Patents Examined by Peter Bythrow
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Patent number: 9329073Abstract: A pulsed radar method of sensing or measuring a product material in a storage tank. A plurality of waveform types are automatically selected based on a power limitation. The pulsed radar signal is transmitted by a programmable transmitter to the product material, wherein the pulsed radar signal is reflected or scattered by the product material to provide a radar signal during an interval of time including a target signal. An initial gain or attenuation is automatically set for a programmable receiver. The programmable receiver receives the radar signal including the target signal during the interval of time, and the target signal is signal processed using a lower attenuation setting as compared to the initial gain or attenuation to determine at least one parameter associated with the product material. The transmitted and received radar signal can also be adjusted according to the measured SNR.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2013Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventor: Bin Sai
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Patent number: 9329259Abstract: The invention refers to an RF front-end (100) adapted to receive or transmit signals located in at least two separated frequency bands (100) comprising an input and an output and further comprising a first phase shifter (5) coupled to the input of the RF front-end (100); a second phase shifter (6) coupled to the output of the RF front-end (100); the first phase shifter (1) being coupled to the second phase shifter (2) via a first amplifier (3) and second amplifier (4), respectively.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2013Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Antonius de Graauw, Markus van Schie
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Patent number: 9322908Abstract: A concealed radar imaging system includes a visible light mirror, a radar device positioned behind the visible light mirror, and a processing circuit coupled to the radar device. The visible light mirror includes a reflective layer configured to reflect visible light, and allow a radar signal to pass therethrough. The radar device is configured to transmit the radar signal, receive a reflection of the radar signal, and generate reflection data based on the reflected radar signal. The processing circuit is configured to control operation of the radar device, receive the reflection data from the radar device, and generate imaging data based on the transmitted radar signal and the reflection data.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Elwha LLCInventors: Tom Driscoll, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, David R. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
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Patent number: 9325334Abstract: A frequency reference device that includes a frequency reference generation unit to generate a frequency reference signal based on an absorption line of a gas.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventors: Phillip Michel Nadeau, Django Trombley, Baher S. Haroun, Srinath Mathur Ramaswamy
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Patent number: 9322914Abstract: A method for indicating a weather threat to an aircraft is provided. The method includes inferring a weather threat to an aircraft and causing an image to be displayed on an aviation display in response to a determination by aircraft processing electronics that the inferred weather threat to the aircraft is greater than a measured weather threat to the aircraft.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2015Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Jeffery A. Finley, Roy E. Robertson, Hubert C. Dyche, Gregory J. Koenigs, Charles J. Dickerson
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Patent number: 9318809Abstract: A radio wave absorber according to an embodiment includes a plurality of metal particles including at least one kind of magnetic metal element selected from a first group of Fe, Co, and Ni. Each of the plurality of metal particles has a linear expansion coefficient of 1×10?6/K or more and 10×10?6/K or less. The radio wave absorber also includes a binding layer binding the metal particles and having higher resistance than the metal particle, wherein a volume filling ratio of the metal particles in the radio wave absorber is 10% or more and 50% or less.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Toshihide Takahashi, Tomohiro Suetsuna, Koichi Harada, Tomoko Eguchi, Seiichi Suenaga
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Patent number: 9316734Abstract: Wideband synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. A probe transmits a signal through its aperture incident to an object located in a medium of interest remotely from the probe. The probe receives through the aperture a plurality of nonuniformly sampled reflected signals from the object as the probe moves in a measurement plane located a predetermined distance from the object. A processor executes a SAR-based reconstruction algorithm to generate an image.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2013Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: The Curators of the University of MissouriInventors: Joseph T. Case, Mohammad Tayeb Ghasr, Reza Zoughi
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Patent number: 9316727Abstract: A stepped-frequency radar signal is transmitted through a barrier. A transmitter of the stepped-frequency radar is on a first side of the barrier, a first object is on a second side of the barrier, and a second object that is distinct from the first object is on the second side of the barrier. A signal including a reflection of the transmitted signal from the first object and a reflection of the transmitted signal from the second object is sensed. The sensed signal is analyzed to determine that a first detection is associated with the first object and a second detection is associated with a second object.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Gary Sentelle, Donald Charles Wright, Felix M. Fontan, Juan Antonio Torres-Rosario
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Patent number: 9310481Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring wind speed and direction in clear air conditions using a wide band Doppler radar in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a wide band Doppler radar system includes an antenna assembly includes at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna; a transceiver connected to the antenna assembly configured to transmit a radar beam includes a transmit signal on a Ka-band carrier frequency and receive a backscattered radar beam includes a carrier frequency that is frequency shifted relative to the transmitted Ka-band carrier frequency of the backscattered radar beam; a data acquisition system connected to the transceiver configured to estimate a wind velocity vector by calculating a Doppler shift between at least one transmitted radar beam and at least one received backscattered radar beam.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: LogLinear Group, LLCInventors: Mark Henderson, Marshall Bradley
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Patent number: 9310479Abstract: A transportable weather radar having radar electronics functionally located above the elevational joint and a frame superstructure rotationally connected to the elevational joint onto which is mounted a parabolic radar antenna adapted for Doppler weather radar use. The radar has a rotational drive assembly mounted below and supporting the elevational joint and a harmonic drive unit positioned inside the elevational joint so that the antennae may be rotated without significant backlash during rotational changes. A hollow center in the rotational joint allows for the passing of electronics cable through the middle of the joint and down through rotating assemblies and to electronics in or adjacent to the radar pedestal.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2012Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: Enterprise Electronics CorporationInventors: Michael Bruce Knight, John Charles Fanning, James Rogers Helvin, Mark Alan Jones, Norman Edwin Lawrence, III, Damon Schmidt
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Patent number: 9312605Abstract: The invention pertains to a device for signature adaptation, comprising at least one surface element (100; 300; 500) arranged to assume a determined thermal distribution, wherein said surface element comprises at least one temperature generating element (150; 450a, 450b, 450c) arranged to generate at least one predetermined temperature gradient to a portion of said at least one surface element. Said surface element (100; 300; 500) comprising at least one display surface (50), wherein said display surface (50) is arranged to radiate at least one predetermined spectrum. The invention also pertains to a method for signature adaptation and an object such as a craft provided with the device according to the invention.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2012Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS HÄGGLUNDS AKTIEBOLAGInventor: Peder Sjölund
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Patent number: 9304203Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems that may help improve the dynamic range of a signal receiver. The method includes (i) causing a signal emitter to emit a signal during a first period of time; (ii) receiving, at the signal receiver, a reflected signal during a second period of time, where the received reflected signal corresponds to the emitted signal, and where the second period of time begins after a beginning of the first period of time; and (iii) increasing a signal gain that is applied to the received reflected signal during a third period of time, where the third period of time begins not earlier than a beginning of the second period of time.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Pierre-Yves Droz, Gaetan Pennecot, Daniel Gruver
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Patent number: 9297896Abstract: An electronically steered weather radar system comprises a plurality of transmit/receive modules, a plurality of antenna modules, and a system signal processor. Each transmit/receive module may be configured to adjust a phase characteristic of a radio frequency (RF) signal to be transmitted and received. Antenna modules may be in communication with transmit/receive modules and may form an antenna array configured to transmit a system beam in a direction determined by the phase of the RF signal from each transmit/receive module and to generate the RF signal from the received system beam. The system signal processor may be configured to perform a first scan to detect meteorological formations wherein the system signal processor communicates with each transmit/receive module to adjust a phase characteristic of the RF signals such that the antenna array transmits and receives the system beam through a plurality of azimuth angles and a plurality of elevation angles.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Garmin International, Inc.Inventor: Joel M. Andrews
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Patent number: 9291705Abstract: A signal processing device is provided. The device includes a signal input unit for receiving reception signals obtained from transmission signals reflecting on one or more objects, a pulse compressor for pulse compressing the reception signals, an interference detector for detecting a reception signal caused by interference, from the pulse-compressed reception signals, a signal level controlling module for controlling a level of the detected reception signal, and an interpolation processing module for interpolating the level-controlled reception signal in an azimuth direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: FURUNO ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITEDInventors: Kazuya Nakagawa, Yasunobu Asada
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Patent number: 9291710Abstract: A method and apparatus for detects one or more subsurface targets by receiving a reflectivity data from two or more subsurface reflectors using a ground penetrating radar. The two or more subsurface reflectors may include the one or more subsurface targets and a medium surrounding the one or more subsurface targets. An impedance data for the two or more subsurface reflectors is calculated by inverting the reflectivity data using a temporal transmission line model with a “layer-peeling” method. One or more constitutive parameters of the two or more subsurface reflectors are calculated based on the impedance data. The one or more subsurface targets are detected based on a change in the one or more constitutive parameters.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Patrick S. Debroux, Benjamin C. Flores
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Patent number: 9291659Abstract: A system includes an antenna having a substrate and a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the substrate. A processing device is configured to measure an aperture function across an aperture of the antenna and determine whether at least one of the antenna elements is blocked based at least in part on the measured aperture function.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: James Paul Ebling
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Patent number: 9279884Abstract: A method for determining a DOA (Direction of Arrival) comprises the following steps: (a) providing at least two antennas arranged with a squint angle; (b) producing at least two base beams between two adjacent base beams; (c) every two virtual beams of the multiple virtual beams which cross together at a specific angle are define to a virtual beam set; (d) synthesizing the two virtual beams of each one of the virtual beam sets to be a monopulse; and (e) determining the DOA of the object according to comparison between magnitude of demodulated signals corresponding to the monopulses. A device for estimating a DOA is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2013Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: NATIONAL CHIAO TUNG UNIVERSITYInventors: Shyh-Jong Chung, Jen-Hao Cheng
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Patent number: 9274222Abstract: A radar apparatus that focuses a subset of transmit beams within a field of view (FOV) is provided. The radar apparatus has a phased array transmitter that is operable to generate a transmit beam within the FOV, and a phased array receiver that is operable to receive a receive beam reflected from within the FOV. The apparatus also has a radar controller with an electronic circuit and electronic memory, the electronic memory having a plurality of pre-calculated beam density curves. The radar controller is operable to execute each of the plurality of pre-calculated beam density curves and steer at least one transmit beam generated from a particular executed beam density curve towards a sub-area of the FOV.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2013Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Paul Donald Schmalenberg, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Jae Seung Lee
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Patent number: 9274211Abstract: A target object detection device is provided. The device includes a transmitter for transmitting at least one transmission wave in a predetermined azimuth, an echo signal receiver for receiving echo signals of the transmission waves, an echo signal suppressor for suppressing levels of the echo signals corresponding to sampling positions, a target object detector for detecting the target object(s) based on the level-suppressed echo signals, a first updater for comparing amplitude level(s) of echo signals of sampling positions, with the threshold that is set in association with the first distance, and determining to update the values with a new threshold and a new suppression value, and a second updater for comparing amplitude level(s) of echo signals of sampling positions, with the threshold that is set in association with the second distance, and determining to update the values with a new threshold and a new suppression value.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2013Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Furuno Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hitoshi Maeno
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Patent number: 9276326Abstract: An electromagnetic wave absorber contains cement and carbon nanotubes and has an absolute value of a complex relative permittivity in a range of from 2.0 to 10.0 in a frequency range of from 1 to 110 GHz and a minimum value of a dissipation factor of 0.35 or greater in the frequency range of from 1 to 110 GHz.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2013Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA RIKENInventors: Keita Hirose, Takashi Ono