Patents by Inventor Donovan Boedigheimer

Donovan Boedigheimer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Apparatus and method for improving the safety of railroad systems
    Patent number: 6373403
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving the safety of railroad systems of the present invention includes a system for navigating a railroad vehicle over railroad tracks. An attitude sensor is used to dynamically sense the attitude of the railroad vehicle as it travels over a set of railroad tracks. By sensing the attitude of the railroad vehicle, a determination of the condition of the railroad tracks can be made. The apparatus also sensed the position of the railroad vehicle in real time to correlate the sensed attitude with a precise position along the railroad tracks. The navigation system is capable of determining a highly accurate position of the vehicle in real time. The position of the vehicle is also used to navigate the railroad vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Inventors: Kelvin Korver, Wesley Hawkinson, Donovan Boedigheimer
  • Apparatus and method for improving the safety of railroad systems
    Patent number: 5986547
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving the safety of railroad systems of the present invention includes a system for navigating a railroad vehicle over railroad tracks. An attitude sensor is used to dynamically sense the attitude of the railroad vehicle as it travels over a set of railroad tracks. By sensing the attitude of the railroad vehicle, a determination of the condition of the railroad tracks can be made. The apparatus also sensed the position of the railroad vehicle in real time to correlate the sensed attitude with a precise position along the railroad tracks. The navigation system is capable of determining a highly accurate position of the vehicle in real time. The position of the vehicle is also used to navigate the railroad vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Inventors: Kelvin Korver, Wesley Hawkinson, Donovan Boedigheimer
  • Navigation/guidance system for a land-based vehicle
    Patent number: 5928309
    Abstract: A navigation/guidance system uses a dead reckoning navigator with periodic GPS fixes to correct the drift of the inertial system. The navigation system primarily uses speed sensed by Doppler radar and attitude and heading sensed by a set of gyros. The navigation system uses various processes to compensate for any sensor errors. The system uses attitude data to compensate for GPS leverarm errors. The system can be used on a land-based vehicle to economically and accurately provide navigation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Inventors: Kelvin Korver, Wesley Hawkinson, Donovan Boedigheimer