Abstract: In accordance with aspects of the current invention, a method of determining a location of a utility line includes driving one or more transmitters with a continuous wave signal; either adjusting for effects of direct coupling between the transmitters and one or more sensors mounted on the same rigid platform or different platforms or maintaining sufficient separation between a transmitter platform and a sensor platform to minimize such effects; and deriving a position of the line relative to the sensors from the measurements.

Abstract: A locating system is presented. In some embodiments, the locating system includes a first platform, the first platform including a transmitter capable of inducing a current in a line; a second platform, the second platform including a receiver capable of detecting the current in the line; and a processor coupled to the first platform and the second platform, the processor directing the first platform and the second platform to control their motion over the line and collecting location data of the line.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating the magnitude and phase of magnetic and electrical currents in a power line comprising at least one processor operating to create a model of the power line and derive expected complex magnetic and electric-field values; at least one memory; at least one sensor positioned proximate to the at least one power line for sensing and providing measurements of the magnetic and electric fields of the at least one power line; the at least one processor operating to compute a set of complex magnetic and electric field values based upon the measurements provided by the at least one sensor and to estimate parameters related to the complex voltage and/or current of the at least one power line based upon the measured field values and the set of expected complex electric current and voltage values derived from a model of at least one power line.

Abstract: A locating system is presented. In some embodiments, the locating system includes a first platform, the first platform including a transmitter capable of inducing a current in a line; a second platform, the second platform including a receiver capable of detecting the current in the line; and a processor coupled to the first platform and the second platform, the processor directing the first platform and the second platform to control their motion over the line and collecting location data of the line.

Abstract: In accordance with aspects of the current invention, a method of determining a location of a utility line includes driving one or more transmitters with a continuous wave signal; either adjusting for effects of direct coupling between the transmitters and one or more sensors mounted on the same rigid platform or different platforms or maintaining sufficient separation between a transmitter platform and a sensor platform to minimize such effects; and deriving a position of the line relative to the sensors from the measurements.

Abstract: A system and method for providing autonomous navigation for an Autonomous Vehicle such as an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) or an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in the vicinity of power lines or other signal carrying lines or underwater cable is presented. Autonomous navigation is achieved by measuring the magnitude and phase of the electromagnetic field at an unknown location within a space under excitation by a set of power cables of the power line with one or more orthogonal electromagnetic sensors formed on the AV; and estimating parameters related to a position and orientation of the AV, and load parameters of each cable based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values corresponding to a combined model of the set of power cables.

Abstract: A method for determining the location and orientation of a transmitter object by measuring a set of complex electromagnetic field magnitude and phase strengths within a space using one or more receivers is provided. The method includes modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths to estimated position and orientation of the transmitter object. And estimating parameters related to the transmitter object position based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and a set of expected electromagnetic field values. Further embodiments include a method as above including a plurality of receivers with known positions within a limited space including the transmitter object. A sensor network including a plurality of receivers to perform the above method is also provided. The receivers may communicate using a wireless channel.

Abstract: A system and method for providing autonomous navigation for an Autonomous Vehicle such as an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) or an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in the vicinity of power lines or other signal carrying lines or underwater cable is presented. Autonomous navigation is achieved by measuring the magnitude and phase of the electromagnetic field at an unknown location within a space under excitation by a set of power cables of the power line with one or more orthogonal electromagnetic sensors formed on the AV; and estimating parameters related to a position and orientation of the AV, and load parameters of each cable based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values corresponding to a combined model of the set of power cables.

Abstract: A system and method for providing autonomous navigation for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) in the vicinity of power lines is presented. Autonomous navigation is achieved by measuring the magnitude and phase of the electromagnetic field at an unknown location within a space under excitation by a set of power cables of the power line with one or more orthogonal electromagnetic sensors formed on the UAV; modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths of the set of power cables at the currently estimated position and orientation of the UAV based on a model of the set of power cables; and estimating parameters related to a position and orientation of the UAV, and load parameters of each cable based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and the set of expected electromagnetic field values corresponding to a combined model of the set of power cables.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating the magnitude and phase of magnetic and electrical currents in a power line comprising at least one processor operating to create a model of the power line and derive expected complex magnetic and electric-field values; at least one memory; at least one sensor positioned proximate to the at least one power line for sensing and providing measurements of the magnetic and electric fields of the at least one power line; the at least one processor operating to compute a set of complex magnetic and electric field values based upon the measurements provided by the at least one sensor and to estimate parameters related to the complex voltage and/or current of the at least one power line based upon the measured field values and the set of expected complex electric current and voltage values derived from a model of at least one power line.

Abstract: A method and system for multiline transmission in communications systems are described. Eigenvalues are calculated to maximize equalized channel impulse response (1010). Eigenvectors associated with dominant eigenvalues are identified (1020). The eigenvectors are combined into a subspace. Optimization is performed over the subspace to calculate subspace time equalizer coefficients (1030).

Abstract: A system and method for providing autonomous navigation for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) in the vicinity of power lines is presented. Autonomous navigation is achieved by measuring the magnitude and phase of the electromagnetic field at an unknown location within a space under excitation by a set of power cables of the power line with one or more orthogonal electromagnetic sensors formed on the UAV; modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths of the set of power cables at the currently estimated position and orientation of the UAV based on a model of the set of power cables; and estimating parameters related to a position and orientation of the UAV, and load parameters of each cable based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and the set of expected electromagnetic field values corresponding to a combined model of the set of power cables.

Abstract: A method and system for multiline transmission in communications systems are described. Eigenvalues are calculated to maximize equalized channel impulse response (1010). Eigenvectors associated with dominant eigenvalues are identified (1020). The eigenvectors are combined into a subspace. Optimization is performed over the subspace to calculate subspace time equalizer coefficients (1030).

Abstract: Signals in a multi-channel, impaired communication system are post-processed at the receiver. A triangular matrix Decision Feedback Demodulator (DFD) at the receiver extracts channels without requiring delivery of receiver parameters to the transmitter. Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) processing matrices and DFD parameters are computed by first applying matrix transformations to diagonalize the noise covariance matrix of the multiple channels received at the receiver. QR decompositions (i.e., decompositions into orthogonal and triangular matrices) are then applied to the main channels to obtain triangular channel matrices. The noise-diagonalizing transformations and QR decompositions are then combined to form the MIMO postprocessing matrices and DFD parameters. MIMO postprocessing matrices and DFD parameters are computed from training data and then adapted during live data transmission.

Abstract: A method for determining the location and orientation of a transmitter object by measuring a set of complex electromagnetic field magnitude and phase strengths within a space using one or more receivers is provided. The method includes modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths to estimated position and orientation of the transmitter object. And estimating parameters related to the transmitter object position based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and a set of expected electromagnetic field values. Further embodiments include a method as above including a plurality of receivers with known positions within a limited space including the transmitter object. A sensor network including a plurality of receivers to perform the above method is also provided. The receivers may communicate using a wireless channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for the prediction and optimization of a communications system. The present invention provides for the prediction and optimization of the performance of a communications system comprising the steps of inputting a plurality of channels, predicting a performance of each channel using a plurality of parameters to characterize the performance of the channel, and possibly optimizing the parameters of each channel according to a design criteria.

Abstract: Signals in a multi-channel, impaired communication system are post-processed at the receiver. A triangular matrix Decision Feedback Demodulator (DFD) at the receiver extracts channels without requiring delivery of receiver parameters to the transmitter. Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) processing matrices and DFD parameters are computed by first applying matrix transformations to diagonalize the noise covariance matrix of the multiple channels received at the receiver. QR decompositions (i.e., decompositions into orthogonal and triangular matrices) are then applied to the main channels to obtain triangular channel matrices. The noise-diagonalizing transformations and QR decompositions are then combined to form the MIMO postprocessing matrices and DFD parameters. MIMO postprocessing matrices and DFD parameters are computed from training data and then adapted during live data transmission.

Abstract: Approximations for previewer-based decomposition are disclosed. In one embodiment, the previewer uses only resistors, capacitors, and controlled sources. Thus, at least some circuit elements that are not resistors or capacitors may be replaced with some combination of resistors, capacitors, or controlled sources. For example, inductors can be modeled as short circuits or as a non-zero resistance. As another example, transistors can be replaced by some combination of resistors, capacitors, and controlled sources. In one embodiment, a diagonal approximation is used to form an approximation for simulation in a previewer-based decomposition. The diagonal approximation uses resistors, capacitors, or controlled sources, in one embodiment. In one embodiment, an impedance between two partitions is split to form a new previewer node.

Abstract: A new approach for locating an underground line described herein remains accurate in the face of bleedover by including both amplitude and phase from at least two magnetic field strength sensors in the measurement set. A numerical optimization step is introduced to deduce the positions and currents of each of several cables, of which one is the targeted cable and the others are termed bleedover cables. Furthermore, some embodiments of the method accounts for practical problems that exist in the field that relate to reliable estimation of cable positions, like the phase transfer function between transmitter and receiver, the estimation of confidence bounds for each estimate, and the rejection of false positive locates due to the presence of noise and interference.

Abstract: A new approach for locating an underground line described herein remains accurate in the face of bleedover by including both amplitude and phase from at least two magnetic field strength sensors in the measurement set. A numerical optimization step is introduced to deduce the positions and currents of each of several cables, of which one is the targeted cable and the others are termed bleedover cables. Furthermore, some embodiments of the method accounts for practical problems that exist in the field that relate to reliable estimation of cable positions, like the phase transfer function between transmitter and receiver, the estimation of confidence bounds for each estimate, and the rejection of false positive locates due to the presence of noise and interference.