Patents Examined by Cassie Galt
  • Patent number: 9632184
    Abstract: Various arrangements are presented for managing coexistence of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver with a radio access technology (RAT) transceiver. A coexistence manager may receive an indication of a characteristic of a RAT transceiver for a scheduled operating event. Based on the characteristic of the RAT transceiver for the operating event, the coexistence manager may select a space vehicle of a GNSS to use for a location determination by the GNSS receiver. The GNSS receiver may then receive a signal from the space vehicle of the GNSS during the operating event of the RAT transceiver. Location determination using the signal received from the space vehicle received during the operating event of the RAT transceiver may then occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard Dominic Wietfeldt, George Chrisikos
  • Patent number: 9635500
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates geolocation of a user. The system includes a server and an electronic device. First, the server receives a location of the user from an electronic device of the user and determines a window around the location. Next, the server transmits the window and one or more geofences within the window to the electronic device. The electronic device then obtains one or more precision buffers associated with one or more levels of accuracy for detecting the location of the user near the one or more geofences. Finally, the electronic device facilitates use of the one or more geofences by varying a geolocation technique for tracking the location of the user based on the one or more precision buffers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: INTUIT INC
    Inventors: Richard J. Becker, Gregory K. Coulombe, Daniel L. Moise
  • Patent number: 9612334
    Abstract: A method for correcting for time delay variations between a plurality of signal paths from a signal source to at least one transmit antenna of a satellite may include measuring a time delay for each of the plurality of signal paths. The method may also include correcting a signal for the time delay variation based on the time delay for the signal path that is currently being used by the satellite, the corrected signal being usable for at least one of navigation, determining a geographic location and determining time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gregory Gutt, David A. Whelan, Peter M. Fyfe, James C. Lassa
  • Patent number: 9612337
    Abstract: Receiver using antenna beam forming for tracking a transmitter signal and method for tracking the transmitter signal. The receiver includes a beam forming network comprising at least one beam forming channel for weighting each of N signals received from an N-element antenna array with an assigned weighting factor for forming a beam for tracking a transmitter signal of a certain transmitter, and a calibrator structured and arranged to calibrate the weighting factor (Wi) assigned to a signal (i) selected from the N signals by determining an average phase difference (??) between consecutive samples of the selected signal and consecutive samples of a reference signal and structured and arranged to adapt the weighting factor (Wi) of the selected signal depending on the determined average phase difference (??), where (i) is a number between 1 and N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: ASTRIUM GMBH
    Inventor: Jean-Jacques Floch
  • Patent number: 9606213
    Abstract: A system for directionally classifying of a radio signal originating from an emitter. The system includes a receiving-station, which includes at least two antennas, a single-channel-receiver producing a first and a second received signals and a switch alternately coupling each of the antennas with the single-channel-receiver. The system further includes another receiving-station which includes another receiver, producing another received signal, coupled with a first other antenna. The system further includes directional-classifier which includes a phase-difference-detector, coupled with the single-channel-receiver and with said another receiver. The phase-difference-detector produces a first phase difference measurement when the switch couples one antenna with the single-channel-receiver. The phase-difference-detector further produces a second phase-difference-measurement when the switch couples the other antenna with the single-channel-receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Elbit Systems BMD and Land EW—Elisra LTD
    Inventor: Yehuda Meiman
  • Patent number: 9594168
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for determining position of a rover antenna, comprising: obtaining rover GNSS data derived from code observations and carrier phase observations of GNSS signals of multiple satellites over multiple epochs, obtaining precise satellite data for the satellites, determining a virtual base station location, generating epochs of synthesized base station data using at least the precise satellite data and the virtual base station location, and applying a differential process to at least the rover GNSS data and the synthesized base station data to determine at least rover antenna positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Trimble Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich Vollath, Xiaoming Chen, Rodrigo Leandro
  • Patent number: 9562976
    Abstract: A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) enabled device that is configured to distinguish reflected GNSS signals from direct GNSS signals utilizing three-dimensional models of the terrain in the proximity of the GNSS enabled device. By utilizing the identification of reflected GNSS signals, the reflected GNSS signals can be excluded and/or weighted to achieve a more accurate location determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Frank van Diggelen, Stephen Mole
  • Patent number: 9551777
    Abstract: A direction finding system for finding the angle of arrival of a target signal from a transmitter. The system includes a plurality of directional antennas positioned to face different directions for receiving the target signal. The antennas are mounted as an antenna array on a rotatable mount for supporting and rotating the antenna array. A receiver unit down converts the RF target signal to IF signals that are digitized by an A/D converter providing digital values. A computer computes the power in the signals from the A/D samples. A computer stores calibration information for the directional antennas, processes the digital values and the calibration information to determine a rotation angle ? for rotating the antennas to provide new digital values, processes the new digital values and the calibration information to determine an intersection angle, and subtracts the rotation angle from the intersection angle to determine the final value for the angle of arrival of the target signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventor: Robert Eugene Stoddard
  • Patent number: 9476985
    Abstract: A method for real time subset geometry screening comprises the steps of determining a list of satellites in view of a ground based augmentation system in a navigation satellite system for a subsequent time interval in the future, defining at least one set of subset geometries from the list of available satellites, calculating a respective first ?vig for each of the at least one set of subset geometries, setting a respective broadcast ?vig for each set of subset geometries as the larger of the first ?vig and a second ?vig, wherein the second ?vig was calculated for the previous time interval, saving the first ?vig for a next iteration of the method, and selecting from the plurality of broadcast ?vig to match an available broadcast constellation. ?vig is a vertical ionosphere gradient standard deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph E. Scheitlin
  • Patent number: 9470798
    Abstract: This application discloses a GNSS rover having a data receiver, a position processor and a vector error reverser. The data receiver receives GNSS position-determination reference data based on a reference erroneous position having one or more keyed intentional errors made confidential with confidential error keys. The position processor uses the GNSS position-determination reference data to determine a rover erroneous position corresponding to the reference erroneous position. The vector error reverser uses confidential access to at least one confidential error key to reverse the corresponding confidential keyed intentional error in the rover erroneous position to determine a subscribed rover position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: David G. Bird
  • Patent number: 9429658
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a dual mode global navigation satellite system may comprise selectively enabling a medium Earth orbit (MEO) radio frequency (RF) path and a low Earth orbit (LEO) RF path in a wireless communication device to receive RF satellite signals. The signals may be down-converted to determine a position of the wireless device. The signals may be down-converted utilizing local oscillator signals from a phase locked loop (PLL). The RF paths may be time-division duplexed by the selective enabling of the MEO and LEO paths. Acquisition and tracking modules in the MEO RF path may be blanked when the LEO RF path is enabled. The MEO RF path may be powered down when the LEO RF path is enabled. The signals may be down-converted to an intermediate frequency before down-converting to baseband frequencies or may be down-converted directly to baseband frequencies. In-phase and quadrature signals may be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Maxime Leclercq, Ioannis Spyropoulos, Nishant Kumar
  • Patent number: 9423507
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for estimating and correcting for multipath in GNSS navigation systems. According to some aspects, the invention operates in situations where position and estimated position error are reasonably stable so as to detect when large multipath errors are present with confidence. After detection, the slowly varying biases from multipath or other un-modeled sources can be modeled separately from the navigation state. The measurements are kept in the solution without biasing the navigation state thereby ignoring the long-term biases for use over short-term periods with minimized pseudorange error when necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: CSR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Xiangdong Lin, David Allan Tuck, Mangesh Chansarkar
  • Patent number: 9405010
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of calculating a geospatial position by a mobile device by monitoring with the mobile device a first control channel from a first cell of a cellular communications system; monitoring with the mobile device a second control channel from a second cell of the cellular communications system at the same time as the first cellular control channel; receiving with the mobile device a first correction value sent over the first control channel; receiving with the mobile device a second correction value sent over the second control channel; receiving with the mobile device a signal from a global navigation satellite system; calculating with the mobile device the geospatial position based upon the signal from the global navigation satellite system and at least one of the first correction value and the second correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk Appleford, Clinton H. Mundt
  • Patent number: 9367043
    Abstract: A solar cell, a charge state detection circuit and a voltage detection circuit as a generating state detection circuit that detects the generating state of the solar cell, and a control circuit are provided. The control circuit operates a GPS receiver circuit when a detection value detected by the voltage detection circuit is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value, and resets the threshold value if satellite signal reception by the GPS receiver circuit fails, or if the detection value detected by the voltage detection circuit remains less than the threshold value for a preset generating state detection time or longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Norimitsu Baba
  • Patent number: 9365303
    Abstract: A known ground location (KGL) satellite transceiver can include a position and elevation acquisition module configured to determine a time of flight (TOF) of a pseudonoise (PN) signal and a Doppler shift in a KGL signal for use in determining an orbit of a satellite. The PN signal can include a transmitted PN signal and a transponded PN signal. The KGL signal can include a transmitted KGL signal and a transponded KGL signal. The transmitted PN signal and the transmitted KGL signal can be transmitted sequentially on a first frequency carrier from the KGL satellite transceiver to the satellite. The transponded PN signal and the transponded KGL signal can be retransmitted back sequentially on a second frequency carrier from the satellite to the KGL satellite transceiver. The first frequency carrier and the second frequency carrier use a same frequency carrier or a different frequency carrier from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Ian S. Robinson
  • Patent number: 9354292
    Abstract: Systems and methods of transmitting location data based on wireless communication activity can include a location transmitting device having a sensor communicatively coupled to a low-power transmitter. The transmitter (e.g., a Bluetooth™ transmitter) can transmit location data from which an electronic device can derive its location. The sensor can be a sensor configured to detect wireless data transmissions (e.g., cellular data transmissions). In one example, the transmitter can transmit location data in response to the sensor detecting data transmissions of an electronic device. The transmitter can remain in an idle, standby, or otherwise low-power state until the sensor detects data transmissions of an electronic device. In response, the transmitter can transmit data which can be received by the electronic device. The electronic device can then derive the electronic device's location from the data transmitted by the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Douglas Burrell, Jerome Pasquero, David Ryan Walker
  • Patent number: 9322922
    Abstract: Apparatus for calculating the position of a receiver in dependence on the time it takes signalling events to travel from a plurality of satellites to the receiver, obtains an indication of a transit time for a signalling event to travel from each satellite to the receiver, and forms an indication of an expected transit time for a signalling event to travel from the satellite to the receiver. The obtained indication of the transit time and the indication of the expected transit time for each non-reference satellite are compared with the obtained indication of the transit time and the indication of the expected transit time for the reference satellite to form residuals that are representative of a combined error in those indications of expected transit time; and the position of the receiver is calculate without calculating the integer ambiguities in the obtained transit times, in dependence on the residuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
    Inventors: Anthony Richard Pratt, Murray Robert Jarvis
  • Patent number: 9316729
    Abstract: A system for providing signal trigger pulses comprises an equivalent time sampling unit providing transmit and receive trigger pairs, and a control unit controlling the equivalent time sampling unit to provide pseudorandom delay length variations between the trigger pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: NIITEK, Inc.
    Inventors: David Wilens, Mark Hibbard, William Cummings
  • Patent number: 9310489
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transmitter comprising: a plurality of antennas; and a radio transmitting part transmitting from each of the antennas a positional information signal containing the same positional information, the positional information being transmitted from the antennas through channels which are different between the antennas. The transmitter enables prevention of the positioning error and the positioning time from increasing by solving problems of null points and signal interferences, problems relating to a positional information transmitter disposed indoors, in a positioning system for acquiring a current position both indoors and outdoors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Kawaguchi, Tomoichi Ebata, Takayoshi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 9306270
    Abstract: The present invention refers to an active antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements comprising: at least one first subset of the plurality of antenna elements, the at least one first subset relaying a first radio signal having a first antenna beam pattern; and at least one second subset of the plurality of antenna elements, the at least one second subset relaying a second radio signal having a second antenna beam pattern, wherein at least one of the plurality of antenna elements is a common antenna element belonging to both the first subset and the second subset. A method for operating the active antenna array is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: KATHREIN-WERKE KG
    Inventors: Georg Schmidt, Martin Weckerle