Patents Examined by Bernarr Gregory
  • Patent number: 9605934
    Abstract: A method is presented by which a missile body roll angle relative to earth coordinates can be deciphered onboard the missile from ground-data relayed to the missile during flight The present method comprises of a horizontal pair and a vertical pair of antennas on the ground and an up-down pair and a right-left pair of antennas onboard the missile. The ground to pairs signals are sinusoidally amplitude modulated in 90° phase difference between the two pairs, causing the transmitted wave polarity to rotate in the modulation frequency. A reference pulse is transmitted from the ground whenever the wave polarity vector crosses a prescribed ground antenna direction, thereby enabling the missile to measure its body up, down, right and left directions relative to earth up, down, right and left directions and to further respectively align them together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Inventor: Mordechai Shefer
  • Patent number: 9606239
    Abstract: A high-linear amplifier receives, from an input bandpass filter, input signals including weak process signals and strong interference signals, amplifies the input signals, and transmits the amplified signals to an output bandpass filter. The high-linear amplifier includes a transistor and a feedback circuit that stabilizes the operating current of the transistor. The operating current includes the direct-current and low-frequency output signal currents of the transistor. The feedback circuit includes an interference detector that rectifies a portion of the high-frequency output signals of the transistor and extends the linear range of the high-linear amplifier. An interference indicator unit alerts an operator to the presence of excessively high levels of interference before the high-linear amplifier enters the non-linear mode. Amplified signals rejected by the output bandpass filter are reflected back to the high-linear amplifier stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrey Mikhailovich Sokolov, Dmitry Vitalievich Tatarnikov, Konstantin Mikhailovich Bachmanov, Rifat Khaidarovich Yusupov
  • Patent number: 9608709
    Abstract: System and methods for (i) covering wirelessly a large angular span using combinations of directional antennas, (ii) dynamic synthesis of antenna radiation patterns, and (iii) antenna configuration selection and beamforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: GoNet Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Roy Kinamon, Gal Zuckerman, Moshe Salhov, Oz Liv
  • Patent number: 9606221
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for a front end of an FMCW radar transceiver, with a signal terminal that is configured so as to couple to a signal filter device for purposes of signal exchange, a further signal terminal that is configured so as to couple to a VCO device for purposes of signal exchange, and an electronic circuit, which with the aid of a switching device included in the electronic circuit can be switched over between a reception circuit configuration and a transmission circuit configuration, is disclosed. The switching device has an RF switch, with which a signal route formed respectively in the RF switch, is embodied asymmetrically, in that the signal route in a reception circuit configuration and the signal route in a transmission circuit configuration have a different number of switching stages. A FMCW radar transceiver, and a method for the operation of a front end are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Inventors: Viswanathan Subramanian, Tao Zhang, Georg Boeck
  • Patent number: 9606238
    Abstract: Low-energy consumption techniques for locating a movable object using a global satellite navigation system (GNSS) are provided. A mobile station attached to or included in a movable object can communicate bidirectionally with a fixed base station to determine a location of the movable object. The mobile station may communicate an estimated position to the base station and receive from the base station a set of GNSS satellites that are visible to the mobile station. The mobile station can acquire satellite timing information from GNSS signals from the set of satellites and communicate minimally-processed satellite timing information to the base station. The base station can determine the position of the mobile station and communicate the position back to the mobile station. By offloading much of the processing to the base station, energy consumption of the mobile station is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott J. Carter
  • Patent number: 9602974
    Abstract: A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset embedded within the cellular device is accessed. The GNSS chipset calculates raw pseudoranges. The raw pseudoranges are extracted from the GNSS chipset for processing elsewhere in the cellular device outside of the GNSS chipset. A position fix is calculated based on the raw pseudoranges. At a first point in time, a first image, and at a second point in time, a second image are obtained with an image capturing device that is in a known physical relationship with the cellular device. An estimate of a distance that the cellular device moved from the first point in time to the second point in time is calculated by processing image data collected from the first point in time to the second point in time. The position fix is processed based on the estimate of the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Trimble Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Rudow, Robert Wold, Venkateswaran Kasirajan, Nicholas C. Talbot, Peter Van Wyck Loomis, Shawn D. Weisenburger, James M. Janky
  • Patent number: 9602188
    Abstract: A support system (1) for traffic support of ships (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b), having AIS ship reception units for receiving AIS radio signals containing ship traffic data, is characterized in that at least one flight object (2) is provided, comprising at least one AIS flight transmission unit (3), which is designed to transmit AIS radio signals containing ship traffic data inside an AIS transmission range (10) in such a manner that the transmitted AIS radio signals can be received by the ships (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) located inside the AIS transmission range (10) by means of their respective AIS ship reception units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Joerg Behrens, Birgit Suhr, Lars-Christian Hauer
  • Patent number: 9599721
    Abstract: A primary phase measurement device measures a first carrier phase and a second carrier phase of carrier signals received by the location-determining receiver. A secondary phase measurement device measures the third carrier phase and the fourth carrier phase of other carrier signals. A real time kinematic engine estimates a first integer ambiguity set associated with the measured first carrier phase and a second integer ambiguity set associated with the measured second carrier phase. The real time kinematic engine estimates a third ambiguity set associated with the measured third carrier phase and a fourth ambiguity set associated with the measured fourth carrier phase. A compensator is capable of compensating for the inter-channel bias in at least one of the third ambiguity set and the fourth ambiguity set by modeling a predictive filter in accordance with various inputs or states of the filter estimated by an estimator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Liwen Dai, Chaochao Wang
  • Patent number: 9593914
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for acquiring the coordinates of a trigger point (P) of a projectile (4) above a field part (1) on which a target (5a, 5b, 5c) is located. The method is characterized in that it comprises the following steps: emission of at least one laser pulse having a pre-determined duration and directed towards the target (5a, 5b, 5c); reception of the images reflected with a receiver equipped with means for the synchronous visualization of the laser pulses originating from a piece of observation of the field part (1); recovery of the coordinates of a desired trigger point (P) when the operator has chosen a location after the piece of observation was moved. The invention also relates to a fire-control system using such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: NEXTER SYSTEMS
    Inventor: Sylvain Muller
  • Patent number: 9595757
    Abstract: An integral phased array module may include a substrate and a radio frequency (RF) element provided in relation to the substrate. The RF element being configured to at least one of transmit and receive RF signals. The RF element includes a footprint of a particular size and shape with respect to the substrate and the substrate is sized to accommodate the footprint of the RF element. The integral phased array module may also include an optical function element configured to perform an optical function. The optical function element is located relative to the RF element on the substrate for integrating multi-band functionality into a single aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Martin Saint Clair, Julio A. Navarro
  • Patent number: 9588227
    Abstract: A method includes estimating the position of the moving object on the basis of the reception of navigation signals emitted by a constellation of satellites, the navigation signals being modulated by a code and the receiver comprising a local replica of the code. The determination of the confidence indicator consists in estimating a speed of displacement of the receiver over an identified trajectory segment, deducing therefrom a Doppler delay function corresponding to the motion of the receiver, in correcting the auto-correlation function of the GNSS navigation signal received from each satellite of the constellation by means of the delay function, in comparing the corrected auto-correlation function with a theoretical auto-correlation function by applying a quadratic criterion corresponding to the confidence indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignees: THALES, CENTRE NATIONAL D'ETUDES SPATIALES (CNES)
    Inventors: Michel Monnerat, Lionel Ries
  • Patent number: 9588221
    Abstract: In a radar apparatus, one frequency pair is extracted from among all frequency pairs, and an eigenvalue ratio in relation to the extracted pair is derived. The number of incoming waves is estimated according to the number of eigenvalue ratios each of which is not less than a reference threshold. Then, a proportion of the frequency pairs each estimated to have a plurality of incoming waves, relative to all frequency pairs (hereinafter referred to as plural detection proportion) is calculated as an evaluation value. These steps are repeated every time radar waves are transmitted and received. As a result, when a state where the plural detection proportion becomes not less than a specified proportion is detected over a specified number of cycles, it is determined that noise factor materials have adhered to a covering member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi Sato
  • Patent number: 9584068
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for converting from a differential signal path (IFoutA - IFoutB) at the output of a mixer to a signal path (Ssin gle) referenced to a reference potential. A controllable switch element is provided in each of the two single signal paths (IFoutA, IFoutB) of the differential signal path (IFoutA-IFoutB), wherein a first memory element is connected in series with the two switch elements, and wherein there is provided for the two switch elements at least one control, which during a charging phase of the first memory element connects the differential signal path (IFoutA-IFoutB) at the output of the mixer with the first memory element and applies the output signal on the differential output of the mixer for charging the first memory element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Bernhard Michalski
  • Patent number: 9577328
    Abstract: A frequency conversion circuit having a plurality of N signal channels, each being fed an input signal and a train of pluses having a period T and a duty cycle T/N. Each channel includes: a sampler coupled the input signal and being responsive to sampling signals; and a controllable time delay for producing the train of sampling signals in response to the train of pulses, the time delay imparting a time delay to the pulses in accordance with a time delay command signal fed to the time delay. Each one of the sampling signals is produced by the time delay in each one of the channels with the period T and the duty cycle T/N with the sampling signals in one of the trains of the sampling signals being delayed with respect to the sampling signals in another one of the trains the sampling signals a time T/N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthew A. Morton, Jonathan P. Comeau, Anthony Kopa
  • Patent number: 9568584
    Abstract: A wireless positioning server using clock offset compensation and a wireless positioning method using the same. The wireless positioning server using clock offset compensation estimates a precise position of a tag requiring position information by effectively predicting information regarding a distance between a beacon for performing positioning and the tag requiring position information. An error in the positioning estimation result due to a clock offset is minimized by measuring a relative clock frequency ratio between beacons and by compensating for clock frequencies of the beacons when a distance between a beacon and a tag is estimated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignees: SOONGSIL UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CONSORTIUM TECHNO-PARK, KOREA ELECTROTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Yo An Shin, Won Cheol Lee, Hyung Min Chang, E Rang Lim, Ji Myung Kang, Soon Woo Lee, Young Jin Park, Kwan Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9568280
    Abstract: A solid nose cone and related components are disclosed. Embodiments include a front-end system for a laser-guided munition. The front-end system includes a solid nose cone that is optically transparent to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) of a particular wavelength. The solid nose cone is configured to pass EMR incident on the exterior surface to the trailing end. An optical relay adapter (ORA) has an EMR-receiving front face and an EMR-emitting rear face. The EMR-receiving front face is optically coupled to the trailing end, and the ORA is configured to relay the EMR from the EMR-receiving front face to the EMR-emitting rear face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Paul Perryman, Bruno J. Evans, Thomas Hiromoto, Jillian L. Roettiger
  • Patent number: 9568591
    Abstract: A new method for processing search radar data is revealed using the mathematics of random matrix theory. During the time that the radar receiver is listening for return target echoes, the raw data stream is fed to an analog to digital converter to create a sample voltage file. This sample voltage file is processed by a digital signal processor that computes the eigenvalues of a sample covariance matrix generated for each pulse duration interval. The ratio of the largest to smallest eigenvalue is determined and compared to the system noise eigenvalue ratio. The sensitivity for detecting targets over the present state of the art is expected to be an approximate enhancement factor of one thousand, due to the detection of coherent energy instead of a transmitted waveform. The increase of detection distance for same radar cross section is expected to be an approximate 5.6 enhancement factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventor: Peter Dan Morley
  • Patent number: 9568593
    Abstract: The system (1) is used for the automatic calibration of an imaging-antenna arrangement (2) using an evaluation unit (4). The antenna arrangement (2) transmits signals (6) and receives the signals (6?) reflected from a calibration object (3) of known shape. The calibration object (3, 31, 32) provides at least one diffuse reflector (8). In the evaluation method, position coordinates of the calibration object (3) are entered, and the following method steps are implemented after the measurement of the reflected signals (6?): i. Calculation of the reflections of the calibration object (3, 31, 32), ii. Calculation of calibration data, iii. Preparation of an image of the calibration object with the use of the calibration data, iv. Determination of corrected position coordinates by evaluating the image of the at least one diffuse reflector, v. Implementation of steps i. to iv. with corrected position coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Sherif Sayed Ahmed
  • Patent number: 9568592
    Abstract: An inertial measurement unit (IMU) may be used to align a plurality of radar units coupled to a vehicle via a plurality of mounting structures. The IMU may be placed at a reference location and reference-location data may be captured. The IMU may be coupled to each of the mounting structures and, at each mounting structure, respective mounting-location inertial measurement data may be captured using the IMU. For each mounting structure, a measured roll angle, measured elevational angle, and measured azimuthal angle is determined based on at least the mounting-location inertial measurement obtained at the mounting structure and the reference inertial measurement. Further, for each mounting structure, offsets are determined for the measured roll angle, the measured elevational angle, and the measured azimuthal angle. One or more of the mounting structures and/or radar units are adjusted based on one or more of the offsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Brown, Russell Leigh Smith
  • Patent number: 9562967
    Abstract: A method of controlling a radar system by: receiving a radar return signal from a target and generating a range-Doppler target image signature of the target; selecting a spectral line within the range-Doppler target image signature from a modulation feature on the target which includes an effective point scatterer; providing a range profile for the spectral line; obtaining a reference range profile of a reference point scatterer; and determining a difference between a power at a range shorter than a peak corresponding to the modulation feature in the range profile and a power at a corresponding range of the reference range profile. The method may further include controlling provision of the range-Doppler target image signature based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: David James Emery, Peter Donald Fraser Tait