Patents Examined by Harry Liu
  • Patent number: 9341698
    Abstract: A radio interference locator includes a detector circuit having a directional antenna defining a boresight along which electromagnetic radiation is preferentially accepted. The antenna is coupled to a signal detector which generates an electrical signal from a selected radio-frequency (RF) spectral band of the electromagnetic radiation accepted by the antenna. A processor determines the boresight direction at prescribed sample times as well as an associated signal characteristic, such as a signal level of the electrical signal, measured at the sample times. Data are presented that indicate the signal characteristic for the associated boresight direction at each of the sample times. A mobile platform connects the detector circuit and the processor so that they can be freely oriented in space in fixed mechanical formation by a single human operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Exelis Inc.
    Inventor: Randell S. Sierens
  • Patent number: 9341473
    Abstract: A survey system including a target unit that has a survey stick having a high-precision localizable target and a hand-held remote control unit. The remote control unit has an electronic graphical display and can be mounted on a holder on the survey stick such that the remote control unit is in a fixed position relative to the target fitted to the survey stick. The remote control comprises a camera for taking a camera image in a defined shooting direction. In addition, an image processing and evaluation unit with a data link to the position-finding unit and to the camera is provided which, from knowledge of the fixed relative position and of a defined shooting direction and also on the basis of the determined target position, can spatially relate image data from the camera to the targets in the coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Hans-Martin Zogg, Werner Lienhart, Daniel Nindl, Norbert Kotzur
  • Patent number: 9335416
    Abstract: Assisted-GPS for a portable biometric monitoring device is provided. The portable biometric monitoring device may obtain updated ephemeris data from an associated secondary device via a short-range, low-power communication protocol. The secondary device may be a computing device such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Various rules may control when the ephemeris data is updated. The ephemeris data may be used in the calculation of the global position of the portable biometric monitoring device. Additionally, the portable biometric monitoring device may communicate downloaded position fixing data to the associated secondary device. The associated secondary device may then calculate the global position from the position fixing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Fitbit, Inc.
    Inventors: James Park, Heiko Gernot Albert Panther, Shelten Gee Jao Yuen
  • Patent number: 9337995
    Abstract: A GNSS receiver communicates with any connectivity device, such as a WiFi device that is, in turn, in communication with a wired network having access to the DTI timing. Such connectivity devices may set their timing and frame synchronization to the DTI and thus serve as Geopositioning beacons, thereby enabling the GNSS receiver to accurately determine its position. The GNSS receiver may also use the DTI timing supplied by such a network to perform relatively long integration time so as to achieve substantially improved sensitivity that is necessary for indoor Geopositioning applications. Furthermore, the GNSS data, such as satellite orbital information, may also be propagated by such devices at high speed. By providing this data to the GNSS receivers via such connectivity devices in a rapid fashion, the GNSS receivers are enabled to receive the transmitted data associated with the satellite without waiting for the GNSS transmission from the satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Curtis Ling
  • Patent number: 9335397
    Abstract: Selective radio communication between a radio beacon and an onboard unit of a vehicle passing the radio beacon comprising: in the onboard unit determining the current heading of the onboard unit and transmitting information thereon to the radio beacon; in the radio beacon checking whether the heading indicated in the heading information is within predetermined boundaries, and if so, carrying out a radio communication with the onboard unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Kapsch Trafficcom AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Refi-Tugrul Guner
  • Patent number: 9335417
    Abstract: Provided is a system and method for transmitting a satellite state to a satellite receiver to determine use or non-use of a satellite signal in positioning estimation. A satellite navigation system includes at least one satellite, a satellite control center for controlling the at least one satellite, and a server. The server transmits satellite state information about the at least one satellite identified through the satellite control center to the satellite receiver. The satellite receiver restricts the use of the satellite signal for positioning estimation when the satellite state is identified as erroneous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woo-Young Kim, Do-Hyoung Chung, Seung-Yoon Lee
  • Patent number: 9329274
    Abstract: A method comprises generating a respective code-carrier difference for each of a plurality of satellite vehicle and signal frequency combinations, wherein the code-carrier difference is based on a code range and a carrier range. The method also comprises filtering the respective code-carrier difference for an unknown bias and random noise; determining whether multipath is present for each of the plurality of satellite vehicle and signal frequency combinations based on the respective filtered code-carrier difference; and computing a position solution based on trust placed in respective measurements from each of the plurality of satellite vehicle and signal frequency combinations, the trust based on whether multipath is present for the respective satellite vehicle and signal frequency combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Brian W. Schipper, Mahesh K. Jeerage
  • Patent number: 9322920
    Abstract: The disclosure herein provides a golf GPS device with a sensor mechanism to automatically switch between video and audio only modes of the device. More particularly, when a player attaches the golf GPS device to a piece of clothing or hat, the device automatically switches to audio-only mode. When the player detaches the golf GPS device, the device automatically switches to video mode, with or without audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: DECA SYSTEM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gi Su Lee, Jun Ha Park, Seung Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 9322926
    Abstract: According to certain aspects, the invention includes using acquisition channel results from a number of satellites to achieve composite weak acquisition. According to certain other aspects, the invention also includes solving for an improved position estimate and, with a sufficiently accurate, either initial or improved position estimate, also solving for GPS system time using a composite of acquired signals from a plurality of satellites. Within commonly experienced initial position and time uncertainties, the geometric range changes are fairly linear, which allows the point of convergence of ranges to solve for GPS position and subsequently for time with reasonable accuracy, which is the equivalent to obtaining frame sync without any data demodulation or preamble matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
    Inventors: Phanikrishna Sagiraju, Steven Gronemeyer
  • Patent number: 9316741
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a position of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver are provided. A first satellite and a second satellite that have an unobstructed communication path to the GPS receiver are identified. For each of the first and second satellites, data received is used to determine a satellite position and a code phase for a transmitted satellite signal. A relative code phase is calculated between the transmitted satellite signals of the first satellite and the second satellite, where the relative code phase is a difference between the determined code phases. The position of the GPS receiver is determined based on the satellite positions of the first and second satellite and the relative code phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
    Inventors: Jian Cheng, Zhi Wang, Mohan Chen, Zhike Jia
  • Patent number: 9316469
    Abstract: An electronic tracking system for obtaining geographic or other information about a targeted object from deployed ordnance. Ordnance can be delivered from any suitable weapon or weapons system, including hand-held or artillery guns, manned or unmanned aircraft, etc. The ordnance can be substantially any projectile targeted at a human, animal or other object. Once deployed, the ordnance can provide a variety of information about location, the target, the shooter, or the ordnance itself. Such information can be transmitted at any suitable interval, even time-delayed or upon a condition. Preferably, the system also contains a receiver to receive the transmitted information. Once received, the information can be then provided to users in any appropriate fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Insights International Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Evan Parker, Daniel W. Loyer, William Shucart
  • Patent number: 9310458
    Abstract: A method for calculating a spacing between antenna elements of an interferometer array antenna includes setting an azimuth of an instantaneous field of view and a distance between phase differences, and obtaining the number of phase difference lines and phase difference vectors with respect to the phase differences of the signals output in a phase comparator of a direction finder, performing a modular arithmetic for the phase difference vectors to obtain phase difference matrixes, obtaining a transformation matrix for linearly transforming the phase difference matrixes and performing the linear transformation using the transformation matrix, calculating a distance between the phase differences on a new axis generated by the linear transformation, and calculating an antenna spacing as an array spacing of the array antenna, the antenna spacing meeting that the distance between the phase differences is greater than a desired distance between phase differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: AGENCY FOR DEFENSE DEVELOPMENT
    Inventors: Jung Hoon Lee, Jeung Min Joo
  • Patent number: 9304181
    Abstract: A method of installing a terrestrial broadcast signal relay apparatus having a wireless communication function includes connecting the broadcast signal relay apparatus and a mobile terminal having a GPS function with a wireless communication network, determining a location of the broadcast signal relay apparatus based on a location of the mobile terminal obtained by using the GPS function, determining a location of a nearest broadcast transmission tower based on the location of the broadcast signal relay apparatus, and determining an optimal location for installing the broadcast signal relay apparatus in a room based on the location of the nearest broadcast transmission tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: ECOPRO ICT, INC., EPICT, INC.
    Inventor: Sang Il Park
  • Patent number: 9304184
    Abstract: A method for increasing accuracy of geolocation based on timing measurements of RF signals. The method includes: (a) receiving at a user one or more RF signals transmitted over time, (b) correlating the received signals with a plurality of replica waveforms, (c) creating a first set of estimates of the time or arrivals of the signals at the user, (d) using the first set of estimates to create a plurality of models, wherein each model assumes that some of the measurements are affected by multipath or interference, (e) testing the models to estimate the likelihood of timing measurements for each model, and (f) determining the set of LOS measurements as one associated with a model having the largest likelihood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Alexandr Draganov, Franklin M. Haas, Jr., Marc A. Harlacher
  • Patent number: 9304208
    Abstract: A method of controlling a mobile terminal, and which includes turning on, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a global positioning system (GPS) engine to measure a position of the mobile terminal and provide a position-related service using the position measured by the GPS engine; sensing, via a sensor of the mobile terminal, a movement characteristic of the mobile terminal; temporarily turning off the GPS engine when the sensed movement characteristic of the mobile terminal is below a predetermined threshold; and turning back on the GPS engine when then sense movement characteristic is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hyebong Lim, Kwanghun Choi, Youngseok Ko
  • Patent number: 9304182
    Abstract: A hybrid direction apparatus and method that rapidly and accurately detects a direction of a radio signal source based on a direction detecting scheme by comparing an amplitude or signal strength, a virtual Doppler scheme, a phase difference comparison scheme while removing an ambiguity based on an amplitude or signal strength scheme, and identify a direction relatively precisely based on a phase difference scheme using only two antennas. Also, an arrival direction of a relative radio wave when an arrival direction of a radio wave is vertical to a single rotating axis may be precisely identified by mounting a directional antenna and a phase comparison antenna on the single rotating axis, and rotating the two antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Jeom Hun Lee, In One Joo, Myung Soon Kim, Cheon Sig Sin, Sang Uk Lee
  • Patent number: 9293820
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes measuring amplitudes and phases of signals reflected off a reflector of a satellite, with the amplitudes and phases forming a first set of measurements. The method includes calculating an element correlation matrix as a function of the first set of measurements. The element correlation matrix represents a radiated feed element pattern off the reflector. And the method includes adjusting a formed beam pattern of a beamformer based on the element correlation matrix to thereby compensate for a non-ideal surface of the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Chandra S. Koduru, Kihyun Kevin Suh, Murat E. Veysoglu, Greg Busche
  • Patent number: 9291712
    Abstract: A position location system comprises transmitters that broadcast positioning signals. Each broadcasted positioning signal comprises a pseudorandom ranging signal. The position location system includes a remote receiver that acquires and measures the time of arrival of the positioning signals received at the remote receiver. During an interval of time, at least two positioning signals are transmitted concurrently by the transmitters and received concurrently at the remote receiver. The two positioning signals have carrier frequencies offset from one another by an offset that is less than approximately twenty-five percent of the bandwidth of each positioning signal of the two positioning signals. Cross-interference between the positioning signals is reduced by tuning the remote receiver to a frequency of a selected signal of the two positioning signals and correlating the selected signal with a reference pseudorandom ranging signal matched to a transmitted pseudorandom ranging signal of the selected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: NextNav, LLC
    Inventors: Norman Krasner, Arun Raghupathy
  • Patent number: 9291714
    Abstract: According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for checking the integrity of position information output by a satellite (GNSS) positioning device (1) including a bank (3) of Kalman filters each producing a navigation solution (dX0, dXi, dXn) from raw measurements of signals transmitted by the satellites, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, for each filter in the bank: (i) correcting the navigation solution produced by the filter according to an estimate of the impact of a failure of a satellite on the navigation solution; (ii) calculating a cross-innovation reflecting the deviation between an observation corresponding to a raw measurement from a satellite not used by the filter and an a posteriori estimate of said observation from the navigation solution produced by the filter and corrected in accordance with step (i); and (iii) performing a statistical test of the cross-innovation in order to declare whether or not the satellite, the raw measurement of which is not used b
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SAGEM DEFENSE SECURITE
    Inventor: Sebastien Vourc'h
  • Patent number: 9291718
    Abstract: An altitude information acquiring device includes a measuring unit which measures atmospheric pressure; a wireless communication unit which performs near field communication with an external device; and an altitude information acquiring unit which acquires altitude information from an external positioning device through the wireless communication unit. An inversion detecting unit detects an inversion of a changing direction of the atmospheric pressure periodically measured by the measuring unit, and a communication control unit controls a timing to acquire the altitude information through the wireless communication unit at a set timing, based on the inversion detected by the inversion detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takeshi Miyake