Unequal Distance Between At Least Three Antennas Patents (Class 342/446)
  • Patent number: 11656315
    Abstract: A system and method can determine the position of a tag antenna relative to a plurality of spaced apart fixed base antennae using ultrawideband signals by using an angle of arrival determined by time of arrival of an ultrawideband signal from the tag antenna to disambiguate a differential phase angle of arrival measured from the differential phase of the ultrawideband signal between the two base antennae. Accordingly, a non-ambiguous phase angle of arrival of the ultrawideband signal from the tag antenna may be used with a range of the tag antenna measured by one or more methods including by 2-way time of flight, to determine the position of the tag antenna relative to the base antennae. The system and method can also use a plurality of pairs of antennae to determine a 3D position of the tag antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: XCO Tech Inc
    Inventors: Scott Stephens, Scott Mcmillan, Maik Wolleben
  • Patent number: 10983204
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a direction of an object using a plurality of antennas is disclosed. The method includes determining an optimal antenna pattern to determine the direction of the object from among a plurality of candidate antenna patterns using a portion of the antennas, and determining the direction of the object using the optimal antenna pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong Han Kim
  • Patent number: 9851430
    Abstract: A terminal that receives carrier signals with start point information indicated thereon from three or more base stations (BSs) including a serving BS, calculates a difference in phase angles between carrier signals of two BSs while changing the two BSs by using the start point information of the carrier signals of the two BSs among the three or more BSs, and calculates coordinates of the terminal by using the calculated differences in distance of arrival is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Jai Hyung Cho
  • Patent number: 8665142
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an antenna device is provided with a dielectric substrate whose both surfaces are covered by first and second metal films, a via-hole row in which via-holes are arranged in two rows on the dielectric substrate, and a waveguide line is formed by the first and the second metal films, and a slot pair provided in the first metal film. The slot pair has a first slot and a second slot provided so that a slot length direction is oblique to a line direction of the waveguide line. A center of the first slot and a center of the second slot are spaced apart from each other by not less than a half of the shorter one of the slot length of the first slot and the slot length of the second slot along the slot length direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tetsu Shijo, Shuichi Obayashi
  • Patent number: 8665153
    Abstract: Provided is an array signal processing device capable of, when a spatial averaging method is applied to array signal processing, reducing the number of antennas constituting an array antenna while making use of the spatial averaging method. In the array signal processing device (300), an array antenna (310) comprises four antennas (311-1 to 311-4) disposed at the four vertices of a parallelogram. Correlation calculation units (341-1, 2) calculate, based on a received signal, spatial correlation matrices for respective sub-array antenna (312-1) and sub-array antenna (312-2), the sub-array antenna (312-1) comprising the antennas (311-1, 3) disposed at the opposing two vertices and the antenna (311-2), the sub-array antenna (312-2) comprising the antennas (311-1, 3) and the antenna (311-4). An array rotation unit (342) converts a first spatial matrix of the calculated two spatial matrices to the complex conjugate thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Nakagawa, Takashi Fukagawa, Hirohito Mukai
  • Patent number: 7671801
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronically scanned array includes a plurality of armor segments interspersed between a plurality of transmit/receive integrated microwave modules (TRIMMs), and a clamping element compressing the armor segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: James A. Pruett, Frank L. Shacklee
  • Publication number: 20100033377
    Abstract: A sparsely populated array of antenna elements on a plane is provided such that the angle of arrival (AoA) measurement for a radiofrequency signal received by the array has high resolution and is non-ambiguous within a 360-degree azimuthal field of view. The array comprises a two-dimensional antenna array developed using fuzzy genetic logic based on specified criteria. In response to one specified set of criteria, the array comprises having a first large element formation combined with a second smaller element formation. The first large element formation supports high DF accuracy while the second smaller cluster facilitates ambiguity resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: The Government of the United States as represented by the U. S. Navy
    Inventor: Sverre Nils Straatveit
  • Patent number: 7213442
    Abstract: Method of arranging transducers, including non-coplanar interferometer antennas on the outer surface of an aircraft, to minimize phase ambiguities when determining the direction of arrival of a signal received by an array of the transducers and emitted by a source remote from the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Wayne C. Workman
  • Patent number: 6573865
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to multi-element antenna clusters or arrays for the reception and transmission of radio waves for direction-finding, navigation aid and emitter and/or receiver location purposes. In particular, it relates to arrangements of multiple antennas whereby the direction of propagation (arrival or departure) of a wavefront is determined from a combination of the amplitudes of phasor (or total individual antenna output) differences between pairs of antennas, said arrangements being along certain geometrical patterns, such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, an open straight line, etc., with at least one longest dimension measuring more than one wavelength of the incident or departing wave. Although described in terms of electromagnetic waves and hence antennas as receiving sensors or radiators, this invention in reality applies to any other form of propagating waveborne energy, such as acoustic, ultrasonic, seismic, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Inventor: Elie J. Baghdady
  • Patent number: 6275189
    Abstract: A passive target positioning system utilizes three stations positioned on a linear baseline with a central master station positioned predetermined distances from two slave stations. Angle to the target is determined from the time differences of arrival at the master station and each of the slave stations. Range to the target, in one embodiment, is determined from the difference of the two time difference of arrival measurements and the angle-to-target, while in a second embodiment from the time differences of arrival. A scannable antenna with frequency selection capability provides a spatial sector and frequency band selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: William L. Rubin
  • Patent number: 5884215
    Abstract: Signals exchanged between a fixed infrastructure (110-116) and a mobile unit (160) give rise to M channel quality metrics. The channel quality metrics are mapped, via predetermined relationships (501-503), in to M corresponding time of arrival variances, which in turn are used to derive M-1 time of arrival differential variances. A time of arrival differential weighting matrix including, in part, the time of arrival differential variances, is used to calculate a WLS solution, which solution is an estimate of a location of the mobile unit. This procedure may be implemented using an infrastructure-based location processor (130) operating in conjunction with the mobile unit, or may be performed by either the location processor or mobile unit alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Birchler, Debra A. Jones, Nicholas C. Oros
  • Patent number: 5745078
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to multi-element antenna clusters or arrays for the reception and transmission of radio waves for direction-finding, navigation aid and emitter and/or receiver location purposes. In particular, it relates to arrangements of multiple antennas whereby the direction of propagation (arrival or departure) of a wavefront is determined from a combination of the amplitudes of phasor (or total individual antenna output) differences between pairs of antennas, said arrangements being along certain geometrical patterns, such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, an open straight line, etc., with at least one longest dimension measuring more than one wavelength of the incident or departing wave. Although described in terms of electromagnetic waves and hence antennas as receiving sensors or radiators, this invention in reality applies to any other form of propagating waveborne energy, such as acoustic, ultrasonic, seismic, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Inventor: Elie J. Baghdady
  • Patent number: 5657027
    Abstract: Apparatus and a processing method that determine accurate angle of arrival data indicative of the direction to an emitter. An accurate angle of to the emitter using four antennas and receiver channels (processor). The present invention provides for an ambiguity function that is an implementation of a four-channel two-dimensional interferometer array. The interferometer array and method provide for a reference antenna and second, third and fourth antennas disposed in a predetermined plane with the reference antenna and offset from the reference antenna at locations such that no two antennas lie along a straight line that includes the reference antenna. Receivers are coupled to the antennas for detecting RF energy derived therefrom. Phase comparators make three phase difference measurements (.phi..sub.1, .phi..sub.2 and .phi..sub.3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Hughes Electronics
    Inventor: Boyd E. Guymon, II
  • Patent number: 5592180
    Abstract: A special mobile radio mobile, vehicle or personal location system is described where the system operates to locate any one of a the transmitters in an SMR system. The present invention operates by identifying the received signals, removing the modulation information to reconstruct a demodulated carrier and analyzing the carrier signals for multipath distortion. The multipath disruptions are removed to calculate the true incident angle of the transmitted signal at a base station. A plurality of base stations are used to simultaneously calculate the incident angle of the transmitted SMR signal and a central location calculates the most probable location of the transmitter based upon triangulation. The incident angle of the transmitted SMR signal at each base station is performed by calculating the phase differences of the incoming voice signal with phase ambiguity minimized by using a plurality of dipole antennas spaced at an irregular distance to eliminate phase ambiguity error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Nexus1994 Limited
    Inventors: Hanoch Yokev, Haim Harel, Yehouda Meiman, Shimon Peleg
  • Patent number: 5592181
    Abstract: A method and system for tracking the position of a moving transmitter using angle of arrival measurements from direction finding antenna arrays. Each array includes several elements, with the elements grouped to provide subarrays of different element spacings which are multiple of one half the transmitter wavelength. Ambiguity is rejected by processing angle data received from the subarrays. The signals from the arrays are processed to convert electrical phase delay into spatial angles, the spatial angle data is processed to provide the x,y position, velocity and acceleration of the transmitter. For transmitters mounted in moving vehicles, the system further processes the x,y data and applies a quality weighting factor that filters out multipath factors and permits estimation of vehicle profile information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Khiem V. Cai, Roger J. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5583517
    Abstract: A multi-path resistant frequency-hopped spread spectrum mobile vehicle or personal location system is described which provides low cost manufacture and low power operation while still enabling the accurate location of the mobile unit over long distances and in moderate to severe multi-path conditions. The frequency-hopped spread spectrum mobile vehicle or personal location system consists of a central station, a plurality of base stations and a plurality of mobile transmitters which transmit using a frequency-hopped spread-spectrum differential bi-phase shift keying communication signal. Frequency Shift Keying modulation may also be used. Each of the plurality of base stations include an array of receiving dipole antennas and employs special algorithms for retrieving very low power frequency-hopped spread spectrum signals in a noisy and multi-path environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Nexus 1994 Limited
    Inventors: Hanoch Yokev, Haim Harel, Yehouda Meiman, Shimon Peleg
  • Patent number: 4864309
    Abstract: A microwave radiometer is formed of a set of frequency scanning antennas disposed parallel to each other and connected by a common microwave feeder. Signals of individual ones of the antennas are translated to different intermediate frequencies such that differences between the intermediate frequencies are proportional to baseline spacings between pairs of antennas of nested interferometers. A correlator containing parallel delay lines and a set of multiplier channels coupled to paired taps of the delay lines receives signals at the intermediate frequencies to produce a set of correlation signals. A two-dimensional Fourier transformation is applied to the correlation output signals to provide the power spectral density of microwave radiation incident upon the array of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Carl A. Wiley, deceased, by Jean B. Wiley, administratrix
  • Patent number: 4780722
    Abstract: A radio direction-finding system comprises at least two adjacent, coplanar rectilinear antenna arrays (ARR.sub.1, ARR.sub.2) which face in different directions; phase measurements are performed on pairs of antennae of different spacings (ANT.sub.C /ANT.sub.1 -ANT.sub.N) in each array in order to derive the direction of incidence in the plane of the arrays and/or the direction of incidence with respect to said plane, e.g. bearing (.theta.) and elevation (.beta.) respectively. To reduce the number of channels required for resolving ambiguity in the phase measurement on the widest-spaced antenna pair (ANT.sub.C /ANT.sub.N) in each array, ambiguity is resolved as far as possible with more closely spaced pairs in each array and finally resolved on the two arrays jointly by amplitude comparison of signals received by the two arrays, even though the accuracy of the amplitude comparison may be insufficient to resolve ambiguity in the arrays separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony R. Cusdin
  • Patent number: 4701762
    Abstract: A surveillance system for simultaneously identifying the directions and frequencies of a plurality of electromagnetic-radiation sources includes an irregular array (10) of antenna elements and employs a two-dimensional compressive receiver (14) that receives at its input ports (18) the individual element signals. Each output of the two-dimensional compressive receiver (14) is modulated in an associated modulator (20) by one signal of a composite ensemble of signals. The composite ensemble is the sum of a plurality of individual ensembles, each of which is an ensemble of signals of a frequency uniquely associated with that individual ensemble and individually modulated to favor a direction associated with that individual ensemble. The results are added together in summation circuit 22 and applied to a Bragg cell (24), which segregates the results of modulation by the individual ensembles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1987
    Assignee: Sanders Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Apostolos