Patents Examined by Gregory C. Issing
  • Patent number: 9239376
    Abstract: Doppler Aided Inertial Navigation (DAIN) facilitates the determination of position, velocity and direction of mobile devices operating in highly obstructed GPS/GNSS environments. Delivering high precision, high resolution positioning information using signals of opportunity, the present invention measures the Doppler shift of a moving device using a variety of signals combined with inertial accelerometers and environmental sensors to deliver an autonomous positioning and navigation capability that does not require external infrastructure or a priori knowledge of signal sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Telecommunication Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Mathews, Peter F. MacDoran
  • Patent number: 9240832
    Abstract: A method for detecting signals using an adaptive transducer arrangement, the arrangement including a transducer array having a plurality of transducers, a beamformer, and an energy detector, the method comprising: determining weights to be applied by the beamformer to signals emitted from each transducer in order to maximize a performance metric; applying the determined weights to the signals emitted from each transducer; measuring the energy received at the energy detector; comparing the measured energy with a predetermined value and based on said comparison determining whether or not one or more signals are present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Roke Manor Research Limited
    Inventor: David James Sadler
  • Patent number: 9219317
    Abstract: A planar monopulse radar apparatus includes a planar distribution matrix coupled to a planar antenna array having a linear configuration of antenna elements. The planar distribution matrix is responsive to first and second pluralities of weights applied thereto for providing both sum and difference beam distributions across the antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: Bernd H. Strassner, II
  • Patent number: 9207328
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for determination of attitude for a projectile in flight. The system includes at least one antenna mounted on the projectile. Each antenna is configured to receive Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. Further, the system includes a signal receiving unit communicably coupled to the each antenna to receive the GPS signals and to ascertain the earth referenced velocity vector. The system also includes a plurality of magnetometers for ascertaining a projectile referenced earth's magnetic field vector. Moreover, the system includes a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to utilize a known projectile referenced velocity vector and a stored prediction of the earth referenced earth's magnetic field vector along with the measured earth referenced velocity vector and the measured projectile referenced earth's magnetic field vector to determine the attitude of the projectile. Further disclosed is a method for determination of attitude for a projectile in flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Robert D. Frey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9207305
    Abstract: This invention relates to methods and devices for channel identification. The invention is particularly concerned with techniques for non-line of sight channel identification. In embodiments of the invention the methods and devices are used for channel identification in wireless geolocation systems. Embodiments of the invention make use of an entropy estimation of the channel to distinguish channel conditions and in particular to identify line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight channels and which can be used to solve the NLOS problem of determining relative distances between transmitter and receiver. In particular embodiments an entropy estimation of the channel impulse response (CIR) is used to construct a robust entropy-based channel identification technique. As a result, more accurate localization in indoor and other multipath environments may be possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignees: Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, British Telecommunications PLC, Emirates Telecommunications Corporation
    Inventors: Nayef AlSindi, James Aweya
  • Patent number: 9194957
    Abstract: In a method and system for deriving a seed position of a subscriber station in a wireless communications system in supporting unassisted GPS-type position determination is provided, the subscriber station receives overhead messages from the wireless communications system, and derives the seed position from the parameter values. The subscriber station may use a data structure in its memory and map possible parameter values to corresponding positions that may serve as the seed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas Neal Rowitch, Chang S. Row, Ann Yun-En Tien, Sanjeev Khushu
  • Patent number: 9194956
    Abstract: A radio communications device includes a location finder for determining the device's location based on satellite signals, a crystal oscillator whose output frequency acts as a controlling reference for the location finder and a processor for intermittently correcting the crystal oscillator such that the output frequency experiences jumps. The location finder is arranged to take account of the jumps in the determination of the device's location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
    Inventors: James Digby Yarlett Collier, Tim Newton, Per-Ludvig Normark, Thomas Renstrom
  • Patent number: 9176218
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating the geographic location of an RF emitter which involves spatially filtering and receiving RF signals through use of a beamforming antenna array having multiple overlapping beams; detecting and measuring the time-of-arrival and amplitude of signals which are received in each beam through use of multiple synchronized receivers; identifying simultaneous detections of the same emitter which have occurred in adjacent beams; projecting the associated beamformed antenna gain patterns onto the underlying terrain for all instances in which there was a simultaneous detection in adjacent beams; weighting and accumulating all projections to form a Maximum Likelihood Surface (MLS); and finally, estimating the location of the emitter through analysis of the resulting MLS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Fehling, Peter Dusaitis, Tyler Robinson
  • Patent number: 9164176
    Abstract: A GNSS receiver and antenna system transmits signals from an antenna structure to a remote GNSS receiver and includes a digital communications subsystem that utilizes a high speed digital communications conductor. The transmissions are digital signals that preserve GNSS satellite signal frequency and/or carrier and code phase information. The system may transmit digital signals corresponding to GNSS signals such as GPS, GLONAS, Galileo and Compass satellite signals. In addition, the system may transmit, over the same digital communications conductor in appropriately formatted digital signals, ranging signals from ground-based transmitters or other satellites, differential GNSS correction signals from beacons or base GPS receivers, and/or signals from transmitting or co-located sensors, such as inertial sensors, temperature sensors and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: NovAtel, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick C. Fenton
  • Patent number: 9164178
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, determining the location of a target of interest includes determining a beacon location of the beacon. The beacon location is transmitted to a sensor. The sensor is operable to determine a sensor location of the sensor. The sensor is further operable to determine a target location of the target according to the beacon location and the sensor location. The target location is distinct from the beacon location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Thales-Raytheon Systems Company, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas S. Nichols, Hector M. Reyes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9158002
    Abstract: Apparatus for calculating the location of a receiver by means of a location algorithm that generates a receiver location in dependence on signalling events received by that receiver from a set of satellites, the apparatus being arranged to select, from a constellation of satellites visible to the receiver, the set of satellites to use in the location algorithm in dependence on an effect that it is estimated using that set of satellites will have on the capability of the location algorithm to generate an accurate location for the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Anthony Richard Pratt, Murray Robert Jarvis
  • Patent number: 9140799
    Abstract: A system and method for determining a set of satellites for which assistance data may be provided to a wireless device. A boundary for an approximate area in which the wireless device is located may be determined and one or more sets of satellites may be determined as a function of the boundary. An optimum set of satellites from the one or more sets of satellites may then be determined using a satellite selection function on the one or more sets of satellites at predetermined points substantially on the boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: MAPLE ACQUISITION LLC
    Inventors: Peter John Rhodes, Neil Harper
  • Patent number: 9135819
    Abstract: System for broadcasting local information, related to the area where a vehicle (V), e.g. an automobile, is actually located or moving through, having: a GPS (1) that identifies the area where the vehicle is moving through, a GPRS transmission means (2) for transmitting the said local information from an external, remote station to a CPU (3) located in the vehicle and for managing the information related to the data from the positioning system and the local information. The system has a storage device (4, 5) for the local information, located within the vehicle, and an FM broadcasting device (6), also located within the vehicle, adapted to broadcast the said local information to a reproducing means (7), that can be the radio system of an automobile. The said local information is selected from the stored information in the storage device (4, 5), according at least to the identified area and is updated, on a time basis, with local information emitted from an external updating emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Dioptas Holding AG
    Inventor: Amanda Lucia Villa
  • Patent number: 9103913
    Abstract: A signal processing method of a positioning apparatus includes the following steps. A satellite signal is received to provide at least a distance information. A correction value of a phase measurement time is generated according to the distance information and phase data of the satellite signal are corrected in sequence accordingly. The phase data are received and when a quantity of the phase data is equal to a preset quantity, a first low order polynomial fitting and a first Chi-square test are performed to generate an estimated parameter. A next phase data of the satellite signal is estimated to generate an estimated phase data according to the estimation parameter. An actual phase data is obtained. A detection and a compensation of a cycle slip are performed according the estimated phase data and the actual phase data to output a corrected phase observation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Getac Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Shiou-Gwo Lin, Hsiao-Lieh Liou
  • Patent number: 9075139
    Abstract: A satellite signal tracking method performed by a receiver that receives a satellite signal from a positioning satellite, the satellite signal tracking method including: computing a first Doppler frequency using a received signal obtained by receiving the satellite signal, computing a second Doppler frequency using the first Doppler frequency and a signal from the sensor unit including at least an acceleration sensor, and acquiring the satellite signal using the second Doppler frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Mizuochi, Kazumi Matsumoto, Anand Kumar
  • Patent number: 9060342
    Abstract: The system and method of the present invention provides a mobile node (e.g., target), such as an aircraft, vehicle or mobile piece of equipment, the ability to determine its own position by passively listening to wireless time synchronization communications, such as IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) messages, exchanged between nodes over a wireless network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Saab Sensis Corporation
    Inventor: Ryan Haoyun Wu
  • Patent number: 9052376
    Abstract: A method, including: receiving, at an apparatus, first and second radio signals from a first location; discriminating the first and second radio signals, in order to estimate a bearing from the first location; and estimating, using the bearing and constraint information which is independent of the radio signals, a position of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Antti Paavo Tapani Kainulainen, Kimmo Heikki Juhana Kalliola, Ville Valtteri Ranki, Hannu Pekka Kauppinen
  • Patent number: 9041602
    Abstract: A phased array transmitter includes a plurality of vector modulators, an in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) signal generator, and a multiphase generator. The output phases of the plurality of vector modulators, and hence the direction of transmission of the phased array transmitter, are set and controlled by adjusting both the magnitude ratios of I/Q signal pairs generated by the I/Q signal generator and applied to I and Q inputs of the plurality of vector modulators and phases of a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signal phases generated by the multiphase generator and applied to LO inputs of the plurality of vector modulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Inventor: Earl W. McCune, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9041600
    Abstract: A system mounted to an object for detecting repetitive motion of the object. The system includes a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals while being maneuvered in a repetitive motion by the object, and a processor for detecting repetitive phase shifts in the received GPS signals. In general, the system computes the repetitive motion of the GPS receiver based on the repetitive phase shifts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Papagerogiou
  • Patent number: 9035828
    Abstract: A method for calibrating (700) an antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna elements coupled to a plurality of respective receive paths in a wireless communication system. The method comprises, in receive mode, applying a test signal to an individual single receive path (715) of the plurality of receive paths; and feeding back the test signal via a switched coupler network. The method further comprises running a receive calibration measurement routine to determine at least one measurement value used to calibrate the individual signal receive path and waiting for at least one converged measurement value; and extracting (720) the converged measurement value for at least one individual receive path. The steps of applying, running, extracting for a next individual single receive path are repeated until the calibration routine has completed (725).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Socowave Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Conor O'Keeffe, Michael O'Brien