Patents Examined by Harry Liu
  • Patent number: 9488730
    Abstract: Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for isolating a desired GNSS signal from a plurality of GNSS signals with the same code are presented. In some embodiments, a method may comprise receiving, by a mobile device, the plurality of GNSS signals, wherein the plurality of GNSS signals include the desired GNSS signal. Subsequently, the method may comprise processing the received plurality of GNSS signals to a down-converted signal, wherein the down-converted signal has a lower frequency than the desired GNSS signal, and wherein the down-converted signal includes a first channel associated with a non-zero frequency. Moreover, the method may comprise processing the down-converted signal to offset the first channel by an offset frequency corresponding to a fraction of the first channel to create an offset down-converted signal. Furthermore, the method may comprise determining the desired GNSS signal from the offset down-converted signal based on the offset frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Richard Joseph McConnell
  • Patent number: 9488735
    Abstract: A positioning apparatus is provided that may include a pseudo distance measurement unit that measures the pseudo distance between the positioning satellite and the antenna, an ionosphere delay amount calculating unit that calculates an ionosphere delay amount included in the pseudo distance, and a pseudo distance corrector that executes a positioning calculation by correcting the pseudo distance based on the ionosphere delay amount. The ionosphere delay amount calculating unit sets the upper limit of the partition number between the positioning satellite and the antenna, determines the total number of electrons sTEC by integrating in the range of less than the upper limit of the partition number, and calculates the ionosphere delay amount based on the determined total number of electrons sTEC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaki Tominaga, Kazuto Tada
  • Patent number: 9490545
    Abstract: A wideband frequency selective polarizer is provided. The wideband frequency selective polarizer includes arrays of first-frequency slots in at least two metallic sheets in at least two respective planes; and arrays of second-frequency slots interspersed with the arrays of first-frequency slots in the at least two metallic sheets in at least two respective planes. A polarization of a first-frequency radio frequency (RF) signal in a linearly-polarized-broadband-RF signal that propagates through the at least two planes is one of: rotated by a first angle in a negative direction; or un-rotated. A polarization of a second-frequency-RF signal in the linearly-polarized-broadband-RF signal is rotated by a second angle in a positive direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: James Patrick Montgomery
  • Patent number: 9482741
    Abstract: Position tracking systems and methods for tracking a physical location of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter include an RF transmitter transmitting an RF signal from a plurality of known locations. At least four RF receiver antennae are disposed at unknown locations within range of the RF transmitter to receive the RF signals transmitted from the plurality of known locations. A receiver station in communication with the at least four RF receiver antennae initially calibrates a relative position of each RF receiver antenna with respect to the other RF receiver antennae based on the plurality of known locations and on information acquired in response to the RF signals received at the at least four RF receiver antennae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Position Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Guohua Min, Edward L. Hill
  • Patent number: 9478857
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling a beamforming gain in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes determining whether to control a beamforming gain, controlling the beamforming gain via change of a beam width if it is determined to control the beamforming gain, and transmitting or receiving a signal according to the controlled beamforming gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-Bin Chang, Rakesh Taori, Jeong-Ho Park
  • Patent number: 9476988
    Abstract: Inventive aspects include a method, apparatus, and system for reducing power consumption in GNSS receivers. Such may include receiving timing and accuracy parameters, processing pre-positioning information in preparation for signal acquisition or signal track, determining whether a plurality of satellites are in-view, applying an ON signal to one or more components of an analog signal processing section and to one or more components of a digital signal processing section, and within a dynamic time window, acquiring signals of the plurality of in-view satellites and simultaneously applying, in real-time, signal sensing logic to the acquired signals, until determining that a position fix of the electronic receiver is obtained. Responsive to the determination that the position fix is obtained, an OFF signal may be applied to the one or more components of the analog signal processing section and to the one or more components of the digital signal processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Gary Lennen
  • Patent number: 9478858
    Abstract: Electronically scanned arrays and multi-chip modules (MCMs) that may be used in such arrays are provided. One MCM may include a set of one or more first semiconductor components and a plurality of second semiconductor components. The first semiconductor component set is coupled to the plurality of second semiconductor components, and the first semiconductor component set is configured to control the plurality of second semiconductor components. Each of the plurality of second semiconductor components is accessible through a plurality of data strings providing communication between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components, each data string defining a unique path between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components, such that the plurality of data strings provide redundant data paths between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: James B. West, Lee M. Paulsen, Daniel L. Woodell, Michael L. Hageman, Russell D. Wyse, Adrian Hill
  • Patent number: 9472844
    Abstract: Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of wireless beamformed communication. For example, an apparatus may include a controller to receive image information representing a plurality of images captured by a mobile device during communication of the mobile device over a wireless beamformed link, and to update a beamforming scheme of the wireless beamformed link based on the image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Assaf Kasher
  • Patent number: 9466887
    Abstract: A steerable artificial impedance surface antenna steerable in phi and theta angles including a dielectric substrate, a plurality of metallic strips on a first surface of the dielectric substrate, the metallic strips spaced apart across a length of the dielectric substrate and each metallic strip extending along a width of the dielectric substrate, and surface wave feeds spaced apart along the width of the dielectric substrate near an edge of the dielectric substrate, wherein the dielectric substrate is substantially in an X-Y plane defined by an X axis and a Y axis, wherein the phi angle is an angle in the X-Y plane relative to the X axis, and wherein the theta angle is an angle relative to a Z axis orthogonal to the X-Y plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. Gregoire, Joseph S. Colburn
  • Patent number: 9453917
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and timing computing device for subnanosecond time synchronization. A difference between synchronized measurements of one of a plurality of satellite signals from a reference receiver and another receiver for each of N values within a cycle is determined. A clock bias error is calculated for each of the N values. The calculated clock bias errors are stored in a vector over time for each of the N values, with one of the vectors for each of the N values. A trajectory of the vectors over time is determined. The one of the vectors with a best convergence over time is selected. A timing signal is adjusted based on the N value for the selected one of the vectors with the best convergence over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Spectracom Corporation
    Inventors: John Fischer, Paul E. Myers
  • Patent number: 9442179
    Abstract: Various methods, apparatuses and/or articles of manufacture are provided which may be implemented in one or more electronic devices supporting mobile device positioning within an indoor environment. Tiered positioning assistance data (tiered-PAD) corresponding to an indoor environment may be generated and/or distributed. Mobile device positioning and/or navigation capabilities may be based, at least in part, on tiered-PAD corresponding to the indoor environment. Tiered-PAD may be provided to a plurality of mobile devices. A given mobile device may, for example, select applicable portion(s) of tiered-PAD to affect one or more positioning functions and/or the like which may be performed, at least in part, by the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ju-Yong Do, Stephen J. Beauregard, Weihua Gao, Sai Pradeep Venkatraman, Amir A. Emadzadeh, Sundar Raman, Gengsheng Zhang
  • Patent number: 9444140
    Abstract: Multiple transmit antenna beam formers include/share a same set of power amplifiers and antenna elements to form multiple concurrent transmit antenna beams. Multiple receive antenna beam formers include/share a same set of antenna elements and low noise amplifiers to form multiple concurrent receive antenna beams. A transceiver includes the multiple transmit antenna beam formers and the multiple receive antenna beam formers, where the multiple transmit and receive beam formers include/share the same set of antenna elements. The transmit antenna beam formers and the receive antenna beam formers are configured to transmit, receive, and operate in the millimeter wave frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Maltsev, Vadim S. Sergeyev, Andrey Pudeyev, Ali S. Sadri, Carlos Cordeiro
  • Patent number: 9439041
    Abstract: In a system facilitating the calibration of a map-point grid for an indoor location determination, the grid includes several map points, each having a radio frequency (RF) data fingerprint being associated therewith. At least one of: (i) RF signal data from several RF sources, (ii) a user specified location indication, and (ii) tracking data from a sensor, the tracking data indicating a user's movement relative to a base map point, are received. The map-point grid is updated based on, at least in part, at least one of (i) adjusted RF data, the received RF data being adjusted using systematic analysis thereof, (ii) the tracking data, and (iii) the location indication. A user's location may be determined based on the fingerprints associated with the map-point grid, and sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Lighthouse Signal Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Parviz Parvizi, Mohammad Heidari
  • Patent number: 9435893
    Abstract: An advanced multiple-beam GPS receiving system is achieved that is capable of simultaneously tracking multiple GPS satellites independently, detecting multiple interference signals individually, and suppressing directional gain in the antenna pattern of each beam in the interference directions. The GPS receiving system can be used for both planar and non-planar receiving arrays, including arrays that are conformally applied to the surface of a platform such as an aircraft. The GPS receiver combines spatial filtering and acquisition code correlation for enhanced rejection of interfering sources. Enhanced gain in the direction of GPS satellites and the ability to shape the beam patterns to suppress gain in the direction of interfering sources make the GPS receiving system largely insensitive to interfering and jamming signals that plague conventional GPS receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Spatial Digital Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald C. D. Chang
  • Patent number: 9431701
    Abstract: A system, methods, and apparatus for dual antenna transfer switching are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a dual antenna system includes antennas, antenna control units, a transfer switch, and a modem. For example, the transfer switch may transfer a connection between antennas based on changing satellite visibility, upon entering a preprogrammed blockage zone or an unexpected loss of satellite visibility. The transfer switch may receive GPS data from an external GPS unit and/or the antenna control units and buffer the GPS data to a modem. The transfer switch may provide a modem receive-lock signal to retarget a line of sight. The transfer switch may transfer the connection between the antennas based on satellite visibility including signal reception quality and/or a modem receive-lock status. The transfer switch may, based on a difference in antenna uplink transmission power, attenuate a higher power antenna to be balanced with a lower power antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: EMC SatCom Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Hassan Waqar Azeem Chaudhary, Claudio Pallais, Bernardo Ferro, Richard A Hadsall, Sr., Zafar Khan
  • Patent number: 9426716
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a first communication is transmitted from a transmitting node in a network using a mesh routing protocol. The first communication is received at a particular node in the network. Based on the first communication, a directional attribute is computed. Based on the directional attribute, a particular direction is computed. Then, a second communication is transmitted from the particular node using a beam forming technique in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Patrick Wetterwald
  • Patent number: 9425505
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments generally relate to techniques for processing signals received from multiple antennas. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to a system that uses an integrated phase-shifting-and-combining circuit to process signals received from multiple antenna elements. This circuit applies a specified phase shift to the input signals, and combines the phase-shifted input signals to produce an output signal. In some embodiments, the integrated phase-shifting-and-combining circuit uses a current-steering mechanism to perform the phase-shifting-and-combining operations. This current-steering mechanism operates by converting the input signals into associated currents, and then steering each of the associated currents through multiple pathways which have different delays. Next, the currents from the multiple pathways for the associated currents are combined to produce the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Lingkai Kong, Farshid Aryanfar
  • Patent number: 9413079
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a single-package communications device that includes an antenna module with a plurality of independently selectable arrays of antenna elements. The antenna elements of the different arrays may send and/or receive data signals over different ranges of signal angles. The communications device may further include a switch module to separately activate the individual arrays. In some embodiments, a radio frequency (RF) communications module may be included in the package of the communications device. In some embodiments, the RF communications module may be configured to communicate over a millimeter-wave (mm-wave) network using the plurality of arrays of antenna elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Telesphor Kamgaing, Adel A. Elsherbini
  • Patent number: 9404997
    Abstract: Embodiments of a communication station and method for time-of-flight (ToF) positioning in a wireless network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a ToF cooperation table may be received by a positioning station from an access point. The ToF cooperation table may identify one or more cooperating stations and may include information about each cooperating station for ToF positioning. A ToF positioning protocol may be performed with at least some of the cooperating stations identified in the ToF cooperation table using the information in the ToF cooperation table. During the ToF positioning protocol, a current position and a station positional accuracy may be received from each cooperating station. The current position may be a position when ToF is measured. A location of the positioning station may be determined based on the current positions and the ranges to each of the cooperating stations determined from the ToF positioning protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yuval Amizur, Leor Banin, Uri Schatzberg, Alexander Sirotkin
  • Patent number: 9408024
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for determining position of a receiver. The positioning system comprises a transmitter network including transmitters that broadcast positioning signals. The positioning system comprises a remote receiver that acquires and tracks the positioning signals and/or satellite signals. The satellite signals are signals of a satellite-based positioning system. A first mode of the remote receiver uses terminal-based positioning in which the remote receiver computes a position using the positioning signals and/or the satellite signals. The positioning system comprises a server coupled to the remote receiver. A second operating mode of the remote receiver comprises network-based positioning in which the server computes a position of the remote receiver from the positioning signals and/or satellite signals, where the remote receiver receives and transfers to the server the positioning signals and/or satellite signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: NextNav, LLC
    Inventors: Arun Raghupathy, Ganesh Pattabiraman, Subramanian S Meiyappan