Directive Patents (Class 342/350)
  • Patent number: 8296571
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for implementing export control for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. In one embodiment, a GNSS receiver is used to determine the geographic position of an electronic device. It is then determined that the geographic region corresponds to an exclusion zone. In response to determining that the geographic region corresponds to the exclusion zone, accessing data from the electronic device is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Jeffery A. Hamilton, Stuart Riley
  • Patent number: 8289159
    Abstract: The location of a device may be determined with respect to another device. For example, a locating device may be moved as it measures at least one distance to a target device. The locating device may then generate one or more indications relating to the measured distance or distances. The locating device also may generate one or more indications relating one or more determined directions to the target device. The target device may be moved in a predetermined manner to determine the location of the target device. Each of the devices may employ a single transceiver and a single antenna for the location determination operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: David Jonathan Julian, Chong U. Lee, Kamran Moallemi, Manuel E. Jaime, Michael James Wengler
  • Publication number: 20120212368
    Abstract: Electromagnetic weapons methods are introduced with the ability to improve, in a multitude of ways, the task of terminating a target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventor: Jake A Todd
  • Patent number: 8249200
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for binarizing an input signal, which is capable of reliably correcting an offset of the input signal even when the input signal does not reach a reference level or has a single frequency, a disc driver and a recording medium. The binarizing method includes viterbi-decoding the input signal to obtain a viterbi-decoded signal; slicing the input signal based on a predetermined reference level to obtain a sliced signal; obtaining an offset of the input signal by low-pass filtering the viterbi-decoded signal or the sliced signal; and correcting the offset of the input signal based on the obtained offset. The viterbi-decoded signal is a binary signal of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyun-Soo Park
  • Patent number: 8248266
    Abstract: A system and method for communicating data between a downhole tool and a surface controller is provided that comprises a rotating drill string extending in a borehole and having a downhole telemetry module disposed proximate a bottom end thereof and transmitting a first signal across a telemetry channel. A surface telemetry module is disposed proximate a top end of the rotating drill string and is adapted to receive the first signal transmitted by the downhole telemetry module across the transmission channel. The surface telemetry module has a radio frequency transmitter disposed therein for transmitting a second signal related to the first signal. A stationary communication module has a radio frequency receiver adapted to receive the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: John D. Macpherson, Frank W. Shepard, Ralf Zaeper, Volker Krueger
  • Patent number: 8224240
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for realizing beam-forming in CDMA mobile telecommunication system by employing smart antenna technique and method thereof, which forms multiple fixed beams in a sector, and uses multiple fixed beams to form the traffic channel with narrow beams and the common channel with sector beams simultaneously in the same smart antenna system, and overcomes the problem of inconsistency of phrases of respective channels due to the variations of time and temperature without complicated correction technique, thereby improving the capacity and performance of CDMA system with multiple antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Lilin Li, Jiying Xiang, Yanwei Wu
  • Patent number: 8179307
    Abstract: A signal processing method performs operations of coherent processing making it possible notably to purge the useful signal of the spurious signals (in particular the reference signal and its multiple reflections), to regenerate the transmission signal and to perform a coherent integration of the signal received by computing the cross-ambiguity between the signal received and the regenerated transmission signal. It also performs operations of non-coherent processing making it possible in particular to carry out extraction and Doppler distance purification operations making it possible to form blips and to eliminate the spurious blips present among the blips formed. The method applies notably to passive radars operating on non-cooperating opportunity transmissions, such as FM transmissions intended for the public.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Emmanuel De Gramont, Guy Desodt, Sébastien Allam
  • Patent number: 8150313
    Abstract: A device (D) is dedicated to transmitting and/or receiving signals representative of data in a communication satellite (SAT) having a fixed frequency bandwidth. This device (D) comprises transmission and/or reception means (MER) responsible for sending and/or receiving signals in multiple beams, and control means (MC) responsible for defining a chosen number of cells of chosen dimensions and positions, and configuring the transmission and/or reception means (MER) so as to define beams each associated with at least one of the defined cells, with a chosen carrier frequency based on the requirements of each of the cells and taking into account the frequency bandwidth available on the satellite (SAT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Jean-Didier Gayrard, Eric Belis
  • Patent number: 8107971
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for using a location aware device to determine a current location, recording a location bookmark for the current location using the location aware device, storing the location bookmark, detecting at some later time that a location of the location aware device is within a specified proximity to the bookmark location and that a user-defined condition is satisfied by the bookmark content, and automatically notifying a user of the location aware device of the location bookmark. A location bookmark includes a bookmark location and bookmark content, the bookmark location being the current location and the bookmark content including data associated with the current location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Baron L. Roberts, Gordon Durand
  • Publication number: 20120007778
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an actuating mechanism is employed to displace a conductor disposed within a fluidic channel, thereby reconfiguring an electronic component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Amy E. Duwel, Jason O. Fiering, Douglas W. White, Mark J. Mescher, Joseph M. Bauer, John R. Lachapelle, Bryan McLaughlin, Frans Spaepen
  • Patent number: 8095151
    Abstract: In a communication system, a method for providing a location service with geographical location information associated with a user equipment capable of communicating with the communication system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: storing connection information identifying a connection of the user equipment in the communication system; and determining whether the user equipment is currently connected in the network. Wherein, responsive to the user equipment not currently being connected in the network, the location of the user equipment is determined in dependence on the last stored connection information for the user equipment. The method also includes the step of translating the connection information into geographical coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Kall, Tomi Varonen
  • Patent number: 8095249
    Abstract: Methods and systems for displaying a digital terrain to a user of a vehicle are provided. First, second, and third actual terrain data points are received. The third actual terrain data point is between the first and second actual terrain data points. If the third actual terrain data point is above a line interconnecting the first and second actual terrain data points, the first actual terrain data point is modified such that the third actual terrain data point is not above a line interconnecting said modified first actual terrain data point and the second actual terrain data point. A digital terrain is displayed to the user of the vehicle. The digital terrain includes a first digital terrain data point corresponding to the modified first actual terrain data point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Little, Troy A. Nichols
  • Patent number: 8059025
    Abstract: An altimetry method comprising: providing a signal receiver (RX) on a first platform (S1) flying above a portion of the Earth surface (ES), for receiving a temporal series of signals emitted by a second flying platform (S2) and scattered by said portion of the Earth surface; and computing altimetry waveforms, indicative of an elevation profile of said portion of the Earth surface, by processing the received signals; characterized in that said step of computing altimetry waveforms comprises: cross-correlating the received signals with a plurality of locally-generated frequency-shifted replicas of the emitted signals; introducing a frequency-dependent temporal shift to the correlation waveforms in order to compensate for range delay curvature; and incoherently summing the temporally shifted correlation waveforms (CXC) corresponding to signals scattered by a same region of the Earth surface at different times during motion of said first platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne
    Inventor: Salvatore D'Addio
  • Patent number: 8018376
    Abstract: A GNSS-based, bidirectional mobile communication system includes a mobile unit, such as a vehicle or a personal mobile system, with GNSS (e.g., GPS) and Internet (worldwide web) access. A base station also has GNSS and Internet access, and provides differential (e.g., DGPS) correctors to the mobile unit via the Internet. The Internet communications link enables audio and/or video (AV) clips to be recorded and played back by the mobile unit based on its GNSS location. The playback function can be triggered by the mobile unit detecting a predetermined GNSS location associated with a particular clip, which can be GNSS position-stamped when recorded. Alternatively, clips can be generated by utilities and loaded by the application either from a personal computer or automatically over the Internet. Moreover, maps, vehicle travel paths and images associated with particular GNSS-defined locations, such as waypoints, can be updated and position-stamped on the data server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Hemisphere GPS LLC
    Inventors: John A. McClure, Dennis M. Collins, Aaron C. Stichter, John T. E. Timm
  • Patent number: 7982607
    Abstract: A tag has a receiver section, a transmitter section, and a further section, the further section being responsive to receipt by the receiver section of a wireless signpost signal from one signpost in a group of signposts for thereafter inhibiting transmission of tag signals by the transmitter section pending receipt by the receiver section of a respective signpost signal from each signpost in the group. A different configuration includes a tag having a receiver section, a transmitter section, and a further section, the further section inhibiting transmission of tag signals by the transmitter section during a time period that ends as a function of the absence of receipt by the receiver section of signpost signals, the further section responding to receipt of signpost signals by the receiver section during the time period by saving information relating to signposts that generated the signpost signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Savi Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikola Cargonja, Albert Nardelli
  • Patent number: 7970365
    Abstract: A method for correcting transmission phasing errors in an plurality of antenna elements is provided. The method includes receiving at least a first signal having a first frequency at the plurality of antenna elements at an angle of arrival (AOA). The method also includes identifying an actual fractional wavelength value (ftrue) for the first signal received with respect to a reference location for at least one of the plurality of antenna elements, obtaining a estimated phase propagation of the first signal at the one of the plurality of antenna elements relative to the reference location based at least on configuration data for plurality of antenna elements, and updating the configuration data associated with the AOA for the one of the plurality of antenna elements based on the estimated phase propagation and ftrue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: G. Patrick Martin, Kathleen Minear
  • Patent number: 7957749
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for using a location aware device to determine a current location, recording a location bookmark for the current location using the location aware device, storing the location bookmark, detecting at some later time that a location of the location aware device is within a specified proximity to the bookmark location and that a user-defined condition is satisfied by the bookmark content, and automatically notifying a user of the location aware device of the location bookmark. A location bookmark includes a bookmark location and bookmark content, the bookmark location being the current location and the bookmark content including data associated with the current location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Baron L. Roberts, Gordon Durand
  • Patent number: 7952517
    Abstract: A device for transmitting a satellite positioning signal received by an external antenna to an unexposed receiver having an internal receiving antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: BURY Sp. z o.o
    Inventor: Henryk Bury
  • Patent number: 7904243
    Abstract: Data from GPS satellites within the field of view of a ground station are retransmitted to LEO satellites, such as Iridium satellites, and cross-linked if necessary before being transmitted to a user. The user is then able to combine the fed-forward data with data received directly from GPS satellites in order to resolve errors due to interference or jamming. Iridium and data aiding thus provides a means for extending GPS performance under a variety of data-impaired conditions because it can provide certain aiding information over its data link in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Clark Cohen, Bart Ferrell, Greg Gutt, David Whelan
  • Patent number: 7844396
    Abstract: The present invention is for a modular, extensible software system for use with multi-modal, autonomous, or semi-autonomous vehicles. The design of the present invention involves the coherent integration of modules with responsibilities for human-interaction, training, path planning, mission execution, navigation, and safety to develop and complete missions. The present invention provides a modular software system that expresses vehicle behaviors through numerous small-grain elements to complete a mission. The system can be easily adapted or modified by adding new software modules or modifying existing modules as missions change or expand, with the smaller-grain modules being easier to adapt and reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Michael Alan Zeitzew
  • Patent number: 7720598
    Abstract: A mobile transmitter transmits a transmission signal from a vehicle to beacons. An estimator determines elapsed times for corresponding propagation paths between the vehicle and the beacons. Each propagation path includes at least one of a first propagation duration of a transmission signal and a second propagation duration of a return signal. A compensator compensates for noise or measurement error associated with a corresponding propagation path by invoking a linear fit scheme. The linear fit scheme applies a generally linear fit over fixed intervals of noisy measurements such that the noisy position measurements generally conform to a linear portion of a path plan of a vehicle. A data processor estimates a position of a vehicle at a confluence or intersection of the position curves or temporal curves based on elapsed times for the propagation paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Mark Alvin Schmidt, Kenneth Edward Hunt, David Roy Holm, Scott Adam Stephens
  • Patent number: 7706976
    Abstract: A method of determining speed and heading of a rover/rover having one degree of freedom comprising the following steps: (A) determining a rover position coordinates using at least one source of a radio position measurements; (B) storing a set of statistically different rover points in a memory block, and (C) using a subset of rover points including a plurality of stored rover points and a current rover point to determine a speed and a heading of the rover. It is assumed that each rover point comprises a time Epoch and a rover position determined at time Epoch, and that each pair of statistically different rover points comprises two rover positions separated by a statistically significant distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation, Ltd.
    Inventor: John William Peake
  • Patent number: 7702455
    Abstract: A location tagged data provision and display system. A personal communication device (PCD) with electromagnetic communication capability has a GPS receiver and a display. The PCD requests maps and location tagged data from data providers and other for display on the PCD. The data providers respond to requests by using searching and sorting schemes to interrogate data bases and then automatically transmitting data responsive to the requests to the requesting PCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: American Calcar, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Obradovich, John Dinkel, Michael Kent
  • Patent number: 7702657
    Abstract: A portable information processor (10) includes a storage unit (11) that stores information; a connecting unit (12) that connects to one of the device (1 (or 2)); an information acquiring unit (13) that acquires information from the connected device (1 (or 2)); an operation information generating unit (14) supplied with a driving power from a power source of the connected device (1 (or 2)) and generating operation information relating to the predetermined operation executable by the connected device (1 (or 2)) based on device identification information and the acquired information acquired by the information acquiring unit (13), and the information stored in the storage unit (11); and a control unit (15) that controls the connected device (1 (or 2)) based on the operation information generated by the operation information generating unit (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sato, Yoshiya Nonaka, Takeharu Arakawa, Masashi Tanabe, Hitoshi Ando, Tadahiro Miyoshi, Haruhiko Takagi, Motoyuki Yamashita, Kazuyuki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7663538
    Abstract: Electromagnetic signal emitting and/or receiving device and corresponding integrated circuit. The electromagnetic signal emitting and/or receiving device defines a minimum operational bandwidth and includes one or several arrays of antennas, each having at least one antenna, and which generate an output signal corresponding to the output signal generated by an hypothetical antenna equal to this antenna, when the hypothetical antenna is performing a periodic movement, preferably a rotation or combination of rotations. The periodic movement must have a frequency higher than a minimum operational bandwidth. In this manner the directivity of the antennas can be affected by changing their radiation pattern, being possible to obtain high directivity devices. The periodic movement can be replaced by an array of fixed antennas oriented in space and sequentially connected by miniaturized relays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Baolab Microsystems S.L.
    Inventor: Josep Montanyà Silvestre
  • Patent number: 7630738
    Abstract: Disclosed are a mobile station unit which can obtain azimuth information with a simple construction and a radio communication system including the mobile terminal unit. According to the present invention, in a terminal station, an arrival direction obtaining section 203 obtains an arrival direction of a received azimuth designation signal from a reference station or another terminal station using an arithmetic operation or the like. A transmitting direction forming section 204 determines the direction opposite to the arrival direction obtained by the arrival direction obtaining section 203 as a transmitting direction. A reference azimuth detecting section 207 detects the transmitting direction determined by the transmitting direction forming section 204 as a reference azimuth. An azimuth designation signal generating section 205 generates an azimuth designation signal so as to radiate radio waves having directivity in the transmitting direction determined by the transmitting direction forming section 204.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Hirano, Takashi Aramaki, Gen-Ichirou Ohta
  • Patent number: 7616555
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving received signal strength data, computing an aggregate square error surface based on the received signal strength data, computing a probability surface by applying a probability density function to the aggregate error surface, and computing a mean location of a wireless node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Donald Hart
  • Patent number: 7610064
    Abstract: A downlink module is provided that includes a sensor interface operable to provide digital sensor signals. It also includes a GPS receiver for receiving GPS timing and location signals. The downlink module may be configured to form packets of digital sensor signals and GPS timing and location signals according to a desired protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventor: Farrokh Mohamadi
  • Publication number: 20090121931
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a wrist-worn wireless communication device coupled with an RF antenna configured to operate folded or coiled in the device, or extended along the arm from wrist to elbow. A typical embodiment of the invention relates to an emergency radio beacon, particularly for satellite based systems such as a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for the Cospas-Sarsat system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventor: Daniel A. Katz
  • Patent number: 7523074
    Abstract: An intelligent label for dynamically displaying an information bearing indicium. The label includes a microprocessor coupled to communications circuitry, a display and a storage device. The storage device stores instructions that are executed by the microprocessor to receive through the communications circuitry a request for location information, to send through the communications circuitry location information in response to the request, to receive information based upon a computed postage amount, and to show on the label display an information bearing indicium based upon the computed postage amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventor: James M. Mattern
  • Patent number: 7498873
    Abstract: Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer-readable media comprises a receiver to receive a wireless stereo frequency-modulation (FM) signal comprising a plurality of spectral signal components including a first tone and one or more frequency bands; one or more tone generators each to generate a respective second tone based on a respective one of the frequency bands; a plurality of phase circuits each to measure a phase of a respective one of the first and second tones; and a difference element to determine a phase difference between two of the phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Rosom Corporation
    Inventors: Guttorm Opshaug, David Burgess, George Flammer, Scott Furman, Andy Lee, Matthew Rabinowitz, Harvind Samra
  • Patent number: 7483719
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for configuring transmission antenna groups in a mobile communication system with multiple transmission antennas and multiple reception antennas. The method includes the steps of: receiving a first matrix having a size of ‘Nt×Nt’, which corresponds to Nt number of transmission antennas, fedback from the mobile terminal, generating combinations of sub-matrixes of the first matrix corresponding to Nr number of reception antennas, and calculating sums of maximum eigenvalues; determining combinations of the sub-matrixes having a maximum value from among the calculated sums of eigenvalues to be transmission antenna groups for the Nt number of transmission antennas; and transmitting different relevant symbols from each other through the transmission antenna groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
    Inventors: Eung-Sun Kim, Jong-Hyeuk Lee, Jae-Hak Chung, Ho-Jin Kim, Joo-Hwan Chun, Kyung-Chun Lee, Il-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 7477161
    Abstract: A system and method for communicating data between a downhole tool and a surface controller is provided that comprises a rotating drill string extending in a borehole and having a downhole telemetry module disposed proximate a bottom end thereof and transmitting a first signal across a telemetry channel. A surface telemetry module is disposed proximate a top end of the rotating drill string and is adapted to receive the first signal transmitted by the downhole telemetry module across the transmission channel. The surface telemetry module has a radio frequency transmitter disposed therein for transmitting a second signal related to the first signal. A stationary communication module has a radio frequency receiver adapted to receive the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: John D. Macpherson, Frank W. Shepard, Ralf Zaeper, Volker Krueger
  • Publication number: 20090009390
    Abstract: A multi-channel, dual-band, radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive (T/R) module, for an active electronically scanned array, is provided. The module includes a compact, RF manifold connector and at least four T/R channels. Each of the T/R channels includes a notch radiator, a diplexer coupled to the notch radiator, a power amplifier, including at least one dual-band gain stage, coupled to the notch radiator, a low noise amplifier, including at least one lower-band gain stage and at least one upper-band gain stage, coupled to the diplexer, and a T/R cell, including a phase shifter, a signal attenuator and at least one dual-band gain stage, coupled to the power amplifier, the low noise amplifier and the manifold connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael J. LEE, Eric V. MILLER, Joseph A. FAULKNER, Cynthia W. BERRY, Gene A. DIGENNARO, Kerron R. DUNCAN, Ronald G. FREITAG, Tapan K. GUPTA, Harry V. GUY, III, Vincent G. KARASACK, Dave M. KRAFCSIK, Brian T. MCMONAGLE, Robert B. MIDDLETON, Benjamin R. MYERS, Mike L. SALIB, John P. VITAMVAS, Thomas M. WALSH, Eric D. ZIROFSKY, John W. GIPPRICH
  • Publication number: 20080316085
    Abstract: An apparatus a transmitter section, a receiver section, and a processing module. The transmitter section transmits a plurality of high carrier frequency beamformed signals in a loop manner until a desired number of signals has been transmitted. The receiver section receives the plurality of high carrier frequency beamformed signals and determines reception properties of the plurality of high carrier frequency beamformed signals. The processing module determines at least one of: reflection, absorption, refraction, and pass through based on the reception properties. The processing module then distinguishes an animate entity from an inanimate entity based on the at least one of the reflection, absorption, refraction, and pass through. The processing module then determines position of the animate entity within a given physical area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: AHMADREZA (REZA) ROFOUGARAN, Maryam Rofougaran, Nambirajan Seshadri
  • Publication number: 20080297403
    Abstract: A radar level gauging system for determining a filling level of a liquid in a tank arranged in a mobile unit is disclosed. The system is comprises a processing circuitry for determining a local and momentary filling level at different times at a certain position in the tank of the container based on received echo signals, and is further adapted to identify variations between said local and momentary filling levels corresponding to surface waves in the tank due to movement of said mobile unit. The result of this identification is used for improving the accuracy when estimating an average filling level of the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Akerstrom, Anders Welin
  • Publication number: 20080290164
    Abstract: A target acquisition system. The novel system includes a housing, a first mechanism for obtaining position coordinates of the housing, a second mechanism for measuring a pointing angle from the housing toward a target, and a third mechanism for calculating coordinates of the target using the pointing angle and housing coordinates. The system may also include a fourth mechanism for determining a distance between the housing and the target, and a control circuit for receiving a user signal and in response thereto acquiring the housing coordinates, pointing angle, and distance data. The target coordinates may be calculated from the housing coordinates, pointing angle, and distance data, or from two or more sets of position coordinates and corresponding pointing angle data. The system may also include a transmitter for automatically transmitting the target coordinates to a remote weapons system or network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas F. Papale, Jeffrey E. Carmella
  • Patent number: 7454289
    Abstract: The method in accordance with the invention, implemented with the aid of at least one pair of antennas, consists in performing: a normalized spectral analysis before intercorrelation of the demodulated signals (I, Q), by the code and the carrier, a phase coherence resetting of the signals before recombination, a phase offset measurement carried out by a true intercorrelation of the homologous satellite pathways by interferometry of the two signals arising from one and the same satellite and received respectively by a pair of antennas, then in performing a reduction of the initial ambiguity removal search domain for the determination of attitude of a vehicle by interferometric GPS measurement and implementing a statistical test for the selection of the ambiguity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Marc Chenus, Marc Revol
  • Patent number: 7446704
    Abstract: Dual frequency reception is shown in which a receive signal is obtained that contains a first signal with a first center frequency f1 and a second signal with a second center frequency f2. The receive signal is processed to generate an output signal. One or more types of the output signal can be generated. A first type of the output signal is proportional to the sum of the first signal frequency-converted to a third center frequency f3 and the second signal frequency-converted to said third center frequency f3. The first and second signals may for instance be positioning signals in a dual frequency satellite-based positioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Niko Kiukkonen
  • Publication number: 20080265087
    Abstract: A power transmission and imaging system for an airship comprises a transmission antenna array configured to transmit an energy beam to a patch rectenna carried by the airship. Coupled to the patch rectenna is a power distribution and control network that supplies rectified power delivered by the energy beam into the proper format for delivery to a power storage system and a motor control system. The power storage system comprises one or more batteries to store the transmitted energy, while the motor control system powers various propellers, blowers, and valves maintained by the airship in order to descend the airship to the ground. The rectenna may also function as an imaging system in real-time. The image processing system uses the patch rectenna to transmit and receive signals, and in turn store and process the return signals (images).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Edward W. Quinn, Jeanette Hariharan
  • Publication number: 20080268791
    Abstract: Systems and methods of connecting life experiences to a shopping experience are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of a method includes receiving user-input identifying at least one position in a life experiences continuum. The method also includes recalling digital content for the shopping experience based on the at least one position selected by the user in the life experiences continuum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventor: Yevgenly Eugene Shteyn
  • Publication number: 20080231505
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of source number estimation based on eigenspace in DOA estimation, including: (1) obtaining signals received by uniform linear array; (2) calculating a covariance matrix according to the received signals; (3) calculating a complex-valued covariance matrix or a covariance matrix after real-valued computations; (4) conducting eigendecomposition to the covariance matrix to obtain its eigenvector matrix; (5) calculating a source number decision based on the eigenvector; (6) calculating a ratio; and (7) source number estimation. The present invention can accurately estimate source number and save huge amounts of computation during signal processing in DOA estimation, and lower the cost of hardware.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Weiqing Zhu, Jun Hu, Xiaodong Liu, Zhiyu Liu, Feng Pan
  • Publication number: 20080204320
    Abstract: A method and system for optimally combining noisy measurements of attributes to obtain a composite statistically useful attribute result is disclosed. The method includes measuring a signal to noise ratio for each carrier in a pair, computing a signal to noise ratio power which is derived from said signal to noise ratio of each carrier in the pair and adding said signal to noise ratio powers that have been received within a predetermined period of time until the sum of said signal to noise ratio powers reaches a first threshold. The method continues with computing a weight based on the percentage of each measurements signal to noise ratio power in relation to said sum of said signal to noise ratio powers and deriving a statistically useful attribute result based at least in part on said weight of the of each signal to noise ratio power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventor: Eric David Leonard
  • Patent number: 7415354
    Abstract: A system and method for GPS acquisition in relatively high interference is described. Acquisition is aided by an Advanced Tightly Coupled (ATC) tracking filters that compute a satellite range residuals and range rate residuals for satellites being acquired. Multiple channels are used in parallel to search for the desired satellites. Range residuals from the ATC filters are used to correct the computed receiver offset and thus allow acquisition in the presence of relatively high interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Steven B. Alexander
  • Publication number: 20080129453
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for reading RFID tags in a stack of objects is described. For example, a pallet may hold a stack of objects, with one or more of the objects coupled to a RFID tag. A RFID reader may be used to read the tags in the stack. However, tagged objects in the middle of the stack may be difficult to read due to the RF signal loss passing through objects inside the stack. A waveguide may be used to guide radio waves to locations inside the pallet stack. For example, the waveguide can replace a slipsheet that is conventionally placed between horizontal layers of cases in the pallet stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne E. Shanks, William McKinzie
  • Publication number: 20080106403
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a system for improved signal processing within a remote sensor system. The system includes a detection component and a processing component. The detection component is adapted to detect an event and generate a signal based at least in part on the event. The processing component adapted to process a signal based at least in part on a situation. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for improved signal processing within a remote sensor system. The method includes determining a situation, detecting an event, generating a signal based at least in part on the event, and processing the signal based at least in part on the situational parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Paul Edward Voglewede, Scott J. Cloutier, Michael D. Jordan
  • Publication number: 20080101416
    Abstract: A broadband antenna applicable to a portable wireless electronic communication product, and especially suitable to be provided on the top or on two sides of a panel, it includes structurally a low-frequency antenna path, a high-frequency antenna path connected with the low-frequency antenna path, and a coaxial cable for feeding out a signal; the core line of the coaxial cable for signal transmission is connected with a signal feed-in point of the antenna, but a grounding line of the coaxial cable is not connected with the antenna to avoid making the coaxial cable a parasitic element of the antenna; the coaxial cable is arranged parallely to the low-frequency antenna path or the high-frequency antenna path, the grounding line of the coaxial cable is used to do perturbation against the transmission path of the antenna, thereby the antenna can get an effect of a broad bandwidth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Inventor: I-Fong Chen
  • Publication number: 20080070497
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for acquiring signal received from space vehicles (SVs) in a satellite navigation system. In one example, although claimed subject matter is not so limited, information processed in acquiring a signal from a first SV may be used in acquiring a signal from a second SV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventor: Rayman Wai Pon
  • Patent number: 7292848
    Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for activating an in-vehicle wireless communication device. A mobile identification number associated with the wireless communication device is provided. A broadcast signal containing the mobile identification number and a satellite radio subscriber identifier is received at an in-vehicle satellite radio receiver. The mobile identification number is stored in the wireless communication device based on the satellite radio subscriber identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Mazzara, Jr., Stephen C. Austin, Christopher L. Oesterling
  • Patent number: 7289812
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for using a location aware device to determine a current location, recording a location bookmark for the current location using the location aware device, storing the location bookmark, detecting at some later time that a location of the location aware device is within a specified proximity to the bookmark location and that a user-defined condition is satisfied by the bookmark content, and automatically notifying a user of the location aware device of the location bookmark. A location bookmark includes a bookmark location and bookmark content, the bookmark location being the current location and the bookmark content including data associated with the current location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Baron L. Roberts, Gordon Durand