Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a wireless access point. An 802.11 probe request frame is obtained from a wireless device in a wireless access point. Identifying information about the wireless device is extracted from the 802.11 probe request frame. The identifying information and an access point identifier corresponding to the wireless access point to at least one server via a network, from which location and/or proximity to the wireless access point can be determined.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enabling mobile device detection that is secure, private, and accurate. In an exemplary embodiment, a method is provided for detecting the location of a mobile device. The method comprises receiving at least one packet from a detection device, each packet comprising an identifier of the detection device and a signal strength measurement associated with the mobile device. The method further comprises determining a first vector based on the received at least one packet, retrieving one or more second vectors each comprising one or more signal strengths, and calculating one or more differences between the first vector and the one or more second vectors. Based on the calculated differences, a location of the mobile device is determined and information related to the location of the mobile device is sent to at least one of the mobile device or another device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for indoor/outdoor transition detection of devices to improve selection of the navigation algorithms. A mobile device can scan resources such as radio frequency (RF) sources in its vicinity and compare the scanned resources with a set of indoor-only resources to determine whether the mobile device is located inside a structure (e.g., indoor) or outside the structure (e.g., outdoor). The techniques provide an apparatus and method to determine when a device transitions between indoor and outdoor to efficiently use appropriate algorithm for positioning and/or navigation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for indoor/outdoor transition detection of devices to improve selection of the navigation algorithms. A mobile device can scan resources such as radio frequency (RF) sources in its vicinity and compare the scanned resources with a set of indoor-only resources to determine whether the mobile device is located inside a structure (e.g., indoor) or outside the structure (e.g., outdoor). The techniques provide an apparatus and method to determine when a device transitions between indoor and outdoor to efficiently use appropriate algorithm for positioning and/or navigation.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a wireless access point. An 802.11 probe request frame is obtained from a wireless device in a wireless access point. Identifying information about the wireless device is extracted from the 802.11 probe request frame. The identifying information and an access point identifier corresponding to the wireless access point to at least one server via a network, from which location and/or proximity to the wireless access point can be determined.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for selectively providing an alert to a user of a tracked asset in an asset recovery system. The method includes activating a tracking device on the tracked asset to generate a report, evaluating the report and a condition based on a home location assigned to the tracking device for generating an alert, creating the alert based on the evaluation of the condition and the report, and sending the alert to the user.

Abstract: A tracking system and method provide updated location and status information of a vending machine even after the vending machine is moved from its installed location. This allows law enforcement to use the updated location information to locate and recover the vending machine and the assets contained therein during a theft or in other security breach situations. A method also provides for automatically assigning the vending machine to an installation location using the location and status information from the vending machine.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for selectively providing an alert to a user of a tracked asset in an asset recovery system. The method includes activating a tracking device on the tracked asset to generate a report, evaluating the report and a condition based on a home location assigned to the tracking device for generating an alert, creating the alert based on the evaluation of the condition and the report, and sending the alert to the user.

Abstract: Methods of administering a therapeutically effective amount of a mutant human IL-4 composition to a human subject for the amelioration and treatment of dermatitis, including contact and atopic dermatitis.

Abstract: A dual-layer magnetic recording medium comprising a non-magnetic substrate having a front side and a back side, the front side having at least one lower support layer formed over the substrate and at least one magnetic upper layer formed over the at least one support layer, wherein the magnetic upper layer includes magnetic pigment particles having an average particle length of less than about 75 nanometers, and a binder system for the magnetic particles, and the lower support layer includes a pigment combination having a pigment weight ratio of from about 84% to about 92% alpha iron oxide, from about 1 to about 10 parts alumina per hundred parts alpha iron oxide, and from about 3 to about 15 parts carbon black per hundred parts alpha iron oxide, wherein the magnetic recording medium exhibits a resistivity of no more than about 1×109 ohms/square.

Abstract: An antenna arrangement for a GPS signal processing device having a circuit board is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the arrangement comprises an antenna member mounted to the circuit board. The antenna member includes a first surface, second surface and a third surface. The third surface adjoins the first and second surfaces. The first, second and third surfaces define a cavity within which is disposed dielectric material. At least one conductive connector comprising first and second ends is in communication with the antenna member first surface. An amplifier is in communication with each conductive connector second end.

Abstract: A method of determining the distance traveled during an event by a mobile GPS receiver. The event comprises epochs. The method comprises receiving pseudorange data comprised of one of pseudorange differences or range rates. Each pseudorange difference, in turn, comprises a difference between a first pseudorange and a second pseudorange. The first pseudorange comprises the pseudorange between the receiver and a GPS satellite at a first epoch. The second pseudorange comprises the pseudorange between the receiver and the GPS satellite at a second epoch. The range rates comprise a range rate measurement taken by the receiver of the GPS satellite from the first epoch to the second epoch. Line-of-sight data comprised of at least one normalized vector between the receiver and the GPS satellite is then determined. Based on the pseudorange and line-of-sight data, incremental distance data is then determined. A sum over the event of the incremental distance data is then determined.

Abstract: A GPS receiver includes a slot antenna having first and second surfaces. The second surface includes a semi-circular portion. The first and second surfaces define a slot within which is disposed dielectric material. The slot antenna is optimized for receiving GPS signals when in proximity to a human body. The relatively compact size of the slot antenna allows for the incorporation of the antenna into a small device that can be worn on or carried in close proximity to the body of a user. This type of antenna is not as sensitive to gain variations when in the proximity of a human body because the design has a wider aperture and thus operates better near the body. Further, this type of antenna is virtually omni-directional, i.e., it is not problematically sensitive to the location of the GPS signal source. Moreover, the design is such that the antenna arrangement can be oriented within a device in a way that maximizes the number of GPS satellites tracked.

Abstract: A method of using altitude information to arrive at a more accurate GPS position. A 3D GPS position is used as an initial estimate. The latitude and longitude of the initial estimate are used to retrieve an altitude from a database. This altitude is used to calculate a 2D GPS position. The 2D GPS position is then used to retrieve another altitude from the database, and the calculate-retrieve process is continued until the calculation converges.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for corresponding data associated with primary correction of at least one first measurement of a GPS satellite characteristic to a second measurement of the GPS satellite characteristic taken at a mobile receiver. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a first processor is coupled to at least one wide-area GPS corrections receiver and at least one local-area GPS corrections receiver. The wide-area and local-area receivers operate to determine the first measurement and secondary data associated with correction of the determined first measurement. In operation, an estimate of the location of the mobile receiver is determined by the first processor. The availability to the mobile receiver of the secondary correction data from the wide-area and local-area GPS corrections receivers is determined, preferably based on the location estimate. From the secondary correction data, primary data representing the primary correction is determined by the first processor.

Abstract: A receiver clock bias signal for a spacecraft in motion is is used to obtain a real-time navigation Kalman filter solution of the clock bias and provide a robust autonomous GPS time reference, even when there are less than 4 GPS satellites within the view of the receiver in the spacecraft. The Kalman filter of the spacecraft provides an accurate solution of the clock bias, with less than 4 GPS satellite signals, by means of a system which uses the knowledge of the dynamic motion of the satellite in conjunction with GPS signals for a robust estimation of time. The system provides an accurate GPS time reference by transferring timing information from an atomic reference standard (GPS) to a spacecraft in motion by directly measuring the GPS signal and without depending upon the tracking of multiple GPS satellites or a static receiver. Implementation in current aerospace qualified GPS receivers, e.g.

Abstract: An improved GPS Attitude Receiver for spacecraft uses concurrent line-bias estimates derived from GPS signals for attitude determination. Attitude determination is obtained from GPS measurements by an interactive solution of the known "Attitude Master Equation", using RF differential phase measurements and calibrated parameters of baseline vectors and line-biases. A "weighted fit error" W, is derived from the sum squared of discrepancies between predicted and actual measurements, weighted by measurement variances. By minimizing W, the line-bias estimations obtained give more current data including thermal effects and eliminate separate ground calibration tests.

Abstract: A means and method of controlling the muzzle velocity of a gun launched projectile to ensure that the muzzle velocities of several rounds of the same type tend towards the same value or that of an individual round approaches some nominal value. A sensor means measures a parameter related to the muzzle velocity of a projectile and a control means instructs an electrothermal energy unit to discharge a fixed amount of energy into the gun barrel after a certain time delay, the time delay being derived from the measured parameter and being such to ensure that discharge causes the projectile to achieve a controlled muzzle velocity.

Abstract: A vector operation capability is integrated into the execution unit (E-Unit) portion of a computing systems central processing unit (CPU) designed to support scalar instruction processing. The fixed point and floating point instruction functional units in the E-Unit that are required to implement the vector instruction set are pipelined. A set of vector registers are added to the architected data registers contained in the E-Unit. The E-Unit control logic is modified to queue and schedule both vector and scalar instructions, The E-Unit's load and store unit bandwidth capability to support the transfer of the contiguous blocks of data normally associated with vector processing are enhanced. The integrated vector and scalar capability allows for improved processing of programs that include both vector and scalar type instructions.

Abstract: A sensor for detecting angular displacement of an object. The sensor comprises a substrate for attachment to the object whose angular displacement is to be sensed and a sensing means attached to the substrate and connectable into an electric circuit. The electric circuit measures the resistance of the sensing means, which changes as a function of the angular displacement. Several embodiments are disclosed, including a conductive elastomer sensor, a conductive ink sensor, a sliding resistor sensor, a force sensitive resistor sensor and a conductive fluid sensor.