Patents Assigned to U-BLOX AG
  • Patent number: 12631768
    Abstract: A method for determining a protection level of a position estimate using a single epoch of GNSS measurements, the method includes: specifying a prior probability density P(x) of a state x; specifying a system model h(x) that relates the state x to observables z of the measurements; quantifying quality metrics q associated with the measurements; specifying a non-Gaussian residual error probability density model ƒ(r|?, q) and fitting model parameters ? using a set of experimental data; and defining a posterior probability density P(x|z, q, ?); estimating the state x; and computing the protection level by integrating the posterior probability density P(x|z, q, ?) over the state x.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Ian Sheret, Olivier Julien, Rod Bryant, Chris Hide
  • Patent number: 12631767
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing a GNSS signal received at a receiver. The GNSS signal may be tracked in different ways in two or more respective operation modes. A first epoch is processed according to a first operation mode. In this mode, a carrier phase of a local carrier signal is controlled to track the carrier phase of the GNSS signal using a phase locked loop. A second epoch is processed according to a second operation mode. In this operation mode, the carrier phase is controlled based at least in part on at least one Doppler estimate. The at least one Doppler estimate depends on inertial measurements made at the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Zhenlan Cheng, Robert Lluis Garcia, Maxim Koehler
  • Patent number: 12625273
    Abstract: A method for determining positions of a plurality of terminal devices by a server includes receiving by the server from the terminal devices, each allocated to one of predetermined one or more clusters, first global navigation satellite system (GNSS) information according to predetermined transmission patterns of the terminal devices, and second GNSS information at random. The method includes collecting context related data from one or more context sources, and updating, by the server, the set of predetermined clusters based on a part of the context related data and the first and the second GNSS information and a predetermined criteria of cluster's level of accuracy. The method further includes determining, by the server, based on the first and the second GNSS information and on the updated clusters, respective positions of the clusters and individual positions of the terminal devices according to the respective positions of the clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Davide Lenzarini, Hamed Siasi
  • Patent number: 12618978
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for demodulating an L1S signal from a satellite in the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). The method comprises tracking another L1 signal transmitted by the satellite, and predicting, based on the tracking parameters of the other L1 signal, one or more parameters of the L1S signal. The L1S signal is demodulated based on the one or more predicted parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventor: Zhenlan Cheng
  • Patent number: 12587839
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for performing key management for a plurality of communication devices, each of the plurality of communication devices being configured to perform wireless communication using a first wireless communication technology. The method comprises establishing, by at least one of the plurality of communication devices, a first secure connection with a key management service using a second wireless communication technology. The method further comprises negotiating, by the at least one communication device with the key management service using the first secure connection, first authentication information comprising a first authentication bundle for secure communication and/or data protection on the first wireless communication technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Peter Karlsson, Davide Lenzarini, Hariharasudhan Vigneswaran
  • Patent number: 12578484
    Abstract: Methods and devices for odometry are disclosed. A previous position estimate and a current position estimate for a device are obtained. A current velocity estimate for the device is also obtained. A first distance estimate is calculated based on the position estimates, and a second distance estimate is calculated based on the velocity estimate. These two distance estimates are combined to generate a combined or hybrid distance estimate for the distance travelled by the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Alexander Somieski, Yannick Stebler, Tubanur Ozturk
  • Patent number: 12562450
    Abstract: An antenna includes an optically transparent substrate layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface; a radiating element having a first mesh structure and disposed on the first surface of the substrate layer; a ground plane having a second mesh structure formed on the second surface of the substrate layer; at least two feed lines configured to connect the radiating element to an external circuit; and at least two stubs connected to the radiating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Thomas Kaufmann, Seyedali Malakooti, Christophe Fumeaux
  • Patent number: 12560725
    Abstract: A static GNSS receiver, a base station module, a method of estimating a position of a static GNSS receiver, and an associated computer program are provided. An example method includes calculating a first difference between a first pseudorange and a second pseudorange, each made at a first time. A second difference between a third pseudorange and a fourth pseudorange, each made at a second time, is calculated, with the second time different to the first time. A position of the GNSS receiver is calculated based at least in part on the accumulated pseudorange differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventor: Roderick Bryant
  • Patent number: 12546900
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for assisting in the determination of the position of a wireless communication device. One wireless communication device is provided comprising a transmitter configured to broadcast a direct sequence spread spectrum reference signal in a predefined ISM band. Another wireless communication device is provided comprising a receiver that is configured to receive direct sequence spread spectrum reference signals in the predefined ISM band. The same transmitter and receiver are used to communicate between the respective wireless communication devices and one or more base stations in a wireless infrastructure network (of which each wireless communication device is a part).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Alessandro Biason, Andrea Dalla Torre, Davide Lenzarini
  • Patent number: 12525959
    Abstract: In one embodiment a tracking circuit for tracking a frequency of a sweeping signal component in an input signal comprises an input for receiving the input signal (Sin) comprising the sweeping signal component and a noise component, a mixer coupled to the input and configured to mix the input signal with a replica signal and therefrom provide a residual input signal, a low-pass filter coupled downstream of the mixer, a discriminator circuit coupled downstream of the low-pass filter, a loop filter coupled downstream of the discriminator circuit and configured to provide a frequency control value, and a replica signal generator circuit coupled downstream of the loop filter and configured to provide the replica signal with a frequency adjusted based on the frequency control value, wherein the frequency of the replica signal represents an estimation of a frequency of the sweeping signal component propagated to a current time unit of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventor: Olivier Julien
  • Patent number: 12523783
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing GNSS measurements to infer state information. An example method includes obtaining one or more residual error models for the plurality of GNSS measurements. The one or more residual error models describe a probability distribution of errors in each of the GNSS measurements. The method further includes inferring the state information based on the one or more residual error models. The GNSS measurements include at least one carrier phase measurement. The residual error model for the at least one carrier phase measurement is cyclic, such that errors in carrier phase that are separated by an integer number of cycles are regarded as equivalent. The probability distribution for the at least one carrier phase measurement comprises a function having a continuous first derivative, for example, a continuous first derivative at a phase boundary between successive cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Olivier Julien, Ian Sheret, Christopher David Hide, Hayden Dorahy, Roderick Bryant
  • Patent number: 12517262
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for demodulating a B2b signal from a satellite in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. The method comprises tracking a first signal transmitted in a first GNSS operational band by the satellite, to estimate one or more parameters of the first signal; predicting, based on the estimated one or more parameters of the first signal, one or more parameters of the B2b signal transmitted by the satellite; and demodulating the B2b signal to obtain data bits of a data message modulated on the B2b signal by the satellite. The demodulating is based on the one or more predicted parameters of the B2b signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2026
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventor: Zhenlan Cheng
  • Patent number: 12504544
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for calculating a position based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals. The method includes estimating a first state vector comprising a first set of float carrier range ambiguities using a first estimator, basedon first observations of the GNSS signals; and estimating a second state vector comprising a second set of float carrier range ambiguities using a second estimator, based on second observations of the GNSS signals. It further comprises fixing one or more first carrier range ambiguities, using a first strategy, based on the first set of float carrier range ambiguities; and fixing one or more second carrier range ambiguities, using a second strategy, based on the second set of float carrier range ambiguities. The first strategy for fixing the one or more first carrier range ambiguities is different from the second strategy for fixing the one or more second carrier range ambiguities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Alex Parkins, Cecile Mongredien, Ville Joensuu
  • Patent number: 12452050
    Abstract: In a method for protecting payload data transmitted via a one-to-many communication channel from a provider device to at least one receiver device a public key set (PK) supporting asymmetric bilinear pairings is generated. A number of receiver device keys (DKi) that are generated based on the public key set (PK) are distributed to respective devices including the at least one receiver device. A provider key (K) is generated based on the public key set (PK) and inter alia on an encryption random number (t) and stored in the provider device. An envelope (ENV) is generated based on the public key set (PK) and on the encryption random number (t) and is distributed, via the one-to-many communication channel, to the respective devices including the at least one receiver device. The at least one receiver device generates a receiver key, which corresponds to the provider key, based on the distributed envelope (ENV) and the distributed receiver device key (DKi).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Davide Lenzarini, Michele LaManna, Carlo Vallati, Riccardo Xefraj, Pericle Perazzo
  • Patent number: 12442886
    Abstract: In a method for determining a 3D directional vector between a sending device and a receiving device, the receiving device comprises at least two antenna arrays that each comprise a plurality of linearly arranged antenna elements that are aligned to different orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Dimitris Kalogiros, Ioannis Sarris, Peter Karlsson
  • Patent number: 12429603
    Abstract: A GNSS receiver, a method of estimating position, and an associated computer program are provided. An example method includes calculating a first (full) position solution based on pseudorange measurements made at a first time. One or more position updates are then calculated based on the first position solution, using delta carrier range measurements which compare first carrier range measurements, made at the first time, with second carrier range measurements, made at a second time. When calculating the one or more position updates, the delta carrier range measurements may be corrected to compensate for satellite motion between the first time and the second time. Corrections may also be made to compensate for changes in ionospheric delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventor: Alex Parkins
  • Patent number: 12405386
    Abstract: In an example embodiment, a method for adjusting a phase of a carrier replica signal includes receiving, by a tracking loop, a digital baseband signal, generating within the tracking loop the carrier replica signal, generating within the tracking loop a sequence of samples from the digital baseband signal and the carrier replica signal, and controlling a phase of the carrier replica signal depending on the sequence of samples. The example method further includes receiving a trigger signal indicating an upcoming phase shift of the digital baseband signal, blanking the tracking loop and controlling the phase of the carrier replica signal using a constant value, determining a magnitude of the phase shift, adjusting the phase of the carrier replica signal using the determined magnitude of the phase shift, and un-blanking the tracking loop and controlling the phase of the carrier replica signal depending on the sequence of samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventor: Carmine D'Alessandro
  • Patent number: 12405388
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for calculating a position based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals. The method includes estimating a first state vector comprising a first set of float carrier range ambiguities using a first estimator, basedon first observations of the GNSS signals; and estimating a second state vector comprising a second set of float carrier range ambiguities using a second estimator, based on second observations of the GNSS signals. It further comprises fixing one or more first carrier range ambiguities, using a first strategy, based on the first set of float carrier range ambiguities; and fixing one or more second carrier range ambiguities, using a second strategy, based on the second set of float carrier range ambiguities. The first strategy for fixing the one or more first carrier range ambiguities is different from the second strategy for fixing the one or more second carrier range ambiguities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Alex Parkins, Cecile Mongredien, Ville Joensuu
  • Patent number: 12399249
    Abstract: Calibrating an anchor point in a positioning system includes, in an example implementation, transmitting a localization signal between a mobile device and the anchor point, determining a first direction between the mobile device and the anchor point in a local coordinate system based on the transmitted localization signal, and determining a second direction between the mobile device and the anchor point in a global coordinate system based on the determined first direction and a stored anchor orientation of the anchor point, the anchor orientation defining the local coordinate system of the anchor point with respect to the global coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Dimitris Kalogiros, Ioannis Sarris, Matthias Mahlig, Peter Karlsson
  • Patent number: 12392905
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for performing a parallel search for a first positioning fix in a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. The method includes, in some instances, determining prepositioning information, wherein the prepositioning information includes a receiver information and a satellite information for each satellite in a plurality of satellites. The method further includes determining a code phase search range and a frequency search range, based on the prepositioning information, for each satellite in the plurality of satellites. The method further includes determining a starting point information for each satellite in the plurality of satellites, wherein each respective starting point information is representative of an offset from a center of a search range of the respective satellite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2025
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: Aku Levola, Boming Jin