Patents Assigned to NovAtel
  • Patent number: 7250916
    Abstract: An antenna is provided for acquiring RF signals from various satellite ranging systems including GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO and OmniSTAR®. The antenna configuration includes a radiating structure of multi-arm spiral slots terminated with fractal loops. A leaky wave microstrip spiral feed network is used to excite the radiating structure of the antenna. The fixed beam phased array of aperture coupled slots is optimized to receive a right hand polarized signal. The proposed antenna is made out of a single PCB board. The antenna has a very uniform phase and amplitude pattern in the azimuth plane from 1.15 to 1.65 GHz, therefore providing consistent performance at GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO and OmniSTAR® frequencies. The antenna also has a common phase center at the various frequencies from 1175 MHz to 1610 MHz and substantially the same radiation pattern and axial ratio characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Novatel Inc.
    Inventors: Waldemar Kunysz, Earl Badger, David Plamondon
  • Publication number: 20070171878
    Abstract: A multi-mode modem comprises a first device configured to communicate with a first communication system, a second device configured to communicate with a second communication system, a processor communicatively coupled the first and second devices, and a control function configured to place the device in one of the following communication modes: 1) communication with the first communication system; 2) communication with the second communication system; 3) simultaneous communication with both the first and second communication systems; or 4) gateway communication between the first and second communication systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicant: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Slim Souissi, Michael Loh, Humphrey Gordon
  • Patent number: 7224964
    Abstract: The present invention provides for methods and apparatus for fragmenting a single message and sending the message fragments over multiple independent networks to a single receiving unit. The receiving unit then reassembles the message fragments to generate the original message. The preferred apparatus embodiment is a wireless radio frequency modem that can both receive and transmit fragmented messages over multiple independent networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Slim Salah Souissi, Michael Scott Andrews
  • Patent number: 7193559
    Abstract: An inertial (“INS”)/GPS receiver includes an INS sub-system which incorporates, into a modified Kalman filter, GPS observables and/or other observables that span previous and current times. The INS filter utilizes the observables to update position information relating to both the current and the previous times, and to propagate the current position, velocity and attitude related information. The GPS observable may be delta phase measurements, and the other observables may be, for example, wheel pick-offs (or counts of wheel revolutions) that are used to calculate along track differences, and so forth. The inclusion of the measurements in the filter together with the current and the previous position related information essentially eliminates the effect of system dynamics from the system model. A position difference can thus be formed that is directly observable by the phase difference or along track difference measured between the previous and current time epochs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas John Ford, Jason Hamilton, Michael Bobye
  • Patent number: 7181236
    Abstract: A wireless modem card comprises a host interface configured to interface the wireless modem card with a host device of a first type. The wireless modem card can be configured to detect whether a modem interface device configured to interface the wireless modem card with a host device of a second type is communicatively coupled with the host interface. The wireless modem card is also configured to reconfigure the host interface in response to the presence of the modem interface device to enable the wireless modem card to interface with the host device of the second type through the modem interface device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Truong, Kwun Ho
  • Patent number: 7123187
    Abstract: A technique uses “phase windup” to determine relative yaw of a craft from a plurality circularly polarized signals transmitted from one or more transmission sources. A first difference in carrier phase measurements taken simultaneously at time t1 is determined for first and second circularly polarized signals from a given transmitting source A second difference is then determined from simultaneous carrier phase measurements taken at time t2. A third difference, which is the difference between the first and second differences, is then used to determine the relative yaw based on a difference in wavelengths of the two signals. If more than one transmitting source is in view, a mean average of the third differences associated with the respective transmitting sources may be used to determine the relative yaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventors: Kim Deimert, Brian D. Smith
  • Patent number: 7117094
    Abstract: A system for analyzing three-dimensional seismic data includes a plurality of digitizer units, each with a configuration of geophones, a data recording and control center, a base GPS receiver with an associated antenna with a substantially unrestricted view of the sky and at the respective digitizer units low-power slave GPS receivers that acquire and track GPS satellite signals using tracking assistance information provided by the base GPS receiver. The slave GPS receivers use the tracking assistance information to acquire and track GPS satellite signals from which the slave GPS receivers produce associated range information. The system batch processes the range information provided by the slave GPS receivers over an extended period of time to determine the precise positions of the respective slave GPS receivers. The system provides the position information to the slave GPS receivers, and the receivers locally produce associated timing signals that are based on the GPS codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick C. Fenton
  • Patent number: 7024223
    Abstract: A standard interface for interfacing a wireless modem assembly with a host device comprises a primary serial interface, a secondary serial interface, and a differential serial interface for supporting communication between the wireless modem assembly and the host device. The standard interface can be implemented in a standardized connector, such as a 70-pin connector having unused pins for future feature expansion. The standard interface also provides for other interfaces including, for example, power, modem status, audio, voice, general purpose input/output, and subscriber identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Dominic Wietfeldt
  • Patent number: 7023909
    Abstract: A RF wireless modem with an integral antenna. The antenna is a compact, horizontally-polarized, balanced, multi-element, directional antenna with integral balun, constructed on one end of a printed wire board (PWB) and radiating preferably away from the modem circuitry on the remaining portions of PWB. The antenna includes a matching network for matching an impedance of the antenna with an impedance of an unbalanced connection and a balun for transforming a RF transmit signal received from the unbalanced connection into a balanced RF transmit signal. The antenna also includes a radiator for transmitting the balanced RF transmit signal and a reflector for reflecting at least some of the energy of the transmitted signal away from the modem circuitry. The antenna can also include a director for directing the RF transmit signal in a desired direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Adams, Ronald R Reeves
  • Patent number: 6992624
    Abstract: Apparatus and process for determining the position and heading or attitude of an antenna array are described based on radiating sources, preferably GNSS or other such satellite positioning systems. An optimum satellite is selected and the antenna array is “null steered” by combining the phase of the received signals to calculate a null or null angle that points toward the optimum satellite. The null will determine angle for elevation toward the optimum satellite and azimuth or heading. The heading is the azimuth of the (which may be actual or calculated) projection of the null vector to the satellite onto the Earth's surface. The actual location on Earth of the antenna array can be found and the antenna array azimuth with respect to the satellite can be determined. The null angle may be measured more precisely by dithering on either side to average out noise and then averaging the angle deviations to calculate the null angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Novatel Inc.
    Inventor: Walter J. Feller
  • Patent number: 6928301
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a wireless radio frequency (“RF”) modem that plugs into a host computer and shares a central processing unit and memory with the host computer, wherein principal modem functions are distributed between the modem and the host computer. In one embodiment, the modem performs RF conversion, and the host computer performs baseband processing and protocol stack control. In another embodiment, the modem performs RF conversion and baseband processing, and the host computer performs protocol stack control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Slim Salah Souissi, Michael Scott Andrews, Ambrose W. C. Tam, John Andrew Adams
  • Patent number: 6915142
    Abstract: A device includes a wireless modem configured to communicate with a wireless network and an interface unit communicatively coupled to the wireless modem. The interface unit is configured to interface a host device to a portable computing device, interface the host device with the wireless network through the wireless modem, and interface the portable computing device with the wireless network through the wireless modem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard D. Wietfeldt
  • Patent number: 6829481
    Abstract: A multi-mode mobile station performs an inter-system handoff between systems, qualified by the presence or absence of a preferred wireless communication network in a roaming lookup table stored and maintained in either mobile station memory or with the network controller. In one embodiment the accurate location of the mobile unit is determined by a global position fix, after which a coverage map is consulted to verify the availability of a preferred network before initiating a background scan. In other embodiments, a learning function creates habit profiles of a subscriber's regular behavior upon which the system intelligently initiates scanning for a preferred network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Slim S. Souissi
  • Publication number: 20040203606
    Abstract: A system and method for complete message delivery to a multi-mode communication device is presented. The communication device is adaptable to communicate with one or more carrier networks and one or more data networks. When a new message is received for the communication device, a message notification is sent to the device via a first network. The communication device parses the message notification and retrieves the complete message via a second network. Alternatively, the message notification may be delivered and the complete message may be retrieved via the same network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Slim Souissi, John Jun Wu, ChengChang Huang, Simon Lee
  • Patent number: 6799030
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for extending battery life in a radio frequency (“RF”) wireless modem by automatically commanding the RF modem into a low power, auto-sleep-no-coverage mode when coverage is not available. The auto-sleep-no-coverage mode timing is configurable through software parameters in the operating system of the modem. The invention conforms to the Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) Specification and increases the standby time of the device outside the coverage area to that similar to the standby time when the modem is within a coverage area. One embodiment of the present invention uses two software programmable timers and a preferred embodiment of the invention uses three software programmable timers and a counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Barber, Kevin Meyer
  • Patent number: 6785556
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a software configurable wireless modem that can be configured using software downloaded by a host computer. The user can select a preferred mode of operation, or mode selection can be done automatically based upon whether one or more predetermined criterion, such as a location of the modem, are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Slim Salah Souissi
  • Patent number: 6750816
    Abstract: A GPS-inertial system that is suited to new installations as well as the retrofitting of GPS receivers includes inertial sensors that are incorporated into the housing of the GPS antenna. The outputs of the inertial sensors are modulated onto a radio frequency carrier that has the same frequency as the GPS carrier, using the same data modulation arrangement as that used by the GPS system. The inertial measurements are thus sent to the receiver on the same cable as the RF signals from the antenna, and the receiver recovers the data from the sensor signals with the same arrangement that is used for data recovery from GPS position signals. Consequently, software modifications of existing GPS receivers can provide position and velocity estimates generated from the outputs of the inertial sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventor: Waldemar Kunysz
  • Patent number: 6721657
    Abstract: A receiver that uses a single processor to control a GPS sub-system and an inertial (“INS”) sub-system and, through software integration, shares GPS and INS position and covariance information between the sub-systems. The receiver time tags the INS measurement data using a counter that is slaved to GPS time, and the receiver then uses separate INS and GPS filters to produce GPS and INS position information that is synchronized in time. The GPS/INS receiver utilizes GPS position and associated covariance information in the updating of an INS Kalman filter, which provides updated system error information that is used in propagating inertial position, velocity and attitude. Whenever the receiver is stationary after initial movement, the INS sub-system performs “zero-velocity updates,” to more accurately compensate in the Kalman filter for component measurement biases and measurement noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas John Ford, Janet Brown Neumann, Ian Williamson
  • Patent number: 6664923
    Abstract: A GPS receiver utilizes measurements which span previous and current times, such as delta phase measurements, in a modified Kalman filter. The modified Kalman filter updates position information relating to both the current and the previous times, and s propagates the current position and velocity related information. Using both the current and the previous position related information in the filter in conjunction with delta phase measurements, essentially eliminates the effect of system dynamics from the system model, and a position difference can thus be formed that is directly observable by the phase difference measured between the previous and current time epochs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas John Ford
  • Patent number: 6618004
    Abstract: Multiple geographically fixed reference stations, with precisely known locations, that each receive GPS signals send information to a central processing facility that generates a three dimension topographical gradient map or model of the differences between the known locations and the locations as calculated from the received GPS signals. GPS signals received by mobile users are communicated to the central processing facility whereupon the central processing facility, using the model, generates precise corrected locations of the mobile users which is sent back to the mobile users. The mobile users can use and display the locally generated position from the locally received GPS signals or the corrected position from the central processing facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick C. Fenton, Graham Purves, Douglas Reid