Abstract: A cellular telephone system having three or more cell sites with each cell site having a source of cellular communication signals and an RF transmitter and antenna for broadcasting the cellular communication signals. A direct sequence spread spectrum waveform carrying navigation signals is embedded in the cellular communication signals, including controlling the signal strength of the navigation signals so that the combined energy of the navigation signals from all cell sites at any location is at least a predetermined energy level below the energy level of the cellular communication signals. Each cell site includes timing for timing the operation of a GPS receiver.

Abstract: A monitoring and location system comprising a service center from which movement to and from a prescribed local area and a prescribed wide area is to be monitored. Each member of a class being monitored is provided with a personal RF transponder unit (RFTU). Each RF transponder unit has a digital electronic identification number (DEIN) embedded therein for transmission by RF upon request. RF transceiver interrogation units define specific egress/ingress zones for the prescribed areas. Each interrogation unit being connected to the service center to god signal (1) when an RFTU has egressed or ingressed a prescribed area and (2) the DEIN embedded therein. The RF transceiver interrogation units can determine distance and bearing to a given RFTU and DEIN. When there are a plurality of cell sites encompassing the prescribed areas, an RF transceiver interrogation unit at each of the cell sites, respectively, are connected to the service center.

Abstract: A method of avoiding near-far interference problems in a cellular ray of navigation signal beacons having selected CDMA or GPS-like navigation signals. The navigation signals from adjacent navigation signal beacons are pulsed so that adjacent navigation signal beacons do not broadcast navigation signals simultaneously and the multiple frequencies are coordinated in a time divisional multiplex manner. In another aspect, the near-far interference problem is avoided by using multiple frequencies in time division multiplexing and coordinating the use of the multiple frequencies and the time division multiplexing to assure avoidance of the near-far interference problem.

Abstract: Base station and system modifications to a digital cellular telephone system that measures location of a mobile station from its normal transmissions, and can forward the measured position to that station or some other authorized caller or service on the communication network. Range measurement is enabled without modification of mobile station equipment because of the synchronization between received pulse epochs and transmitted ones that are required for normal operation in digital telephony. Range measurement is made at a base station currently in contact with the mobile station by measuring the time interval from the start of its own transmitted pulse epoch to the start of a pulse epoch subsequently received from the mobile station, then dividing that time interval by twice the velocity of radio waves. Direction from the base station is determined, in a preferred embodiment, by use of a planar phase steered antenna array synchronized to pulse sequences from the mobile station.

Abstract: A cellular telephone communication system has at least one base station and a plurality of remote mobile stations in which both base and mobile stations have RF transceivers which communicate with each other using periodically repeated pulse sequence epochs whose time patterns are known at both transmitting and receiving station. Each mobile station transceiver, during normal operation, establishes and maintains synchronization between the start of a received pulse epoch at the mobile station and a subsequent beginning of a responsive transmitted pulse epoch. An agile antenna system is located at the base station and includes at least one scanning antenna spaced a selected distance from a central reference point.

Abstract: Positioning system for locating a mobile body comprising a plurality of earth based spread spectrum (SS) broadcasting stations arranged geographically in a cellular pattern. Each SS broadcasting station include a modulator providing a channel signal structure which is substantially orthogonal with respect to adjacent stations in the cellular pattern, each channel signal including navigation beacon data including a unique beacon identification, station latitude and longitude, time.sub.-- slot and phase characterizations and selected parameters of adjacent stations. In one embodiment, each modulator provides a chirped SS signal in which the navigation beacon is a frequency tone that is repeatedly swept over a selected frequency band for each station. In a further embodiment, each modulator provides a GPS like direct sequence SS signal in which the navigation beacon is a PN coded broadcast.

Abstract: A digital broadcast system, comprising a master radio broadcast station located at a main predetermined location for formatting and broadcasting a plurality of channels of digitized program data in a spread spectrum, time and frequency hopping waveform to remote mobile and stationary receivers. A plurality of relatively low power range extension radio broadcast stations are provided, each said range extension station being located in selected areas and, each range extension station being adapted to receive and store one or more channels of program information from the master station. A separate program distribution system coupling the received and store of each range extension radio broadcast station with the master radio broadcast station, said separate distribution system, including, for each range extension station at least one path selected form satellite, microwave, fiber-optic, coaxial cable and telephone paths, for coupling one or more channels of program information to each range extension station.

Abstract: A cellular telephone system having three or more cell sites with each cell site having a source of cellular communication signals and an RF transmitter and antenna for broadcasting the cellular communication signals. A direct sequence spread spectrum waveform carrying navigation signals is embedded in the cellular communication signals, including controlling the signal strength of the navigation signals so that the combined energy of the navigation signals from all cell sites at any location is at least a predetermined energy level below the energy level of the cellular communication signals. Each cell site includes timing for timing the operation of a GPS receiver.

Abstract: A location determination system and method in which mobile receiver units are in an area of at least three fixed commercial television stations, each television station broadcasting standard television signals, including horizontal, vertical and chrominance burst synchronizing signals. The standard television signals from selected ones of said television station are received at the mobile receiver unit and the times of arrival synchronizing signals of the selected ones of the television stations, respectively, are measured to produce mobile receiver unit signals corresponding thereto. A fixed reference station receives the television signals and detects any frequency and wavelength drift in the standard television signals from each of the fixed commercial television stations, respectively, and produces reference receiver correction signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a no outage GPS/AM position finding system wherein a GPS system having a plurality of satellites transmits time and location data over radio frequency signals to enable a mobile GPS receiver station on the ground to determine its position, and a cellular telephone is carried with the mobile GPS receiver, traveling in range of a plurality of conventional ground based amplitude modulated (AM) transmitters for transmitting AM signals. Each mobile GPS receiver station includes phase detection means for simultaneously receiving a predetermined number of the AM signals, and measuring the changes in phase of each of the AM signals as the mobile GPS receiver travels, and deriving therefrom an AM position signal. A reference station for receiving the GPS and AM signals provides correction signals via a cellular telephone network which receives and transmits the correction signals to the mobile GPS receiver station.

Abstract: Positioning system for locating a mobile body comprising a plurality of earth based spread spectrum (SS) broadcasting stations arranged geographically in a cellular pattern. Each SS broadcasting station include a modulator providing a channel signal structure which is substantially orthogonal with respect to adjacent stations in the cellular pattern, each channel signal including navigation beacon data including a unique beacon identification, station latitude and longitude, time_slot and phase characterizations and selected parameters of adjacent stations. In one embodiment, each modulator provides a chirped SS signal in which the navigation beacon is a frequency tone that is repeatedly swept over a selected frequency band for each station. In a further embodiment, each modulator provides a GPS like direct sequence SS signal in which the navigation beacon is a PN coded broadcast.