Abstract: Apparatus, and an associated method, for determining the geographical positioning of a wireless communication station when the wireless communication station is operated in a non-ideal propagation environment. Errors introduced by NLOS conditions in a determination of a position of the wireless communication station calculated by way of a trilateration technique are corrected. If too few signals are received at the wireless communication station to permit a determination of its position using a ray tracing pattern recognition technique, an estimate of the position of the wireless communication station is also determinable. When implemented in a cellular communication system, accurate position determinations are made even when the mobile station is operated in a non-ideal propagation environment, such as an urban area.

Abstract: A system and method of locating a wireless device in a transaction establishment which relies on signal strength measurements and the known positions of receiving antennae. The system includes a number of transceivers each including a transmitter which transmits a first signal to the wireless device, a plurality of receivers including a plurality of antennae located throughout the transaction establishment and at least one signal strength determining circuit for determining signal strengths of second signals received by the antennae, and a control circuit for controlling transmission of the first signal and reception of the second signals. A storage medium contains the locations for each of the antennae. A computer coupled to the control circuit instructs the control circuit to transmit the first signal and determines a location of the wireless device in the transaction establishment from the signal strengths and from the locations of the antennae.

Abstract: GPS position information is collected and stored in a computer system. The GPS position information includes time-stamps that indicates when the GPS position information was collected. The computer system uses the time stamps to generate an error correction file name for an error correction file that can be used to correct the GPS position information. Using the generated error correction file name, the computer system connects to a file server that stores differential GPS error correction files and copies the needed differential GPS error correction file. The computer system connects to the DGPS file server using the File Transfer Protocol of the global Internet.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and apparatus which determines the tree-dimensional (x, y, z coordinate) position of the receiving position of a GPS antenna on an earth-moving machine or a vehicle, determines the tilt of the machine or vehicle in real time (tilt may vary from point to point), and utilizes this data to calculate the three-dimesional (x, y, z coordinate) position of a point of the earth's surface disposed beneath the machine or vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention derives and displays the distance between the actual elevation of this point and the desired surface elevation.

Abstract: A radio monitoring method which can estimate the position of an objective radio wave source with a high degree of accuracy by taking an influence of the geography or objects on the ground into consideration. According to the method, radio wave hologram observation is performed at individual sensor stations to acquire radio wave reconstructed images, and the reconstructed images are compared with results of a computer simulation prepared in advance to determine a candidate position of the radio wave source. The computer simulation is repeated while the position of the radio wave source is successively varied in the proximity of the candidate position to finally determine the position of the radio wave source. Map information is used in the computer simulation to simulate radio wave propagation with an influence of the geography and objects on the ground into consideration.

Abstract: An improved fully-coupled vehicle positioning process and system thereof can substantially solve the problems encountered in global positioning system-only and inertial navigation system-only, such as loss of global positioning satellite signal, sensibility to jamming and spoofing, and inertial solution's drift over time, in which the velocity and acceleration from an inertial navigation processor are used to aid the code and carrier phase tracking of the global positioning system satellite signals, so as to enhance the performance of the global positioning and inertial integration system, even in heavy jamming and high dynamic environments. The improved fully-coupled GPS/IMU vehicle positioning system includes an IMU (inertial measurement unit) and a GPS processor which are connected to a central navigation processor to produce navigation solution that is output to an I/O (input/output) interface.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for representation of data in a navigation system includes an input unit, a data memory, a position-determining unit, an evaluating unit and a control unit to control a display. From a destination entered in the input unit and the current vehicle location determined by the position-determining unit, the evaluating unit determines a route to the destination from cartographic data stored in the data memory. The evaluating unit also selects reference points of decision and/or orientation along the route and the scale of the map section displayed in the display unit is adjusted as a function of the distance between the current vehicle position and the next point of decision and/or orientation.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the location of a source of interference for a communications satellite. The system has an antenna array located on the earth facing panel of the communications satellite. The method and system determine the direction of a source of interference relative to the satellite's own coordinate system. The angle of arrival of the interference signal is determined with respect to the horizontal and vertical baselines of the coordinate system and by comparing the outputs of the appropriate antennas in the antenna array.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and apparatus for determining position of a vehicle within 100 km autonomously from magnetic field measurements and attitude data without a priori knowledge of position. An inverted dipole solution of two possible position solutions for each measurement of magnetic field data are deterministically calculated by a program controlled processor solving the inverted first order spherical harmonic representation of the geomagnetic field for two unit position vectors 180 degrees apart and a vehicle distance from the center of the earth. Correction schemes such as a successive substitutions and a Newton-Raphson method are applied to each dipole. The two position solutions for each measurement are saved separately. Velocity vectors for the position solutions are calculated so that a total energy difference for each of the two resultant position paths is computed. The position path with the smaller absolute total energy difference is chosen as the true position path of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for determining a geographical location from a measured wireless signal signature comprises calculating from the measured wireless signal signature a multi-dimensional signature vector, wherein each component of the vector measures a degree of coincidence between the measured wireless signal signature and a calibrated signal signature stored in a calibration table. The method also includes matching the signature vector with vectors in a set of multi-dimensional calibrated vectors. The matching uses a procedure comprising searching a hierarchical tree structure and eliminating nodes that cannot contain the best match vector. Within the remaining nodes, the search eliminates individual vectors that cannot be the best match vector, and selects one or more vectors in the set of multi-dimensional calibrated vectors, where the matched vectors correspond to calibrated geographical locations.

Abstract: A method for improving the accuracy of signal signature determinations in wireless location finding systems advantageously uses transmitter velocity estimates to accurately and reliably determine in real time a present signal covariance matrix for a transmitter. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method for determining a likely location of a transmitter in a wireless transmitter location finding system comprises coherently measuring transmitter signals received at an antenna array, and calculating a current signal covariance matrix from the measured transmitter signals. The method further comprises calculating an average covariance matrix by forming a linear combination of the current signal covariance matrix with past average covariance matrices.

Abstract: Surveillance platforms in airborne craft (8,10), land based vehicles (12), vessels at sea or fixed structures (14) detect dangers using conventional scanners and transmit information signals describing the dangers to a control center (2) which analyzes the data and determines the degree of danger and its geographic extent. The center generates a danger warning and emergency response including a danger index. The warning/response message identifies the degree of danger (danger index 144) and the GPS coordinates (142) of the impacted geographic area for a wide region or regions of the earth (FIGS. 2-6). A vulnerability index (FIG. 16) determined using neural networks (FIGS. 13-14) and fuzzy logic (FIGS. 15-20) enables a prioritized warning/response. The center broadcasts (18) the danger warning and emergency response (FIG. 9) to a large population of remotely located warning devices (11), such as a network of pagers each of which has a GPS receiver (6,28).

Abstract: A positioning apparatus is provided in a cellular base station for positioning a portable terminal in a cell covered by the cellular base station. The positioning apparatus has a base position indicative of a position of the cellular base station on a map. The positioning apparatus comprises an array antenna for receiving a transmission signal transmitted by the portable terminal to output a plurality of reception signals. A receiver section translates the reception signals into a plurality of baseband signals to demodulate the baseband signals into a plurality of demodulated signals. An estimation section estimates incident direction and delay time of the transmission signal on the basis of the demodulated signals to output an estimation result indicative of the incident direction and the delay time.

Abstract: Methods for estimation of the relative locations (baseline vectors) of two or more GPS signal antennas relative to each other and for estimation of line biases associated with each signal processing channel associated with each GPS signal antenna. Double difference carrier phase signal measurements are formed, using floating integer and fixed integer solutions for the phase integer ambiguities, and baseline vectors between the GPS signal antennas are estimated. Single difference phase integer ambiguities are obtained and approximations for line biases are computed. Single difference carrier phase measurements are used to estimate baseline vectors and line biases, using fixed phase integer ambiguities with the estimated baseline vectors and line biases as initial conditions, and are processed by Kalman filtering or other suitable signal processing. Angular orientation or attitude of a vehicle body on which the GPS signal antennas are placed is determined from the baseline vectors.

Abstract: A multi-dimensional tracking sensor for tracking a moving transmitter with particular applications in virtual reality and other real time computer applications. The system employs an electro-magnetic (EM) tracking sensor having a small lightweight transmitter with a transmitting antenna located on the target to be tracked and an array receiver with several local stationary antenna elements. Multiple antenna elements of the array receiver lie on the perimeter of the measured space in positions determined by a self-calibration procedure. The proposed device calculates a cross correlation function between two signals at each receiving unit to determine a spatial position of the tracked element via a system of linear equations.

Abstract: A method for calibrating and updating a golf course position, yardage and measurement system for golf carts that utilize dead reckoning navigation, to avoid gradual buildup of error from components of the dead reckoning system as the golf cart is being driven on the course during play, for the purpose of aiding golfers in playing the course by displaying distance measurements between the golf cart and various course features of interest.

Abstract: A regional attribute for a region in which a vehicle is traveling is detected by a vehicle navigation device, and vehicle drive force characteristics such as a throttle gain of an electronic throttle or a speed change pattern of an automatic transmission are modified according to the regional attribute. An operation amount of an accelerator operated by a driver is detected, and by not modifying the drive force characteristics when the accelerator operation amount is not zero, abrupt change of drive force is avoided, and the sense of discomfort experienced by a driver due to abrupt change of drive force is eliminated.

Abstract: A system and method of locating a wireless device which relies on signal strength measurements and the known positions of receiving sensors. The system includes a number of transceivers each including a transmitter which transmits a first signal to the wireless device, a plurality of receivers including a plurality of sensors and at least one signal strength determining circuit for determining signal strengths of second signals received by the sensors, and a control circuit for controlling transmission of the first signal and reception of the second signals. A storage medium contains the locations for each of the sensors. A computer coupled to the control circuit instructs the control circuit to transmit the first signal and determines a location of the wireless device from the signal strengths and from the locations of the sensors.

Abstract: GPS position information is collected and stored in a computer system. The GPS position information includes time-stamps that indicates when the GPS position information was collected. The computer system uses the time stamps to generate an error correction file name for an error correction file that can be used to correct the GPS position information. Using the generated error correction file name, the computer system connects to a file server that stores differential GPS error correction files and copies the needed differential GPS error correction file. The computer system connects to the DGPS file server using the File Transfer Protocol of the global Internet. The computer system then corrects the GPS position information in the computer system using the retrieved DGPS error correction file.

Abstract: In a vehicle navigation method and apparatus for drawing a map in which the scale of a displayed map is reduced to display a second wide-area map, an image of a presently-traveled road is drawn on the display so it is superimposed on the wide-area map, even if the wide-area map otherwise does not show the presently-traveled road. When the scale of the presently displayed map is reduced to instead display the wide-area map, a determination is made as to whether the presently-traveled road is displayed. If the presently-traveled road is not displayed, an image of the presently-traveled road is generated from map information pertaining to the presently-traveled road and the image is displayed so it is superimposed on the wide-area map.

Abstract: Remote units (113) that require locating are managed by a queue controller (180) such that the number and location of remote units (113) that are transmitting at increased power at any given time is limited. In particular, a queue controller (180) places identification information for remote units (113) requiring location onto queues (203) associated with base stations supplying reference pilots to the remote units (113). Additionally, identification (ID) information for the remote units (113) requiring location is placed onto queues (203) associated with base stations neighboring the base stations supplying the reference pilot to the remote units (113). The queues (203) operate on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis, that output remote unit ID at periodic intervals. Once all queues (203) have been emptied of the ID of a particular remote unit (113), location takes place for that remote unit (113).

Abstract: A method for correlating data taken during two test drives through the coverage area of a personal communication system, the data from each test set including a sequence of locations along a drive, a location from the first set being correlated with a location from the second set when the location from the second set is within a correlation distance from the location from the first set, the method including determining the correlation distance; setting the search point as a location in first set; determining a possible first correlated location from the first set and a corresponding first correlated location from the second set using the search point, the correlation distance, and a search radius if no correlated data has yet been found; otherwise determining a possible next correlated location from the first set and a corresponding next correlated location from the second set using the search point, the correlation distance, the correlated location from the second set that was most recently found, and a sear

Abstract: Methods for determining the present location coordinates of a user moving in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space, with reference to an old map that may be inaccurate. Location coordinates of two or three non-collinear landmarks in two dimensions, or coordinates of three or four non-coplanar landmarks in three-dimensions, are indicated on the old map. Corresponding location coordinates are also estimated using a location determination (LD) system, such as GPS, GLONASS, Loran, Tacan, Decca, Omega, VOR, DME, JTIDS, PLRS or an FM subcarrier system. Location coordinates for two or more physical landmarks can be used to determine coordinates for a landmark representative. The user's location coordinates are also determined or provided using the LD system. A distance or separation vector from the user location to landmark number i (i=1, . . . , N; N=2,3) is computed in the LD system.

Abstract: An arrangement for optically tracking moving objects and for measuring trajectories of the moving objects using triangulation. The arrangement includes a pair of measuring locations including a first measuring location and a second measuring location disposed at a distance with respect to the first measuring location. The arrangement further includes a plurality of pairs of theodolites for simultaneously tracking and measuring the trajectories of the moving objects, each pair of theodolites being effective for tracking and measuring a trajectory of a corresponding moving object and further having a first theodolite and a second theodolite. First theodolites of each pair of theodolites together form a first set of theodolites disposed on a common azimuthal axis at the first measuring location; and second theodolites of each pair of theodolites together form a second set of theodolites disposed on a common azimuthal axis at the second measuring location.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for determining, in a first speed mode of operation, speed and range of a moving object and, in a second survey mode of operation, determining direct distances to an object and automatically calculate horizontal and vertical component distances to the object. Also disclosed is a system and method for data entry and retroactive reconstruction of the relative position of features and objects, in particular with respect to scenes such as transitory occurrences, utilizing a signal transmitting and receiving speed, distance and tilt angle determining apparatus or device. In a particular embodiment, the apparatus disclosed has especial applicability to tactical situation use by law enforcement personnel and the system and method in the on-scene recordation and subsequent ex post facto reconstruction of crime and traffic accident scenes by law enforcement officers.

Abstract: Method which involves determining the position of a number of measured objects by determining a number of directions to the measured objects from at least two measuring stations, of which at least one is mobile, the method being used to decide which of the points of intersection between the directions correspond to measured objects and which ones do not correspond to measured objects. Changes in the mutual movements between the measuring stations and the points of intersection are in this case determined by comparison between the paths in which the points of intersection and the measuring stations are moving. The points of intersection whose movement is not affected by changes in the movement of other points of intersection, or by changes in the movement of at least one measuring station, correspond to positions of measured objects.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile telephone within the serving area of a mobile telephone system are disclosed. A mobile switching center analyzes the calling mobile telephone number and called telephone number to determine if a location function is required. Upon initiation of the location function by the mobile switching center, a mobile location module calculates a location estimate of the mobile telephone. The mobile location module receives a list of signal strengths received by the mobile telephone from cell site antennas within the serving area. The distance between the mobile telephone and a plurality of cell site antennas is calculated using a technique which reduces the error component of the calculated distances. These reduced error distances are used to geometrically determine an estimate of the location area within the sewing area of a mobile telephone system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile telephone within the serving area of a mobile telephone system. A mobile switching center analyzes the calling mobile telephone number and called telephone number to determine if a location function is required. Upon initiation of the location function by the mobile switching center, a mobile location module calculates a location estimate of the mobile telephone. The mobile location module receives a list of signal strengths received by the mobile telephone from cell site antennas within the serving area. The distance between the mobile telephone and a plurality of cell site antennas is calculated using a technique which reduces the error component of the calculated distances. These reduced error distances are used to geometrically determine an estimate of the location area.

Abstract: A horizontal position and vertical elevation measurement apparatus and method for measuring horizontal positioning and absolute elevations of railways, paved or unpaved roadways, and other travel surfaces. The apparatus is capable of determining longitudinal and transverse elevational profiles in an X-Y-Z coordinate format usable with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Land Information Systems (LIS) to project present and future traffic counts and traffic flow patterns. It can measure the horizontal location and elevations of paved and unpaved travel surfaces, potholes, cracks, wheel ruts, etc. within a travel surface, and the horizontal location and elevations of railway tracks when conventional railroad high rail gear is used. The apparatus has Global Positioning System (GPS) signal receiving units fixed to each end of a sensor bar mounted on a vehicle perpendicular to vehicle movement.

Abstract: A system and method for data entry and retroactive reconstruction of the relative position of features and objects, in particular with respect to scenes such as transitory occurrences, utilizing a signal transmitting and receiving distance determining device. In a particular embodiment, the system and method disclosed has especial applicability to the on-scene recordation and subsequent ex post facto reconstruction of traffic accident scenes by law enforcement officers and may be readily and efficiently implemented in conjunction with a commercially available laser-based speed and distance determining device otherwise usable for vehicle speed traffic monitoring functions utilizing either triangulation or baseline/offset mensuration techniques.

Abstract: A relative speed of a vehicle with respect to a satellite is detected from a deviation of a tuning frequency caused by the Doppler effect, and a vehicle speed is determined from the relative speed. A piezoelectric oscillation gyro detects an angular speed of rotation of the vehicle, which is integrated to determine an azimuth. A travel is detected in terms of the vehicle speed and the azimuth, and the detected travel and information from available GPS satellites are substituted into a navigation equation to solve it for a solution. Alternatively, altitude information detected by an altitude sensor and the angular speed of rotation of the vehicle as detected by the piezoelectric oscillation gyro may be is inputted. The angular speed of rotation is integrated to determine the azimuth. Information from two GPS satellites and information representing azimuth .phi. and altitude .DELTA.z are substituted into the navigation equation to solve it for a solution. Kalman filter is employed.

Abstract: A radio receiver capable of determining its geographic position is disclosed. The radio receiver includes a control unit 15 with access to a storage unit 11 that contains a number of station records 42a, 42b, . . . Each station record contains data representative of the carrier frequency, program type a geographic location of a specific broadcast station. When a listener wants to determine his geographic location, he tunes the radio to a broadcast station. The carrier frequency and program type of the received station are supplied to the control unit. The control unit matches the carrier frequency and program type of the received station with the like data in the station records to find a matched broadcast station. The location of the matched broadcast station is employed as the location of the radio receiver.

Abstract: Radar processing method and apparatus in which the receiver need not accept the transmitted signal directly in order to determine the timing information required to locate targets. Processing apparatus according to the invention employs signals transponded or reflected from at least two targets to compute target and/or transmitter locations, or to simulate the transmitted signal for input to a conventional bistatic processor.

Abstract: Position and orientation of receiving antennae with respect to magnetic field transmitting antennae are determined. The transmitter consists of two or more antenna whose dimensions are large compared to the distance to the receiver. The receiver consists of two or more antenna that are sensitive to the type of signal transmitted. A computer is used to control the transmitting and receiving elements and to convert the received signals into position and orientation.

Abstract: An information terminal system including a process control computer and a portable terminal device for inputting information to said process control computer and gaining information from said process control, includes component information storing means for storing information for distinguishing each one of plural components composing a plant and component identifying means for identifying a component from plural components composing a plant and existing in the direction indicated by and at the location of the portable terminal device, by using information for distinguishing each one of the plural components stored in the component information storing means.

Abstract: Methods for determining the present location coordinates of a user moving in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space, with reference to an old map that may be inaccurate. Location coordinates (xi',yi') of two or three non-collinear landmarks in two dimensions), or coordinates (xi',yi',zi') of three or four non-coplanar landmarks (in three-dimensions), are indicated on the old map. Corresponding location coordinates (xi,yi) or (xi,yi,zi) are also determined or made available using a location determination system (LDS), such as GPS, GLONASS, Loran, Tacan, Decca, Omega, VOR, DME, JTIDS, PLRS or an FM subcarder system. Location coordinates (xi,yi) (or (xi,yi,zi)) for two or more physical landmarks can be combined into coordinates for a landmark representative. The user's location coordinates (xu,yu) (or (xu,yu,zu)) are also determined or provided using the LDS.

Abstract: An object location, control, and tracking system is implemented using an object identifier variable-based protocol such as SNMP. Infrared sensors, touch memory ports, passive infrared sensors, and external device controllers are all accessed using object identifier variables and in this way stimuli events are reported to a computer on the network, and the external devices are controlled responsive to the stimuli.

Abstract: A radio wave signal is transmitted from a radio wave transmitter according to a command from a central control unit, and a supersonic wave is transmitted from a supersonic wave transmitter held by a moving object according to this radio wave signal. A time counter in a supersonic wave detecting device determines the time required from the transmission of the radio wave signal to the detection of the supersonic wave. A coordinate position of the object is calculated on the basis of the thus-obtained time data from a plurality of the supersonic wave detecting devices and positional data of the supersonic wave detecting devices to control the lighting direction of a lighting projector according to a command signal from the central control unit referring to a positional data of the lighting projector.

Abstract: A security system for monitoring an area under surveillance includes a transmitter for generating radio frequencies (RF) signals when actuated using an actuator. A sensing station receives the RF signals from the transmitter. A monitoring station generates video signals of the area under surveillance and provides one end of a duplex audio communications system. A control station, coupled to the sensing station and the monitoring station, actuates the monitoring station in response to the RF signals sensed by the sensing station. The control station includes an opposite end of the duplex audio communications system and a display for displaying the video signals.

Abstract: Accurate detection of an existing link (current road location between two road nodes) of a vehicle by an on-board navigation system. Upon each periodic detection of the position, azimuth and velocity of the vehicle by a GPS receiver, all the links within a predetermined distance of the vehicle position are extracted by looking up road data read out from a CD-ROM. For each of the links, the distance from the vehicle position, the angle with the vehicle azimuth, the angle between the vehicle azimuth and a passable direction of the link, the difference between the vehicle velocity and the speed limit for the link and the connectability with the last-detected existing link are obtained and are substituted into a predetermined existential probability evaluation function to calculate an existential probability. The link with the largest existential probability is determined to be the existing link.

Abstract: A real-time ship steering system provides steering of a survey ship along a rescribed thumb line track in accordance with a received point location on the thumb line and a received heading of the rhumb line. The system of the present invention requires an integrated navigation system, a track-keeping interface, and a ship autopilot to steer a ship. The computer of the navigation system integrates position data from continuous fixed radio and satellite positioning systems, inertial navigation systems, and dead reckon aids to develop the best present position. At prescribed equally spaced times, the best present position is used to compute the off-track distance of the ship. The off-track distance is used to develop proportional and integral heading corrections, which are applied to the autopilot by way of the track-keeping interface. The autopilot accepts the correction signal as a bias to the desired ground track heading, causing the ship to be steered toward the desired track.

Abstract: A method for determining the time difference of arrival, tdoa, of signals from a cellular telephone, includes determining tdoas for a plurality of channels, averaging the tdoas from the channels, subtracting the average tdoa from the individual channel tdoas to determine residual channel tdoas and determining an overall residual tdoa from the residual channel tdoas. An apparatus and method for collecting cell phone transmission signals for performing tdoa calculations, includes receiving, digitizing and temporarily storing wideband transmission signals while monitoring a known reverse control channel for a predetermined cell phone number to be located, and permanently storing the delayed reverse control channel signal once the predetermined number is identified.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention combines, on a single integrated circuit, an eight channel GPS receiver, a 68330-type microprocessor, a 68681-type DUART serial communications controller, an analog-to-digital converter, a real-time clock, a random access memory and a boot read-only memory. A system integration module and inter-module bus allow tri-state control of the microprocessor such that a commercially available 68332-type emulator may be used for software development.

Abstract: A method and system for determining the direction and range to a signal source from a single movable antenna. The direction and range are determined by the simultaneous solution of trigonometric equations which describe triangles including the source and at least two positions assumable by the antenna as apices. The simultaneous equations incorporate the distances from the source to each antenna position as triangle sides and the determination of the relationship between these sides provides for the solution of the equations. The relationship of the triangle sides is determined by detecting periodic symbols occurring in the source signal while the antenna is moved through multiple positions. Actual symbol occurrences corresponding to each antenna position are detected. The expected occurrences at the first antenna position of the symbols actually occurring at the subsequent antenna positions are determined.

Abstract: In a method for determining the location of a land vehicle wherein the driving distance and course changes are derived from wheel pulses generated by sensors in the course of the revolution of the wheels of a vehicle axle by respectively a preset angle, the course changes derived from the wheel pulses are compared with comparison course changes which are obtained independently of the wheel pulses. Correction values are derived from the result of the comparison. The comparison course changes are preferably detected with the aid of a magnetic sensor (compass).

Abstract: An on-board navigation apparatus in which one of a plurality of service facilities displayed on a display is designated by an operator input, the position coordinate data corresponding to the designated one service facility is registered as a user position into a memory. When the map is displayed on the display, the position coordinate data which has been user position registered is read out from the memory. The position on the map indicated by the position coordinate data is multiplexed onto the map by a predetermined pattern and displayed on the display. The positions of the service facilities such as restaurants, hotels, or the like, which are necessary for each user, consequently, can be easily confirmed on the displayed map.

Abstract: A route predicting apparatus for monitoring a flying target and predicting a route thereof. Even if the target is hidden by mountains or other obstacles thus preventing observation for a certain time, a reliable route prediction is carried out by utilizing the fact that a route of the target is restricted by geographical features. The apparatus comprises an observation unit for observing a target and outputting an observed value thereof, a terrain information unit for outputting characteristic parameters of stored terrain information, a prediction unit coupled to receive the observed value and the characteristic parameters of terrain information for performing a fuzzy inference to output a predicted observed value of the target, and a learning adjustment unit coupled to receive an error signal between a predicted observed value at the current time predicted a unit time before and a real observed value at the current time for adjusting the prediction unit by using a neural network.

Abstract: A passive emitter location system is capable of performing emitter location autonomously from a single airborne observation platform and includes a bearing measurement system, a system for measuring doppler induced frequency shifts, and means for estimating the emitter location based on non-simultaneous measurement of the bearing and frequency using extended Kalman filters preferably initialized by a single measurement delayed initialization procedure.

Abstract: High degree of accuracy of the position of a vehicle can be ensured by maintaining the continuity of the running path of the vehicle and by correcting the vehicle position to a vehicle position measured by a GPS navigation system when a positional deviation occurs due to sensor errors. Specifically, the vehicle positions are estimated in accordance with signals from sensors for detecting behaviors of the vehicle, and then the vehicle position is shifted onto a designated road having a feature coincident with that of the running path of the vehicle based upon data of the estimated vehicle positions. Further, the vehicle position is corrected to a position measured by use of a GPS receiver only when the cumulative value of distances of the positional shifts made by a number of cycles in past or in a predetermined running distance range exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A communication network keeps track of the locations of mobile units which utilize the network. On powering up, the mobile units determine their current locations using signals broadcast, for example, by overhead satellites. They then send data communication messages to the network describing their locations. The network saves the locations and returns data messages that describe borders which surround the mobile units' locations. The mobile units repetitively determine their current locations on a regular schedule. When their current locations are outside of their prescribed borders, they send other location data messages to the network to update the location data being maintained by the network and to receive a definition of a new border.