Patents by Inventor Ulrich Vollath

Ulrich Vollath 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: 9121692
    Abstract: A system for projecting an image, including layout information, on a surface in a building under construction has a projector mounted on a moveable support for supporting a worker at a work position in the building. The projector projects an image on a surface above the moveable support in response to an image signal defining the image to be projected. The image indicates the location of connectors, anchors, and holes to be affixed to, or cut through, the surface. A system determines the two dimensional position of the projector in the building, and a distance measuring system for determines the distance from the projector to said surface. A processor, responsive to a memory having stored building plan images, provides an image signal to the projector adjusted for the two dimensional location of the projector and for the distance from the projector to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Kent Wayne Kahle, Jinwei Jiang, Christian Graesser, Andreas Winter, Ulrich Vollath
  • Patent number: 9121932
    Abstract: In a method for refining a position estimate of a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite a first position estimate of a LEO satellite is generated with a GNSS receiver on-board the LEO satellite. Corrections are received at the LEO satellite. The corrections are processed on-board the LEO satellite such that a corrected LEO satellite position estimate of the LEO satellite is generated for the first position estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: James M. Janky, Nicholas C. Talbot, Ulrich Vollath, Bruce D. Riter
  • Patent number: 9116231
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for reporting quality of GNSS position fixes. A desired quality mode selection is obtained. Position fixes with respective precision estimates and satellite tracking information are obtained. For each of a plurality of position fixes a current positioning quality is determined, based on the precision estimates and satellite tracking information and quality mode selection. Current positioning quality is reported. The quality selection can be a preference of availability over accuracy, or accuracy over availability, or a balance of availability and accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Ulrich Vollath, Sidharth Nair, Jesus Michael Martinez, Greg Price, Glenn Waterland, Mark Gibson
  • Patent number: 8830121
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for estimating parameters, i.e. ambiguities, derived from GNSS signals. Observations of a GNSS signal from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites are obtained (4120). The observations are fed to a filter having a state vector at least comprising a float ambiguity for each received frequency of the GNSS signals, each float ambiguity constituting a real number estimate associated with an integer number of wavelengths of the GNSS signal between a receiver of the GNSS signal and the GNSS satellite from which it is received, and the filter being for estimating a float value for each float ambiguity of the state vector (4140). A subset of float ambiguities of the state vector is selected (4150). Integer values are assigned to the estimated float values of the float ambiguities of the subset to define a plurality of integer ambiguity candidate sets (4160). A quality measure is determined for each of the candidate sets. A weighted average of the candidate sets is formed (4200).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Ulrich Vollath
  • Patent number: 8773303
    Abstract: The present application relates to tracking a position of a device, e.g. for detecting slow and rapid earth deformation, by making use of a recursive filter having the filter characteristic adapted to a detected type of motion. If the motion of the position tracking device is rapid, the filter characteristic is set such that the rapid motion can be tracked with the necessary speed. On the other hand, if the motion is slow, e.g. during times of a normal tectonic drift, the filter characteristic is set such that the motion is slowly tracked with the advantage of efficient noise reduction, i.e. noise in the input signal is effectively barred and does not pass through the filter to the output signal. Thus, in times of rapid motion the convergence speed of the filter output signal to the input signal is set high for fast convergence and in times of slow motion the convergence speed of the filter output signal to the input signal is set low for a slow convergence. The filter may be a Kalman filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Ken Doucet, Ulrich Vollath
  • Patent number: 8717237
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for processing a set of GNSS signal data derived from observations of GNSS signals of multiple transmitters over multiple epochs, the GNSS signals having a first signal and a second signal in a first band which can be tracked as a single wide-band signal and each of which can be tracked separately, comprising: obtaining carrier-phase observations of the first signal, obtaining carrier-phase observations of the second signal, obtaining code observations of the wide-band signal, and estimating from a set of observables comprising the carrier-phase observations of the first signal, the carrier-phase observations of the second signal and the code observations of the wide-band signal values for a set of parameters comprising: position of a receiver of the GNSS signals, clock error of a receiver of the GNSS signals, and an array of ambiguities comprising an ambiguity for each transmitter from which carrier-phase observations of the first signal are obtained and an ambiguity for ea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Ulrich Vollath
  • Patent number: 8704708
    Abstract: A filter estimates a float value for each float ambiguity of a state vector determined from GNSS signals. Integer values are assigned to at least a subgroup of the estimated float values to define integer ambiguity candidate sets. A quality measure is determined for each of the candidate sets. An expectation value of the candidate set having the best quality measure is determined. An error measure as a ratio of the best quality measure to the expectation value is determined. The quality measures of the candidate sets is adapted as a function of the error measure. A weighted average of a subgroup of the candidate sets on the basis of the adapted quality measures is formed. Ambiguities of the weighted average can be used in subsequent operations to aid in determining a position of the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Ulrich Vollath
  • Patent number: 8704709
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for estimating parameters, i.e. ambiguities, derived from GNSS signals. Observations of each of received frequencies of a GNSS signal from a plurality of GNSS satellites are obtained for a plurality of instances in time (3120). The time sequence of observations is fed to a filter to estimate a state vector comprising float ambiguities, wherein each float ambiguity constitutes a non integer estimate of an integer number of wavelengths for a received frequency of a GNSS signal between a receiver of the GNSS signal and the GNSS satellite from which it is received and wherein the float ambiguities of the state vector are updated over time on the basis of the observations (3140). The occurrence of an interruption in tracking of at least one signal of a satellite is determined (3121). The float ambiguity of the state vector for the at least one signal for which an interruption in tracking occurred is maintained at the value before the interruption in tracking occurred (3122).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Ulrich Vollath, Nicholas Charles Talbot
  • Patent number: 8694250
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and apparatus are presented for processing data collected by at least two receivers from multiple satellites of multiple Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), where at least one GNSS is Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA). Data sets are obtained which comprise a first data set from a first receiver and a second data set from a second receiver. The first data set comprises a first FDMA data set and the second data set comprises a second FDMA data set. At least one of a code bias and a phase bias may exist between the first FDMA data set and the second FDMA data set. At least one receiver-type bias is determined, to be applied when the data sets are obtained from receivers of different types. The data sets are processed, based on the at least one receiver-type bias, to estimate carrier floating-point ambiguities. Carrier integer ambiguities are determined from the floating-point ambiguities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Talbot, Ulrich Vollath, Gang Lu
  • Patent number: 8669900
    Abstract: A method for reducing multipath when determining a location of a stationary or near stationary position, includes receiving a signal from an antenna moving continuously with respect to the stationary or near stationary position, the signal including a multipath component, processing the received signal including the multipath component, wherein multipath error in the received signal is reduced during the processing and determining a location of the stationary or near stationary position based on the processed received signal with the multipath error reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Ulrich Vollath
  • Publication number: 20140028497
    Abstract: A method for reducing multipath when determining a location of a stationary or near stationary position, includes receiving a signal from an antenna moving continuously with respect to the stationary or near stationary position, the signal including a multipath component, processing the received signal including the multipath component, wherein multipath error in the received signal is reduced during the processing and determining a location of the stationary or near stationary position based on the processed received signal with the multipath error reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED
    Inventor: Ulrich VOLLATH
  • Publication number: 20140015712
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for positioning of a rover antenna from GNSS data derived from multi-frequency signals and correction data derived from a network of reference stations. Rover antenna position and multi-frequency ambiguities are estimated at each epoch. An ionospheric filter models variation in ionospheric bias per satellite. A set of ionospheric carrier-phase ambiguities is estimated at least when the multi-frequency ambiguities have attained a predetermined precision. The estimated ionospheric carrier-phase ambiguities are cached. After detecting interruption of signal at the rover antenna and determining reacquisition of signals at the rover antenna, an ionospheric bias per satellite over an interruption interval is predicted. For each satellite, a cached ionospheric carrier-phase ambiguity is combined with a predicted ionospheric bias to obtain a post-interruption ionospheric ambiguity estimate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Rodrigo Leandro, Ulrich Vollath, Nicholas Charles Talbot
  • Publication number: 20140002300
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for positioning of a rover antenna from GNSS data derived from multi-frequency signals and correction data derived from a network of reference stations. At each of a plurality of epochs, the GNSS data and correction data are used to estimate values defining a rover antenna position and a set of multi-frequency ambiguities. An ionospheric-free carrier-phase ambiguity per satellite is estimated based on a known rover antenna position. The estimated ionospheric-free carrier-phase ambiguity is combined with an estimated widelane ambiguity and with an estimated ionospheric-free ambiguity and with values defining the known rover antenna position to obtain values defining an aided rover antenna position and aided multi-frequency ambiguities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Rodrigo Leandro, Ulrich Vollath, Nicholas Charles Talbot
  • Patent number: 8614642
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for processing a set of GNSS signal data derived from signals of a first set of satellites having at least three carriers and signals of a second set of satellites having two carriers. A geometry filter uses a geometry filter combination to obtain an array of geometry-filter ambiguity estimates for the geometry filter combination and associated statistical information. Ionosphere filters use a two-frequency ionospheric combination to obtain an array of ionosphere-filter ambiguity estimates for the two-frequency ionospheric combinations and associated statistical information. Each two-frequency ionospheric combination comprises a geometry-free two-frequency ionospheric residual carrier-phase combination of observations of a first frequency and observations of a second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Charles Talbot, Ulrich Vollath
  • Publication number: 20130335266
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing of GNSS signals are presented. These include GNSS processing with predicted precise clocks, GNSS processing with mixed-quality data, GNSS processing with time-sequence maintenance, GNSS processing with reduction of position jumps in low-latency solutions, GNSS processing with position blending to bridge reference station changes, and GNSS processing with delta-phase correction for incorrect starting position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Ulrich Vollath, Nicholas Charles Talbot, Markus Glocker, Xiaoming Chen, Rodrigo Leandro
  • Publication number: 20130332072
    Abstract: In a method for refining a position estimate of a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite a first position estimate of a LEO satellite is generated with a GNSS receiver on-board the LEO satellite. Corrections are received at the LEO satellite. The corrections are processed on-board the LEO satellite such that a corrected LEO satellite position estimate of the LEO satellite is generated for the first position estimate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: James M. Janky, Nicholas C. Talbot, Ulrich Vollath, Bruce D. Riter
  • Patent number: 8558736
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for processing a set of GNSS signal data derived from signals of a first set of satellites having at least three carriers and signals of a second set of satellites having two carriers. A geometry filter uses a geometry filter combination to obtain an array of geometry-filter ambiguity estimates for the geometry filter combination and associated statistical information. Ionosphere filters use a two-frequency ionospheric combination to obtain an array of ionosphere-filter ambiguity estimates for the two-frequency ionospheric combinations and associated statistical information. Each two-frequency ionospheric combination comprises a geometry-free two-frequency ionospheric residual carrier-phase combination of observations of a first frequency and observations of a second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Charles Talbot, Ulrich Vollath
  • Patent number: 8542146
    Abstract: Described is a generalized approach for integer parameter estimation, especially in the context of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The problem solved is the case where a definitively correct integer solution cannot be identified for all ambiguity parameters in a reliable way. The proposed solution is to apply a linear transformation to the ambiguities (multiply with a matrix) such that the images of the first and the second candidate (or more) are identical. That way, from the first and second (and possibly more) candidates of the integer least-squares solution, a subset of ambiguity combinations is derived that can be fixed. Thus, it is no longer necessary to choose between the solutions as they coincide for the new ambiguities. The advantage of this approach is maximizing all information still available when finally deriving additional parameters such as position, clock error, atmospheric errors and/or time correlated noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Ulrich Vollath
  • Patent number: 8515670
    Abstract: In a method for refining a position estimate of a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite a first position estimate of a LEO satellite is obtained with a GNSS receiver on-board the LEO satellite. The first position estimate is communicated to a Virtual Reference Station (VRS) processor. VRS corrections are received at the LEO satellite, the VRS corrections having been calculated for the first position estimate by the VRS processor. The VRS corrections are processed on-board the LEO satellite such that a VRS corrected LEO satellite position estimate of the LEO satellite is generated for the first position estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: James M. Janky, Nicholas C. Talbot, Ulrich Vollath, Bruce D. Riter
  • Patent number: 8400351
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for determining a position of an antenna of a GNSS rover from observations of GNSS signals collected at the antenna over multiple epochs and from correction data for at least one of the epochs. A first-epoch rover position relative to a moving base location is determined, a second-epoch update of the first-epoch rover position relative to the moving base location for a second epoch is determined using a single-differenced delta phase process, and the first-epoch position and the second-epoch update are combined to obtain a second-epoch rover position relative to a moving base location of the second epoch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Charles Talbot, Ulrich Vollath