Patents by Inventor Harri Viittala

Harri Viittala 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).

  • Patent number: 9134411
    Abstract: There is provided a ranging system for a railway vehicle. The system includes a reflector disposed along a railway relative to a stopping point and a ranging unit disposed on the railway vehicle. The ranging unit includes a transceiver configured to transmit an outbound signal and receive a corresponding reflected signal from the reflector. The ranging unit also includes a data storage unit configured to store a reference distance between the reflector and the stopping point. The ranging unit also includes a processor configured to determine a measured distance between the railway vehicle and the reflector based on an elapsed time between the transmitting the outbound signal and receiving the reflected signal. The processor determines a distance between the railway vehicle and the stopping point based on the measured distance and the reference distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Simone Soderi, Harri Viittala, Jani Saloranta
  • Patent number: 8751127
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle with the capability of estimating its position. An exemplary vehicle comprises a positioning unit configured to operate in a first mode for communicating with one or more first radio-responsive devices and operate in a second mode for communicating with one or more second radio responsive devices. The positioning unit is configured to estimate a coarse position of the vehicle based on data received from the first transceiver, and estimate a fine position of the vehicle based on data received from the second transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harri Viittala, Simone Soderi, Jani Saloranta, Matti Hämäläinen, Jari Iinatti
  • Publication number: 20130138276
    Abstract: There is provided a ranging system for a railway vehicle. The system includes a reflector disposed along a railway relative to a stopping point and a ranging unit disposed on the railway vehicle. The ranging unit includes a transceiver configured to transmit an outbound signal and receive a corresponding reflected signal from the reflector. The ranging unit also includes a data storage unit configured to store a reference distance between the reflector and the stopping point. The ranging unit also includes a processor configured to determine a measured distance between the railway vehicle and the reflector based on an elapsed time between the transmitting the outbound signal and receiving the reflected signal. The processor determines a distance between the railway vehicle and the stopping point based on the measured distance and the reference distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: Simone Soderi, Harri Viittala, Jani Saloranta
  • Publication number: 20130138314
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle with the capability of estimating its position. An exemplary vehicle comprises a positioning unit configured to operate in a first mode for communicating with one or more first radio-responsive devices and operate in a second mode for communicating with one or more second radio responsive devices. The positioning unit is configured to estimate a coarse position of the vehicle based on data received from the first transceiver, and estimate a fine position of the vehicle based on data received from the second transceiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: Harri Viittala, Simone Soderi, Jani Saloranta, Matti Hämäläinen, Jari Iinatti