Patents by Inventor Robert J. Van Wechel

Robert J. Van Wechel 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: 7870178
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The simultaneous detection of multiple frequencies allows the receiver to search the frequency range of the transmitted signal in larger increments of frequency, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. One receiver does not use coherent integration before computation of the transform and advantageously maintains a flat frequency response. The flat frequency response of the DFT circuit enables searching of multiple frequency offsets without CPU intensive processing to compensate for frequency response variations. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Patent number: 7471744
    Abstract: A system for efficiently filtering interfering signals in a front end of a GPS receiver is disclosed. Such interfering signals can emanate from friendly, as well as unfriendly, sources. One embodiment includes a GPS receiver with a space-time adaptive processing (STAP) filter. At least a portion of the interfering signals are removed by applying weights to the inputs. One embodiment adaptively calculates and applies the weights by Fourier Transform convolution and Fourier Transform correlation. The Fourier Transform can be computed via a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This approach advantageously reduces computational complexity to practical levels. Another embodiment utilizes redundancy in the covariance matrix to further reduce computational complexity. In another embodiment, an improved FFT and an improved Inverse FFT further reduce computational complexity and improve speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Ivan L. Johnston
  • Patent number: 7292663
    Abstract: A system for efficiently filtering interfering signals in a front end of a GPS receiver is disclosed. Such interfering signals can emanate from friendly, as well as unfriendly, sources. One embodiment includes a GPS receiver with a space-time adaptive processing (STAP) filter. At least a portion of the interfering signals are removed by applying weights to the inputs. One embodiment adaptively calculates and applies the weights by Fourier Transform convolution and Fourier Transform correlation. The Fourier Transform can be computed via a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This approach advantageously reduces computational complexity to practical levels. Another embodiment utilizes redundancy in the covariance matrix to further reduce computational complexity. In another embodiment, an improved FFT and an improved Inverse FFT further reduce computational complexity and improve speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Ivan L. Johnston
  • Patent number: 7197095
    Abstract: A system for efficiently filtering interfering signals in a front end of a GPS receiver is disclosed. Such interfering signals can emanate from friendly, as well as unfriendly, sources. One embodiment includes a GPS receiver with a space-time adaptive processing (STAP) filter. At least a portion of the interfering signals are removed by applying weights to the inputs. One embodiment adaptively calculates and applies the weights by Fourier Transform convolution and Fourier Transform correlation. The Fourier Transform can be computed via a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This approach advantageously reduces computational complexity to practical levels. Another embodiment utilizes redundancy in the covariance matrix to further reduce computational complexity. In another embodiment, an improved FFT and an improved Inverse FFT further reduce computational complexity and improve speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Ivan L. Johnston
  • Patent number: 7185038
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The simultaneous detection of multiple frequencies allows the receiver to search the frequency range of the transmitted signal in larger increments of frequency, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. One receiver does not use coherent integration before computation of the transform and advantageously maintains a flat frequency response. The flat frequency response of the DFT circuit enables searching of multiple frequency offsets without CPU intensive processing to compensate for frequency response variations. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Patent number: 6952460
    Abstract: A system for efficiently filtering interfering signals in a front end of a GPS receiver is disclosed. Such interfering signals can emanate from friendly, as well as unfriendly, sources. One embodiment includes a GPS receiver with a space-time adaptive processing (STAP) filter. At least a portion of the interfering signals are removed by applying weights to the inputs. One embodiment adaptively calculates and applies the weights by Fourier Transform convolution and Fourier Transform correlation. The Fourier Transform can be computed via a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This approach advantageously reduces computational complexity to practical levels. Another embodiment utilizes redundancy in the covariance matrix to further reduce computational complexity. In another embodiment, an improved FFT and an improved Inverse FFT further reduce computational complexity and improve speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Ivan L. Johnston
  • Publication number: 20040039761
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The simultaneous detection of multiple frequencies allows the receiver to search the frequency range of the transmitted signal in larger increments of frequency, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. One receiver does not use coherent integration before computation of the transform and advantageously maintains a flat frequency response. The flat frequency response of the DFT circuit enables searching of multiple frequency offsets without CPU intensive processing to compensate for frequency response variations. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Patent number: 6643678
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory. One receiver includes a Doppler offset generator that can advantageously offset a time index used to address a tap position in a non-coherent memory to compensate for code drift in a code with a frequency offset. The amount of offset is computed by accumulating clock cycles of a clock signal that is related to the frequency offset computed by the DFT or FFT frequency bin. The offset aligns a correlation peak in the received code such that the correlation peak can be accumulated in relatively fewer tap positions or addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation, a division of L3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Patent number: 6567833
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The simultaneous detection of multiple frequencies allows the receiver to search the frequency range of the transmitted signal in larger increments of frequency, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. One receiver does not use coherent integration before computation of the transform and advantageously maintains a flat frequency response. The flat frequency response of the DFT circuit enables searching of multiple frequency offsets without CPU intensive processing to compensate for frequency response variations. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation, a division of L3 Communications Corp.
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Publication number: 20030076910
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The simultaneous detection of multiple frequencies allows the receiver to search the frequency range of the transmitted signal in larger increments of frequency, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. One receiver does not use coherent integration before computation of the transform and advantageously maintains a flat frequency response. The flat frequency response of the DFT circuit enables searching of multiple frequency offsets without CPU intensive processing to compensate for frequency response variations. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Publication number: 20030050949
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The simultaneous detection of multiple frequencies allows the receiver to search the frequency range of the transmitted signal in larger increments of frequency, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. One receiver does not use coherent integration before computation of the transform and advantageously maintains a flat frequency response. The flat frequency response of the DFT circuit enables searching of multiple frequency offsets without CPU intensive processing to compensate for frequency response variations. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Patent number: 6466958
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The simultaneous detection of multiple frequencies allows the receiver to search the frequency range of the transmitted signal in larger increments of frequency, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. One receiver does not use coherent integration before computation of the transform and advantageously maintains a flat frequency response. The flat frequency response of the DFT circuit enables searching of multiple frequency offsets without CPU intensive processing to compensate for frequency response variations. A receiver can include a Doppler correction circuit, which permits correlation data with frequency shift in the code to be non-coherently integrated among relatively fewer addresses or tap positions in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation, a division of L3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Wechel, Michael F. McKenney
  • Patent number: 6452961
    Abstract: An apparatus and method allow receivers to quickly acquire a pseudorandom noise signal. A receiver advantageously detects frequency shifts using a compact parallel process hardware implementation of a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The method applies a sequential test algorithm to the detection of a correlation signal. The method allows the receiver to search a range of frequency-time space relatively quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Robert J. Van Wechel