Patents Examined by Fred H. Mull
  • Patent number: 10670493
    Abstract: The invention provides a safety diagnosis system for structure, which comprises one GNSS receiver installed on an upper floor of a structure, a control device having a storage unit for storing a program which prepares an absolute displacement curve of the structure based on an absolute coordinate measured by the GNSS receiver and a displacement of the absolute coordinate, calculates a maximum inter-layer displacement and a maximum inter-layer deformation angle per each floor based on the absolute displacement curve and prepares an inter-layer deformation angle curve and a judging unit for performing a diagnosis of the safety of the structure based on the maximum inter-layer displacement and the maximum inter-layer deformation angle, and a display unit, wherein the control device calculates the maximum inter-layer displacement and the maximum inter-layer deformation angle per each floor and the inter-layer deformation angle curve based on a displacement of the absolute coordinate and the program and makes the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Tadayuki Morishita, Yoshihito Saito, Hiroaki Ryujin, Koichiro Fuse, Kazuhiro Ogawa, Kaoru Kumagai, Ritsuo Sakimura
  • Patent number: 10665942
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for adjusting an operational parameter of electromagnetic waves supplied to a feed point of a dielectric antenna to modify a beamwidth of far-field wireless signals generated by the dielectric antenna, the electromagnetic waves propagating along the feed point without an electrical return path, detecting that the beamwidth of the far-field wireless signals needs to be adjusted to improve a reception of the far-field wireless signals by a remote system, and adjusting the operational parameter of the electromagnetic waves to adjust the beamwidth of the far-field wireless signals. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul Shala Henry, Donald J Barnickel, Farhad Barzegar, Robert Bennett, Irwin Gerszberg, Henry Kafka, Thomas M. Willis, III
  • Patent number: 10658729
    Abstract: Various arrangements for aligning a satellite antenna is presented. An expected date and an expected time for an expected conjunction of the satellite antenna, a satellite that transmits data to a remote terminal and the sun may be determined using positional data. A signal may be received by the antenna that comprises a data transmission from the satellite and interference from the sun. Based on the received signal, a date and time during which an interference level is at a peak interference level can be determined. An azimuthal or elevational alignment for the satellite antenna to be aligned with the satellite based on the time during which the interference level is at the peak interference level may be determined. An alignment of the satellite antenna may be performed based on the determined azimuthal or elevational alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: DISH Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Samuel Whitley, Silas Cole
  • Patent number: 10656240
    Abstract: Determining a signal emitter location involves receiving a signal of interest (SOI) at detection devices, generating a time stamp corresponding to the arrival of the SOI at each detection device, and communicating digital data samples and the time stamp to a time-difference of arrival (TDOA) computer system. The TDOA computer system determines a TDOA of the SOI at the detection devices relative to an arrival time at a first one of the detection devices having an earliest time stamp. It determines a first solution to identify the emitter location in accordance with a first TDOA solution method. It evaluates the reliability of the first solution and selectively uses a second solution if the first solution is insufficiently reliable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: HARRIS GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: William N. Furman, John W. Nieto, Paul E. Voglewede
  • Patent number: 10642560
    Abstract: A tracking system is described having at least two mobile transmitter/receivers (“transceivers”) which sense and respond to at least one tracking transceiver. The signals sent to and received from the mobile transceivers are analyzed to get a distance (range) that each is from the tracking transceiver. This can be converted into a position relative to the mobile transceivers. If there are enough transceivers, and at least one knows its absolute location, the absolute location of the mobile transceivers may be determined. Existing smartphones, cellphones, WI-FI® wireless standard routers, BLUETOOTH® wireless standard devices, and near-field devices that have on-board processors, can be modified to run executable code to implement the current invention. They may communicate using at least one of the modalities for tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: POSITION IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Edward L. Hill, Brett Bilbrey, Harry Lee Deffebach, III, Krenar Komoni
  • Patent number: 10627477
    Abstract: A disclosed method for a locating system comprises transmitting, by at least two transmitters on each of at least one transmitter platform, at least one signal, where each of the signals transmitted from a different transmitter is modulated at a different oscillation frequency, and the distance between the transmitters on each of the transmitter platforms is known. The method further comprises receiving, by a detector(s) on each of a target platform(s), the signal(s). When the detector(s) receives the signal(s), the signal(s) is focused at a location on the detector(s). Also, the method comprises determining an angle the signal(s) is being transmitted to the detector(s) from the transmitters by using the location(s). Further, the method comprises determining a relative position of each of the transmitter platform(s) with respect to the target platform(s) by using the angle(s) and by using the distance between the transmitters on each of the transmitter platform(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Douglas R. Jungwirth
  • Patent number: 10627526
    Abstract: A position is determined using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) with an antenna assembly having a number of antennas that are oriented with different direction vectors. Antenna-received signals are supplied to an evaluation assembly, which includes GNSS receivers and an evaluation device. The antenna-received signals are detected with regard to their satellite-related signal-to-noise ratio and, in relation to each satellite, the satellite-specific signal-to-noise ratio measured values that are positively distinguished in their signal-to-noise ratio from other signal-to-noise ratio measured values relating to the same satellite are selected. A satellite-related main direction vector signal is formed from each of the direction vector signals of the antennas. The main direction vector signals are compared with the orientation vector signals that characterize the position of the respective satellites in orbit; in the event of minor deviations a position indication is given.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
    Inventors: Hendrik Ibendorf, Olaf Richter
  • Patent number: 10605925
    Abstract: Processing GPS drifting. A method and system for processing GPS drifting is included. The method includes: determining predicted error information on position correction of a device within a region; obtaining a GPS initial position and a corrected position of the device within the region; and determining GPS drifting of the region based on the predicted error information, the GPS initial position, and the corrected position of at least one device within the region. The method and system of the present application can effectively ameliorate GPS drifting issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Min Gong, Yun Jie Qiu, Yu Wang, Junchi Yan
  • Patent number: 10598757
    Abstract: Estimating range bias in a timing-based radio positioning network. Systems and methods estimate range bias, and use the estimated bias to adjust an estimated range measurement for use in estimating a position of a receiver. Estimated range bias may be based on surveyed range errors associated with locations near the position of the receiver, or may alternatively be based on comparisons of different range measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: NextNav, LLC
    Inventors: Christian Gates, Arun Raghupathy
  • Patent number: 10539645
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining an angle of arrival of an incident plane wave received by an antenna array. The method includes receiving signals from a plurality of antenna receiving channels, determining a set of possible angles of arrival of the incident plane wave based on the signals received at the plurality of receiving channels, measuring a pulse delay of the incident plane wave between the signals received at the plurality of receiving channels, and calculating the angle of arrival of the incident plane wave based on the set of possible angles of arrival and the measured pulse delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Oded Bialer, Igal Bilik
  • Patent number: 10534087
    Abstract: A method for enhancing GPS location accuracy includes providing a base station receiver having a known surveyed location, and a roving receiver at a location distinct from the base station receiver. The method further includes receiving single-frequency code and carrier-phase measurements from the base station, and translating the single-frequency code and carrier-phase measurements to a Kalman filter-predicted location of the roving receiver. The translated single frequency code and carrier phase measurements are used to generate a local replica of the Kalman filter-predicted location signals for each channel of the roving receiver. The method further includes correlating the local replicas with an incoming signal of the roving receiver to generate a plurality of tracking error estimates. The plurality of tracking error estimates are used to update navigation states and clock update states thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: James J Brewer, John F Raquet
  • Patent number: 10509093
    Abstract: A method for operating a transmit-receive point (TRP) includes generating a different spatial domain to time domain transform (STT) symbol for each antenna element in an antenna array, and transmitting the STT symbols using the antenna array to sweep a beam along a first plane in the time domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: FUTUREWEI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Zhengxiang Ma
  • Patent number: 10502840
    Abstract: A method of determining a position of a mobile platform includes obtaining a plurality of pseudorange measurements from multiple time epochs of a satellite navigation system (SPS) and obtaining a plurality of visual-inertial odometry (VIO) velocity measurements from a VIO system. Each time epoch of the SPS includes at least one pseudorange measurement corresponding to a first satellite and at least one pseudorange measurement corresponding to a second satellite. The method also includes combining the plurality of pseudorange measurements with the plurality of VIO velocity measurements to identify one or more outlier pseudorange measurements in the plurality of pseudorange measurements. The one or more outlier pseudorange measurements are then discarded from the plurality of pseudorange measurements to generate a remaining plurality of pseudorange measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Urs Niesen, Venkatesan Nallampatti Ekambaram, Lionel Jacques Garin, Jubin Jose, Xinzhou Wu
  • Patent number: 10495763
    Abstract: A method of determining a trajectory of a mobile platform includes obtaining a satellite positioning system (SPS) measurement from one or more SPS signals acquired by an SPS receiver of the mobile platform. The method also includes obtaining a visual-inertial odometry (VIO) measurement of the mobile platform from a VIO system of the mobile platform. A first position estimate of the mobile platform is determined based, at least in part, on the SPS measurement and the VIO measurement. The method then includes adjusting the first position estimate to generate a smoothed position estimate based, in part, on a smoothing parameter that controls a smoothness of the trajectory. The trajectory of the mobile platform is then determined, at least in part, using the smoothed position estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Urs Niesen, Venkatesan Nallampatti Ekambaram, Lionel Jacques Garin, Jubin Jose, Xinzhou Wu
  • Patent number: 10490892
    Abstract: This device combines multiple elements that function like a single smart antenna that performs both connectivity and spatial discrimination functions. The antenna functions in both receive and transmit modes. The apparatus utilizes commonly used components to distinguish and separate desired satellite signals from those signals of satellites in close directional proximity. Disclosed are six methods for optimizing simultaneously reception of multiple desired satellite signals performed either mechanically or electronically and also included is an optimization technique. The transmission apparatus uses many of the same components as the receiver antenna and additionally uses in-beam nulling to fine tune transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: SPATIAL DIGITAL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Donald C. D. Chang
  • Patent number: 10481250
    Abstract: A radar antenna system comprises a plurality of transmitting sub-arrays; a plurality of receiving sub-arrays; and a transceiving control unit coupled to the plurality of transmitting sub-arrays and the plurality of receiving sub-arrays, configured to control the plurality of transmitting sub-arrays and the plurality of receiving sub-arrays, such that the radar antenna system selectively operates in one of an amplitude-comparison mono-pulse mode and a phase-comparison mono-pulse mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Wistron NeWeb Corporation
    Inventors: Guo-Shu Huang, Jeng-Da Li, Hsin-Lung Hsiao
  • Patent number: 10473747
    Abstract: A method for operating a transmit-receive point (TRP) includes generating a different spatial domain to time domain transform (STT) symbol for each antenna element in an antenna array, and transmitting the STT symbols using the antenna array to sweep a beam along a first plane in the time domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: FUTUREWEI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Zhengxiang Ma
  • Patent number: 10466362
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an integrated navigation integrity monitoring system for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising: an inertial measurement unit for providing a processor with zero offset values of different levels of inertial measurement units; a receiver for receiving signals from global satellite navigation and providing the processor with an integrity risk of a global satellite navigation system; and the processor for calculating a horizontal protection level of integrated navigation and a vertical protection level of integrated navigation, setting a horizontal alert limit and a vertical alert limit, comparing the horizontal protection level and the vertical protection level obtained by calculation with the corresponding horizontal alert limit and vertical alert limit respectively, and monitoring the integrity of the unmanned aerial vehicle. An inertial navigation system can be achieved without hardware redundancy, and the cost of integrated navigation integrity monitoring can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: BEIHANG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhipeng Wang, Yanbo Zhu, Wei Liu
  • Patent number: 10470095
    Abstract: A beam pattern of a base station antenna is refined when communicating with multiple aircraft, so that interference to adjacent beams from the base station are reduced. The method include receiving position locations from each of multiple aircraft. The method also include the receipt of an attitude of each of the aircraft as well as receipt of measurements of the pilot signals from each of the aircraft. The pilot signals were transmitted by the base station. The method also include the adjustment of an amplitude and a phase of a signal driving at least one antenna transmit element to refine the beam pattern. The adjustment is based at least in part on the pilot measurements, the position locations, and the attitude of each of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Roy Howard Davis
  • Patent number: 10459088
    Abstract: In a positioning method and a terminal according to the present disclosure, a processor positions a location of the terminal through interferometric positioning using a plurality of positioning signals received from a plurality of satellites. The processor calculates an integer bias for the plurality of positioning signals, selects a group of location candidates based on a float solution acquired through the calculation of the integer bias, and notifies that the terminal is located at a predetermined point on a map under a condition in which the group of location candidates is included in a line-shaped area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuhisa Yamazaki