Abstract: An electronic module and method of making an electronic module include a printed circuit board (PCB) having a surface, at least one conductive trace being formed on the surface. A housing element for mechanically mating with the PCB includes at least one mating surface aligned with the conductive trace on the PCB when the PCB and the housing element are mechanically mated, the mating surface comprising a plurality of alternating protrusions and spaces between the protrusions.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a communication system. Particularly disclosed are systems and methods for locating and tracking radio frequency signals and for automatically positioning an antenna to receive a desired radio frequency signal. The system may comprise an antenna module comprising a receive antenna and a plurality of tracking antennas, a base, one or more motors configured to rotate the antenna module and/or tilt the receive antenna relative to the base, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may include a spectrum analyzer and may be configured to receive inputs from the tracking antennas and provide outputs to control the motors.

Abstract: Methods and systems for evaluating Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are provided. Each of a first GNSS signal received by a GNSS receiver and a second GNSS signal received by the GNSS receiver is accessed. The second GNSS signal can have temporal fluctuations weaker than temporal fluctuations in the first GNSS signal. A delay between a sequence in the first GNSS signal and a corresponding sequence signal in the second GNSS signal is estimated and compared to a threshold. Upon determining that the delay exceeds the threshold, a location is estimated using both the first GNSS signal and the second GNSS signal.

Abstract: A method of acquiring a satellite signal includes providing a CDMA-modulated signal, defining a first search frequency interval and a first reception sensitivity, and performing a first acquisition of the modulated signal according to the first sensitivity and the first frequency interval in order to provide an acquisition or failed acquisition result. In case of a failed acquisition, performing a second acquisition of the modulated signal as a function of a second search frequency interval, narrower than the first frequency interval, and a second reception sensitivity, greater than the first sensitivity and depending on a power of a side lobe of the modulated signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are presented for improving accuracy in a navigation system. A method of determining a physical characteristic of a receiving device in a navigation system, includes receiving a plurality of navigation signals from a plurality of navigation signal sources, respectively; determining a plurality of measurement estimates, based on the received navigation signals; and determining a physical characteristic of the receiving device by estimating a first set of one or more parameters in an error model, based on at least the plurality of measurement estimates. The error model includes a first error contribution for modeling noise and a second error contribution for modeling indirect signal propagation of the plurality of navigation signals.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for locating at least one target (X) using an array of transceivers or sensors (S), in which at least a portion has a known geographic location, each comprising data processing means (S1) implementing at least one algorithm (AA, AS, AR, AF) for locating a target, means (S2) for transmitting/receiving a signal that decreases with the distance, the sensor array (S) covering at least one geographic area or area (Z), characterized in that they implement for each instant (t) an exchange of data or similarity data (DS) between the sensors (S) and a leading sensor (SL), and a distribution determination (DP) of the probability of the location of the target (X) using at least one regression algorithm (AR) on the basis of the similarity data (DS).

Abstract: A location calculating method includes acquiring measurement information by receiving satellite signals from positioning satellites and storing the acquired measurement information in a storage unit in association with acquisition time, calculating movement information that includes a movement direction and a movement distance by using a detection result of a sensor unit that at least includes an acceleration sensor and storing the calculated movement information in the storage unit in association with calculation time, and calculating a location at desired time by using at least the measurement information of which the acquisition time satisfies a predetermined proximity time condition and the movement information of which the calculation time is between the acquisition time of the measurement information and the given desired time.

Abstract: Determination of an impairment compensation matrix for compensation of impairments in an antenna array is disclosed. A plurality of different combinations of multi-signal transmissions which form at least one null at a respective location of a plurality of locations is determined. Each combination includes a multi-signal transmission that comprises at least two concurrent signal transmissions from at least two antenna subarrays of N antenna subarrays and the respective location. Based on signal characteristics associated with the plurality of different combinations of multi-signal transmissions and an expected signal reception at the plurality of locations, an impairment matrix that identifies an effect of impairments among the N antenna subarrays is determined. The impairment compensation matrix is determined based on the impairment matrix.

Abstract: A method of near-field electromagnetic ranging and location exploits the long-wavelength, near-field characteristics of low-frequency RF signals like those in the vicinity of the AM broadcast band. These signals are robust against scattering from small objects and only mildly perturbed by the urban landscape including building structures. They are thus amenable to an RF fingerprinting approach exploiting a coarse calibration to capture the behavior of the gradually varying signal characteristics. In embodiments, a method of near-field electromagnetic ranging and location may exploit transmit tags transmitting to an infrastructure of locator-receivers, or locator-receiver tags detecting signals from an infrastructure of fixed transmitter beacons. In still further embodiments, fixed transmitter beacons may be supplemented by uncooperative signals sources including signals-of-opportunity like AM broadcast band signals.

Abstract: A transmitting beacon (4) having at least two transmitting current loops (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) that are mutually orthogonal and capable of transmitting electromagnetic waves (5.1, 5.2, 5.3), as well as means (7) for supplying power to the transmitting current loops (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) in series is disclosed.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture are disclosed herein that may be utilized, in whole or in part, for determining background position information for the mobile station using one or more positioning techniques, such as signal metrics.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining real time location of assets by calculating the relative position of a plurality of GPS enabled devices transported together, taking advantage of multiple GPS enable devices being transported together including dual band GPS and averaging location data between US and European GPS data. Additionally, an IMB acts to receive GPS data from multiple devices in a shipment and IMB combines and averages data from both GPS systems to create more liable location determination.

Abstract: A wireless location system is disclosed including one or more location centers for outputting locations of mobile stations (MS) for both local and global MS location requests via Internet communication between a distributed network of location centers. The system uses a plurality of MS locating technologies including those based on: two-way TOA and TDOA; pattern recognition; distributed antenna provisioning; GPS signals. Difficulties, such as multipath, poor location accuracy and poor coverage are alleviated via such technologies in combination with: (a) adapting and calibrating system performance according to environmental and geographical changes; (b) capturing location signal data for continual enhancement of an historical database; (c) evaluating MS locations via heuristics and constraints related to terrain, MS velocity and MS path extrapolation, and (d) adjusting likely MS locations.

Abstract: A global navigation satellite system (“GNSS”) positioning method is provided, based upon a GNSS radio signal that includes a navigation message transmitted as a sequence of frames, each frame being composed of a plurality of subframes, each of which contains a first set of ephemeris and clock correction data (DECH) sufficient for computing a satellite position and a satellite clock error. Each subframe furthermore contains a second set of DECH, more compact than the first set of DECH, but sufficient for computing satellite position and satellite clock error to a lesser degree of accuracy, at least two copies of the second set of DECH being present in each subframe, such that the timing difference between two consecutive copies does not exceed 70% of the subframe duration.

Abstract: A positioning method and apparatus of an electronic device which comprises a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or Global Positioning System (GPS), and an Inertial Navigation System (INS), includes receiving a satellite signal through the GNSS. A location of the electronic device and a reliability of location information of the electronic device is determined based on the satellite signal provided by the GNSS using at least one of satellite information of the satellite signal and location information based on the determined location of the electronic device. An operational level of the INS is determined using the reliability of the location information of the electronic device; and compensating the location of the electronic device by operating the INS according to the determined operational level of the INS.

Abstract: A combined GPS and GLONASS receiver receives GPS signals and GLONASS signals. A calibration signal is generated utilizing the received GPS signals and/or the received GLONASS signals to offset group delay errors in the received GLONASS signals. The generated calibration signal is filtered through Kalman filters to estimate group delay variations in the received GLONASS signals. The estimated group error delay variations are combined with the received GLONASS signals to calibrate the received GLONASS signals by offsetting the estimated group error delay variations. When GPS signals are not available for use, the combined GPS and GLONASS receiver obtains group delay errors stored or in the received GLONASS signals to estimate calibration coefficients. The estimate calibration coefficients are updated utilizing received GPS and/or GLONASS signals.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for updating the universal time within a GPS enable device in real-time and utilizing that corrected time to improve upon pseudorange calculations in the GPS devices. A time shim is introduced to correct outlier time values and provide improved pseudorange calculations to the device operating system, as well as draw upon various predictive smoothing methods of timestamp and position data to improve GPS location values. The improved GPS data is then provided to a location services process running on the device in an expected format and timing such that the operating system is unaware that the prior application interface of the system has been circumvented.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing a plurality of interred cremation remains are disclosed. The systems and methods relate to a parcel of land and a computer database. The parcel of land includes first and second geolocated plots, wherein the first geolocated plot includes the cremated remains of a first deceased subject, and the second geolocated plot includes the cremated remains of a second deceased subject. The computer database electronically stores the geographic positions and the occupancy status of the first and second plots.

Abstract: A DGNSS-based guidance system, wherein a rover receiver first utilizes data from a master base station transceiver, a DGNSS reference network, or some other differential source to compute a differentially corrected location to establish a reference DGNSS relationship. Using this location and data observed only at the rover, the rover computes an internal set of differential corrections, which set is stored in computer memory, updated as necessary, and applied in future times to correct observations taken by the rover. As the rover enters into areas of other base station receiver reference networks, the rover transceiver will send positional information it receives from the master base station to the new, secondary base station. The secondary base station then calibrates its own reference information using information sent from the original master base station.

Abstract: This invention discloses a photonic system to beamform the electric field yield by a phased array antenna. The system function relies on a photonic tunable delay line, which consists on an optical Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a predefined time delay difference between arms. The time delay is tuned by adjusting the coupling ratio between the power applied to each one of the interferometer's delay lines. Three embodiments are proposed, wherein one of them just uses a single delay line and a single monochromatic light source, independently of the quantity of the array elementary antennas.