Patents Examined by Bernarr Gregory
  • Patent number: 9557415
    Abstract: One embodiment describes an imaging system. The system includes a first imaging system configured to provide first signals to a target area and to receive first response signals. The system also includes a second imaging system configured to provide second signals to the target area and to receive second response signals. The first and second signals can have separate frequency bands. The system further includes a processor configured to correct the first response signals based on the second response signals, and to generate an image based on the corrected first response signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Mostafa A. Karam, Raj K. Shori, Douglas Lee Sego, Lyle K. Bidler, II, A. Douglas Meyer
  • Patent number: 9559422
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a communication device. The communication device includes a ground conductor portion and a multi-antenna system. The multi-antenna system includes at least a first and a second resonant portion, each of which is disposed on the corresponding radiating edge of the ground conductor portion. Each of the resonant portions may have a loop resonant structure or may have an open-slot resonant structure, and has a resonant path. The electrically coupling portion makes the length of the resonant path less than or equal to 0.18 times the wavelength of the lowest operating frequency of the multi-antenna system, and thereby excites the corresponding radiating edge and forms a strong surface current distribution, and generates an effective radiating energy and at least one resonant mode, in which the effective radiating energy has a corresponding strongest radiation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute, National Sun Yat-sen University
    Inventors: Kin-Lu Wong, Yeh-Chun Kao, Po-Wei Lin, Wei-Yu Li
  • Patent number: 9551552
    Abstract: Embodiments include active protection systems and methods for an aerial platform. An onboard system includes radar modules, detects aerial vehicles within a threat range of the aerial platform, and determines if any of the aerial vehicles are an aerial threat. The onboard system also determines an intercept vector to the aerial threat, communicates the intercept vector to an eject vehicle, and causes the eject vehicle to be ejected from the aerial platform to intercept the aerial threat. The eject vehicle includes alignment thrusters to rotate a longitudinal axis of the eject vehicle to substantially align with the intercept vector, a rocket motor to accelerate the eject vehicle along an intercept vector, divert thrusters to divert the eject vehicle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the intercept vector, and attitude control thrusters to make adjustments to the attitude of the eject vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Orbital ATK, Inc.
    Inventors: James Kolanek, Behshad Baseghi, David Sharpin, Anthony Visco, Falin Shieh
  • Patent number: 9551785
    Abstract: A method for detecting an object, comprising the steps of defining expected characteristics of scattered electromagnetic radiation to be received at a receiver; attenuating at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation received at the receiver by a presence of an object within a path of electromagnetic information; and detecting the attenuation to indicate a presence of the object. The object may be a low radar profile object, such as a stealth aircraft. The electromagnetic radiation is preferably microwave, but may also be radio frequency or infrared. By using triangulation and other geometric techniques, distance and position of the object may be computed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventor: James L. Geer
  • Patent number: 9553657
    Abstract: A method and system facilitate communication between a constellation of satellites and a mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator. The method and system may include the use of a first antenna suited for operation using a first frequency band in a first geographic region and a second antenna suited for operation using either the first or a second frequency band in a second geographic region. The method and system may use a controller to determine which antenna to activate based on one or more of a geographic indicator or a signal indicator. The system used by the method to facilitate the communication may have one or more enclosures over the antennas and controller for mounting to a mobile platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: GOGO LLC
    Inventor: Sean Scott Cordone
  • Patent number: 9547079
    Abstract: A system for tracking at least one object configured to be transported by at least one vehicle may include at least one computer system. The at least one computer system may be configured to determine at least one location of the at least one vehicle and determine at least one location of the at least one object. The at least one computer system may be further configured to determine at least one location of at least one geofence adjacent the at least one vehicle based on the at least one location of the at least one vehicle. Also, the at least one computer system may be configured to determine whether the at least one object is located within the at least one geofence to determine whether a load of the at least one vehicle includes the at least one object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Anthony Hyatt, Stephen Witty, Kevin Henry
  • Patent number: 9544741
    Abstract: A terminal to be carried into a moving object includes a first information obtaining unit, a time stamp adding unit, a second information obtaining unit, and an integration unit. The first information obtaining unit obtains positional information of the terminal. The time stamp adding unit adds a timestamp to the positional information obtained by the first information obtaining unit. The second information obtaining unit obtains, from the moving object, the positional information of the moving object having a timestamp added in the same time unit as the timestamp added by the object time stamp adding unit. The integration unit integrates positional information having a timestamp for which no positional information has been obtained by the first information obtaining unit, selectively from the positional information obtained by the second information obtaining unit, with the positional information obtained by the second information obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junji Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 9541444
    Abstract: A self-diagnosing FMCW radar level gauge and a method for providing self-diagnosing with a radar level gauge is provided in a radar level gauge comprising a transceiver, a mixer, a signal propagating device and a signal propagation path connecting the transceiver and the signal propagating device, a filter arrangement and processing circuitry. The filter arrangement provides a filtered intermediate frequency signal. The transceiver outputs either a diagnostic sweep configured such that a reference echo from the signal propagation path is detectable in said filtered intermediate frequency signal, or a measurement sweep configured such that the reference echo is suppressed in the filtered intermediate frequency signal and that a surface echo is detectable. The processing circuitry is configured to self-diagnose the radar level gauge based on the reference echo, and to determine the distance to the surface based on the surface echo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Rosemount Tank Radar AB
    Inventor: Mikael Kleman
  • Patent number: 9534868
    Abstract: An aerodynamic conformal nose cone and scanning mechanism is disclosed. Laser energy, from within a body of a missile, is directed through a solid, optically transparent nose cone. A detector in the body detects reflected laser energy that passes through the solid, optically transparent nose cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Paul Perryman, Bruno J. Evans, Thomas Hiromoto, Don A. Larson
  • Patent number: 9529090
    Abstract: A method of satellite status judgment and computer program includes steps of selecting a plurality of observation satellites from a plurality of satellites according to a first condition, selecting, by the positioning apparatus, each of the observation satellites in turn as a target satellite, obtaining a signal variation slope of a first signal of a target satellite during a first observation time period, determining whether the target satellite should be masked according to the slope of the first signal, generating a prompt message when it is determined that the target satellite should be masked, and masking positioning signals transmitted from the target satellite according to the prompt message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Getac Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Shang-Ming Chiu
  • Patent number: 9529072
    Abstract: A search system for searching buried persons is provided including a radio device with a receiving device including at least one receiving antenna and adapted to receive the field of a transmitter antenna, wherein the radio device is adapted to determine the direction of the field vector of the transmitter antenna relative to the at least one receiving antenna; as well as a user interface device with at least one interface for interfacing with the radio device, as well as at least one output device for outputting search information derived from the direction of the determined field vector and perceivable by a user; wherein the radio device and the user interface device are each formed as separate units, which are each encompassed by an own housing, and wherein the search system includes determining means for determining the relative orientation of the user interface device to the radio device. Moreover, it relates to a corresponding method for search a buried person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Ortovox Sportartikel GmbH
    Inventor: Rolf Matzner
  • Patent number: 9523761
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for using two or more currently installed antenna elements on a vehicle for geolocation of a remote emitter. Redundant antenna elements initially installed for a non-geolocation purpose are employed to receive signals from the remote emitter. A splitter is used to tap from the received signal where the content of the received signal, if desired, is available to a non-geolocation receiver for which the antenna element was originally designed. The splitter transmits the split portion of the signal to a geolocation sensing receiver for signal processing based on a two or more antenna element geolocation solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore J. Hoffmann, Mark M. Mulbrook, James A. Stevens
  • Patent number: 9523775
    Abstract: An RF asset-tracking device that has an extended operational life, thus increasing the duration between battery replacement or maintenance. The asset-tracking device is provided with an electro-mechanical energy-harvesting device to supplement the battery. The energy-harvesting device provides additional power to augment the battery on a temporary basis, when the battery level is low, until the battery can be replaced. In one particular embodiment, the tracking device has a power management system, a battery power source and a battery monitor, and an electro-mechanical energy-harvesting device and a high capacity supercapacitor operably connected to the power management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Senaya, Inc.
    Inventors: Mrinmoy Chakraborty, Dadi Setiadi, Brian Lee, Jamshed Dubash, Jahangir Nakra
  • Patent number: 9525206
    Abstract: A DBF antenna unit including one or more transmitting antennas and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged at a predetermined interval in a horizontal scanning direction. Each of the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas includes a waveguide provided with a corner bend and a horn expanding in a pyramid-like shape from one end of the waveguide. The other ends of the waveguides of all the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas are placed on the same plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Honda elesys Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Abe, Takayuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9519049
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to receive radar pulses, process the received pulses using weighted finite state machine to learn a model of an unknown emitter generating the received radar pulses, and estimate a state/function of the unknown emitter based on the received radar pulses using the learned model, and predict the next state/function of the unknown emitter based on the received radar pulses and applying maximum likelihood estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Shubha Kadambe, Alexander Niechayev, Ted Y. Lumanlan
  • Patent number: 9518856
    Abstract: A coupling device for coupling a threaded feed-through of a process connection to provide a launcher for a non-metallic storage tank. The storage tank includes a tank aperture in its top surface. The coupling device includes a foil nozzle including an inner upper metal foil surface that includes a threaded aperture for securing the feed-through thereto, and a first and second lower metal foil surface on respective sides of the upper metal foil surface. The foil nozzle also includes a first and a second foil level transition region disposed between the respective sides of the inner upper metal foil surface and the first and second lower metal foil surface. The foil nozzle can be configured in a cylindrical, horn, or a corrugated horn shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Cornel Cobianu, Ion Georgescu, Stuart James Heath, Michael Kon Yew Hughes, Frank Martin Haran
  • Patent number: 9518807
    Abstract: A method of controlling a projectile includes initiating an execution mode if a roll control authority parameter is outside of a pre-determined operating range for a projectile. The execution mode includes bypassing a guidance command and sending a modified command to execute a coning maneuver to improve control response of the projectile. A projectile control system includes a processor operatively connected to a memory. The memory has instructions recorded thereon that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to execute the method operations described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Nash, Gary Willenbring, Robert L. Alford
  • Patent number: 9507014
    Abstract: A method is described for detecting a rotating wheel of a vehicle that is travelling on a roadway in a travel direction, the wheels of which are at least partially exposed laterally, the method comprising: emitting an electromagnetic measurement beam having a known temporal progression of its frequency onto a first section above the roadway in a direction in a slant with respect to the vertical and normally or at a slant with respect to the travel direction; receiving a reflected measurement beam and recording the temporal progression of its frequencies, relative to the known progression, as a reception frequency mixture progression; and detecting a frequency band, which is continuously inclining or declining over a period of time, in the reception frequency mixture progression as a wheel. A device for conducting the method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Andreas Stelzer, Markus Pichler, Clemens Pfeffer, Oliver Nagy, Werner Scheiblhofer, Reinhard Feger
  • Patent number: 9507010
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for determining a frequency drift of clock of a mobile communication device is disclosed. A first positioning signal, such as M-LMS signals, is received at a first positioning engine of the mobile communication device controlled by the clock. A second positioning signal, such as GNSS signals, is received at a second positioning engine of the mobile communication device controlled by the clock. A first position is determined from the first positioning signal, and a second position is determined from the second positioning signal. A difference between the first position and the second position is determined, and the frequency drift of the clock is determined from the difference between the first position and the second position. The frequency drift determined may be subsequently applied to the clock, and thus enhance the accuracy of M-LMS positioning when GNSS signals are unreliable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Mohammad Shafiq Bani Hani, Bruce Allen Bernhardt, Arnold Sheynman
  • Patent number: 9500740
    Abstract: A receiver circuit, comprises an input balun circuit comprising a balanced balun output and being capable of receiving RF signals, an input amplification circuit comprising a balanced amplifier input and a balanced amplifier output, a single balanced in-phase mixing circuit comprising a first unbalanced RF mixer input and a balanced in-phase mixing frequency input, and a single balanced quadrature mixing circuit comprising a second unbalanced RF mixer input and a balanced quadrature mixing frequency input. The balanced amplifier input is connected to the balanced balun output, a first terminal of the balanced amplifier output is connected to provide an amplified RF signal to the first unbalanced RF mixer input and a second terminal of the balanced amplifier output is connected to provide a phase-shifted amplified RF signal to the second unbalanced RF mixer input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Saverio Trotta