satisfies the condition is detected, the calculation device eliminates one of two azimuth angles of the detected given target object, which is equal to the azimuth angle of said another target object detected through the other-signal detection processing.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2009Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Koichi Kai
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Patent number: 7868817Abstract: A radar system comprises a transmitter antenna configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal, a first receiver antenna, and a second receiver antenna. Each of the first and second receiver antennas are configured to receive a reflection of the RF signal, wherein the first and second receiver antennas are synchronized and separated by a vertical distance. The radar system also comprises radar processing circuitry configured to control transmission of the RF signal from the transmitter antenna and to determine an elevation of an object reflecting the RF signal based on the phase difference between the reflected RF signal received by the first receiver antenna and the reflected RF signal received by the second receiver antenna; wherein the transmit antenna, first receiver antenna, and second receiver antenna are operable to continuously rotate 360 degrees along an azimuth angle without rotating along an elevation angle.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2008Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: David W. Meyers, Long Bui, Yi-Chi Shih
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Patent number: 7864105Abstract: Distance measuring apparatus has a rough distance measuring circuit (18) using a time delay circuit and a precise distance measuring circuit (31) for measuring the orientation of the vector of a carrier wave to determine the distance, the sum of which is the final output. The rough distance measuring apparatus (18) has a long measurement span but low precision. The precise distance measuring apparatus (31) has a short measurement span but high precision. The combination provides distance measuring apparatus having a long measurement span and high resolution and capable of implementing precise measurement.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2010Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Nireco CorporationInventor: Koichi Matsumoto
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Patent number: 7852256Abstract: A flat panel antenna used at a wall in a through-the-wall CW radar application is spaced from the wall by a half wavelength to eliminate the effects of energy reflected by the wall back to the antenna. In one embodiment, a ½-wavelength dielectric absorbing material insert is placed adjacent the flat panel antenna, which allows the flat panel antenna to be pressed against the wall for antenna stabilization, with the index of refraction of the material desirably being 3.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2006Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.Inventor: Paul D. Zemany
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Publication number: 20100277360Abstract: A radio frequency ranging system is grounded in establishing and maintaining phase and frequency coherency of signals received by a slave unit from a master unit and retransmitted to the master unit by the slave unit. For a preferred embodiment of the invention, coherency is established through the use of a delta-sigma phase-lock loop, and maintained through the use, on both master and slave units, of thermally-insulated reference oscillators, which are highly stable over the short periods of time during which communications occur. A phase relationship counter is employed to keep track of the fractional time frames of the phase-lock loop as a function of the reference oscillator, thereby providing absolute phase information for an incoming burst on any channel, thereby enabling the system to almost instantaneously establish or reestablish the phase relationship of the local oscillator so that it synchronized with the reference oscillator.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2010Publication date: November 4, 2010Inventor: Daniel Joseph Lee
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Publication number: 20100245156Abstract: Distance measuring apparatus has a rough distance measuring circuit (18) using a time delay circuit and a precise distance measuring circuit (31) for measuring the orientation of the vector of a carrier wave to determine the distance, the sum of which is the final output. The rough distance measuring apparatus (18) has a long measurement span but low precision. The precise distance measuring apparatus (31) has a short measurement span but high precision. The combination provides distance measuring apparatus having a long measurement span and high resolution and capable of implementing precise measurement.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: NIRECO CORPORATIONInventor: Koichi MATSUMOTO
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Patent number: 7791528Abstract: A radar apparatus and method for determining the range to and velocity of at least one object comprising, transmitting a plurality of RF signals, each comprising a particular frequency and being transmitted during a particular unique finite period, the plurality of signals collectively comprising at least one first subset of signals having the same frequency and at least one second subset of signals having different frequencies, receiving the plurality of signals after reflection from an object, determining a phase difference between each of the signals and the corresponding reflected signal, each piece of phase difference information herein termed a sample, organizing the samples in two-dimensions wherein, in a first dimension, all samples have the same frequency and, in a second dimension, all consecutive samples are separated from each other by a fixed time interval; processing the samples in the first dimension to determine a phase rotation frequency corresponding to the samples in the first dimension, thType: GrantFiled: November 24, 2008Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.Inventors: Dirk Klotzbuecher, Walter Poiger
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Patent number: 7764221Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of sensor modules that are disposed at spacings with respect to one another, each sensor module having a local oscillator device. The oscillator device generates an oscillator signal that is passed on to a transmit/receive device, and the oscillator signal is radiated. The transmit/receive device is set up such that it can receive signals reflected from the object. A phase detection device is coupled at one input to the oscillator device and at a second input to the transmit/receive device. Based on the oscillator signal and the received reflected signals, the phase detection device determines a phase signal. A control and signal-processing device determines, based on the spacings of the sensor modules with respect to one another and the phase signals, a direction of the object with respect to the sensor module.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2005Date of Patent: July 27, 2010Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Klaus Voigtlaender, Hans Irion, Matthias Steinhauer, Wolfgang Menzel
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Patent number: 7688255Abstract: An electronic scanning radar apparatus has a cutting portion for cutting receiving data which is comprised of N numbers of data for each channel into two more short time data having M (<N) numbers of data in a time direction for each channel, an inverse matrix estimator for computing and estimating an inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix from the short time data, and a phase information producing portion for computing CAPON phase information out of the estimated inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix in order to detect a distance, an azimuth and a relative speed of a target on the basis of a computed CAPON phase information.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2007Date of Patent: March 30, 2010Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Koichiro Suzuki, Chiharu Yamano, Gaku Takano, Kazuma Natsume
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Method and processor for reduced ambiguity resolution matrix for interferometric angle determination
Patent number: 7688253Abstract: A method and processor for resolving a processing radar return data to determine a mechanical angle to a target relative to a radar array having a right antenna, an ambiguous antenna, and a left antenna. An LA linear relationship determining, based upon a characteristic number of LA wraps relative to the mechanical angle. Likewise, determining a RA linear relationship determines a characteristic number of RA wraps and a RL linear relationship determines a characteristic number of RL wraps relative to the mechanical angle. All permutations of LA wraps, RA wraps, and RL wraps are listed, and for each permutation, a truth relationship is determined. A look up table is populated with permutations where the truth relationship is true.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2008Date of Patent: March 30, 2010Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventor: Todd R. Burlet -
Patent number: 7667637Abstract: There is provided a radar system for detection of one or more objects. The radar system comprises a radar wave transmitter for simultaneously transmitting a CW radar signal and a FM-CW or MF radar signal, and a first radar wave receiver for receiving CW and FM-CW or MF radar signals, reflected from one or more objects present in a detection range of the radar system. The system may further comprise a first CW mixer for mixing CW transmission signals and reflected CW signals received by the first receiver, and a first FM-CW or MF mixer for mixing FM-CW or MF transmission signals and corresponding reflected FM-CW or MF signals received by the first receiver.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2005Date of Patent: February 23, 2010Assignee: Weibel Scientific A/SInventors: Peder Richardt Pedersen, Fernando Casanova Galeano
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Patent number: 7663537Abstract: A target detecting apparatus mounted on a vehicle has an electronically agile radar detecting a beat signal indicating a difference in frequency between transmission and reception signals and producing a time series of N reception data from the beat signal, a determining unit determining search areas placed at different ranges of distance from the vehicle while considering a running state of the vehicle and determining a data length for each search area, an extracting unit extracting (N?M+1) time series of short time data, respectively, having the data length corresponding to M reception data from the N reception data for each search area, a producing unit producing phase information from the short time data for each search area, and a detecting unit determining a target distance and a target bearing from the phase information and detecting a target from the target distance and the target bearing.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2007Date of Patent: February 16, 2010Assignee: DENSO CorporationInventors: Koichiro Suzuki, Chiharu Yamano, Kazuma Natsume
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Patent number: 7663535Abstract: A system is disclosed for position registration and phase synchronization of monitors in a monitor network. Each monitor includes a transceiver having a transponder circuit with a calibrated transponder delay. To measure a distance between monitors, an oscillator at a first monitor generates a measurement signal which is transponded by a second monitor for receipt by the first monitor. A phase difference between the received signal and the first monitor oscillator is determined and used with the signal velocity and transponder delay to calculate the distance between monitors. The measured distances are combined with other data (e.g. monitor elevations) to calculate monitor locations. A phase delay is then measured by transmitting a signal from the first to the second monitor for comparison with the second monitor oscillator. A phase difference between oscillators (for use in synchronizing the monitors) is then calculated using the phase delay, separation distance and signal velocity.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2007Date of Patent: February 16, 2010Assignee: Information Systems Laboratories, Inc.Inventor: John Don Carlos
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Patent number: 7663530Abstract: A system comprising a moving radar, a processing device, and a phase difference determination device is used to monitor a target. The moving radar has first and second phase centers that transmit and receive signals normal to a direction of movement of the radar. The processing device receives first and second ones of the received signals from the first and second phase centers, respectively, and performs a target motion compensation and target acceleration correction for each of the first and second received signals to produce first and second images. The phase difference determination device determines a phase difference image from a comparison of the first and second images.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2007Date of Patent: February 16, 2010Assignee: The MITRE CorporationInventors: Richard P. Perry, Probal K. Sanyal, David Matthew Zasada