Having A Self-contained Position Computing Mechanism (e.g., Dead-reckoning, Etc.) Patents (Class 701/472)
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Patent number: 8798925Abstract: An unambiguous heading direction is calculated to determine the forward/reverse state of a vehicle. A heading alignment error is determined at step 100, being the difference between a GNSS direction of motion and the unresolved IMU heading of the vehicle. The heading alignment error is adjusted by 180° to be within a predetermined range at step 200. The unresolved IMU heading of the vehicle 10 is adjusted using the heading alignment error to determine an ambiguous error corrected IMU heading at step 300. Step 400 determines whether the ambiguous error corrected IMU heading is substantially in the true direction of the nose of the vehicle. The unambiguous heading direction is calculated at step 500 by offsetting the ambiguous error corrected IMU heading by 180 degrees if the ambiguous error corrected IMU heading is substantially opposite the true direction of the nose the vehicle of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2011Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventor: William James Kellar
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Patent number: 8792903Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to determining a location of a mobile device using an estimated trajectory of motion of the mobile device, and in particular, using a comparison of the estimated trajectory with one or more predetermined candidate trajectories.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2010Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Marc A. Ische, Leonid Sheynblat, Douglas Neal Rowitch
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Patent number: 8788200Abstract: The invention described herein relates to aiding a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receiver of a platform with a data interface to the platform data. The platform, for example, could be a vehicle, ship, aircraft, or a pedestrian. The SPS receiver would be used to track the location of the platform. The data interface would facilitate access by the SPS receiver to the data of the platform, and the SPS receiver in turn could provide SPS data (such as position, speed, and heading) to the platform. A further aspect of the invention includes hardware or software used by the data interface and the SPS receiver to provide, format, time-stamp, synchronize, and match platform data or SPS receiver data.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2006Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: CSR Technology Inc.Inventors: Jaime B. Colley, Lars Boeryd
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Publication number: 20140195151Abstract: A method is provided for determining an Estimated Horizontal Position Error (EHPE) with respect to a navigation system onboard a telematics-equipped vehicle by utilizing a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) navigation system in combination with a dead reckoning (DR) navigation system. The method includes: receiving GNSS positioning information from the GNSS navigation system; receiving DR positioning information from the DR navigation system; applying, by a telematics unit, a Kalman filter to the GNSS positioning information and the DR positioning information; calculating, by the telematics unit, the EHPE corresponding to the navigation system onboard the telematics-equipped vehicle based on the GNSS positioning information, the DR positioning information, and the Kalman filter.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2013Publication date: July 10, 2014Applicant: General Motors LLCInventors: Debo Sun, Curtis L. Hay
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Patent number: 8768560Abstract: A method for performing transform calibration of an accelerometer of a telematics device during installation in a vehicle includes placing the device in the vehicle at an initial position having a known alignment with a given frame of reference of the vehicle, moving the telematics device from the initial position to a final installation position in the vehicle with a tri-axial rate gyroscope of the device concurrently tracking and integrating the angle changes to provide a set of coordinates of the final installation position, and transform calibrating the accelerometer of the device using the set of coordinates so as to leave the device installed at the final position with its accelerometer transform calibrated with respect to the given frame of reference.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2011Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: Webtech Wireless Inc.Inventor: Richard Ernest Willis
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Patent number: 8756001Abstract: A navigation module and method for providing an INS/GNSS navigation solution for a moving platform is provided, comprising a receiver for receiving absolute navigational information from an external source (e.g., such as a satellite), means for obtaining speed or velocity information and an assembly of self-contained sensors capable of obtaining readings (e.g., such as relative or non-reference based navigational information) about the moving platform, and further comprising at least one processor, coupled to receive the output information from the receiver, sensor assembly and means for obtaining speed or velocity information, and operative to integrate the output information to produce a navigation solution. The at least one processor may operate to provide a navigation solution by using the speed or velocity information to decouple the actual motion of the platform from the readings of the sensor assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Trusted Positioning Inc.Inventors: Jacques Georgy, Aboelmagd Noureldin
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Publication number: 20140149034Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus for integrating multiple rate systems and a method of operating an apparatus for integrating multiple rate systems. In the method of operating the apparatus, navigation information is calculated through an inertial measurement unit, and mean values and variances of initial state variables of the navigation information are set. Sigma points are calculated using the mean values and the variances. The mean values are time-propagated until measurement information is input through a Global Positioning System (GPS). When the measurement information is input, the sigma points are time-propagated at intervals of a frequency of the measurement information. Variances are calculated using the time-propagated sigma points. The navigation information is updated using the time-propagated mean values, the calculated variances, and the measurement information.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Inventors: Seong-Yun CHO, Chang-Rak YOON, Jae-Hong OH, Hye-Sun PARK, Kyong-Ho Kim
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Publication number: 20140129136Abstract: A method for ensuring continuity of service of a portable navigation device (10) in the event of insufficient reception of GNSS satellite signals, wherein the user provides the portable navigation device (10) with first data relating to the current position of the device (10) through data input (115), and wherein the personal navigation device (10), in order to calculate its own position, uses the first data entered by the user and second data coming from localization tools (105,110,127,170,180,190) associated with the portable navigation device (10) and not using GNSS satellite signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2012Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: SISVEL TECHNOLOGY S.R.L.Inventor: Saverio Celia
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Patent number: 8718936Abstract: Apparatus for, and a method of, providing output data to a person identifying a route back to a recorded waypoint position. Personal navigation apparatus for providing output data to a person identifying a route back to a recorded waypoint position, comprising a route indication device including a visual display element; and a positioning device. The positioning system includes a processing system having a data storage device, a first micromechanical device configured to produce an output signal proportional to an acceleration along an axis, and a second micromechanical device having components in constant motion and configured to produce an output signal proportional to its angular rate of motion around an axis. The processing system is configured to generate and store in said data storage device position data describing the position of said personal navigation apparatus within a reference space, based upon data received from said first micromechanical device and said second micromechanical device.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2010Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: J & M Inertial Navigation LimitedInventor: Jonathan William Fountain
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Patent number: 8718923Abstract: A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel unit containing RF communication circuitry. The wheel units communicate with fixed nodes of a monitoring system. In some embodiments, the wheel units are placed on shopping carts and are used to track the shopping carts in a vicinity of a store. The system may implement a variety of tracking-relating features, including detecting unauthorized store exit events, estimating the number of shopping carts that are clustered together, and inhibiting shopping cart theft.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2013Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.Inventors: Stephen E. Hannah, Scott J. Carter, Jesse M. James
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Patent number: 8706411Abstract: A method and a system for dispatching vehicle are provided. The method for dispatching vehicle includes the following steps: A. obtaining the vehicle information, which includes vehicle numbers, vehicle states and relative positions; B. placing the vehicle icons corresponding to the vehicle numbers in the corresponding positions on the virtual line schedule map according to the vehicle states and the relative positions; C. displaying the virtual line schedule map refreshed via step B. The system for dispatching vehicle includes vehicle information obtaining unit, vehicle states judging and processing unit, displaying unit and dispatching unit. The system realize the visual vehicle dispatching method by utilizing the virtual line schedule map, so as to implement vehicle monitoring and dispatching.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2010Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: ChinaGPS Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen)Inventors: Jie Zhu, Jialiang Chu, Xiang He, Chuan Liang, Youwen Zhang
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Publication number: 20140100713Abstract: A GNSS/IMU safety sensor platform is disclosed consisting of data fusion Processors, GNSS Acquisition and Tracking Processors, MEMS IMU sensors, one or multiple accelerometers able to provide orientation information, optional V2V communication modules, and optional V2I communication modules. The data fusion processors provide interface ports to GNSS/IMU processors, odometers, video (Visual/Infrared) cameras installed in the vehicle, V2V relative positioning sensors (laser, radar or any other distance measuring), and V2V and V2I communication modules. The data fusion processors are interfaced to a driver warning system and optionally to the vehicle controls for providing safety warning messages to drivers, or for automatic control of the vehicle for preventing and reducing accidents.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2013Publication date: April 10, 2014Inventors: George C. DEDES, Kyriakos C. MOUSKOS
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Patent number: 8689426Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure include, for example, obtaining a mechanical resonating structure comprising a compensating structure, where the compensating structure comprises one or more materials having an adaptive stiffness that reduces a variance in a resonating frequency of the mechanical resonating structure (f0), and adjusting at least one of a value of f0 of the obtained mechanical resonating structure or a value of a temperature for which temperature coefficient of frequency of the obtained mechanical resonating structure is approximately zero (T0) by altering a thickness of at least one targetable material of the mechanical resonating structure. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2011Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Sand 9, Inc.Inventors: Florian Thalmayr, Jan H. Kuypers, Klaus Juergen Schoepf
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Patent number: 8692709Abstract: A positioning apparatus including: a first positioning unit which intermittently receives signals from satellites and carries out a first position measurement; a second positioning unit which carries out a second position measurement by adding information of a moving direction and a moving amount to positional information of a reference position; a positioning control unit which obtains positional information corresponding to positions along a movement path by the first position measurement and the second position measurement; a reference position updating unit which updates the positional information of the reference position based on a result of the first position measurement; a distance calculating unit which calculates a distance between two positions, i.e., between the reference position and a position obtained by the second position measurement; and a positioning timing control unit which controls timing to carry out the first position measurement based on the distance.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2011Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masao Sambongi
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Patent number: 8694249Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a ground reaction sensor cluster (GRSC) and to methods for precisely determining zero velocity points and bearing changes using a GRSC and for navigating using a GRSC and an inertial motion unit (IMU) in a global positioning satellite (GPS)-denied environment. The GRSC device itself includes an array of capacitive pressure and shear sensors. The array includes multiple flexible capacitive sensor cells that detect changes in capacitance in response to a footstep. Each cell of the array includes multiple overlapping, fingered capacitors that detect pressure and shear force by determining the change in capacitance in each fingered capacitor. The GRSC device also includes a multiplexing receiver that receives the capacitance inputs from each of the capacitive sensor cells. The multiplexing receiver and other electronic elements further process the received capacitance inputs to determine, based on the pressure and shear forces, the direction and bearing of the footstep.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2011Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: The University of Utah Research FoundationInventors: Carlos H. Mastrangelo, Rajesh Surapaneni
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Publication number: 20140095067Abstract: A travel trace storage apparatus includes a location detection device, a positioning trace generation device, a movement distance detection device, a travel direction detection device, a dead reckoning trace generation device for generating a dead reckoning trace, in which each vector determined by a vehicle movement distance and a vehicle travel direction is chronologically arranged, a correction positioning trace generation device for generating a correction positioning trace obtained by removing a location distant from the dead reckoning trace by a predetermined distance or more, a correction dead reckoning trace generation device for generating a correction dead reckoning trace obtained by correcting the dead reckoning trace, an absolute trace generation device for generating an absolute trace obtained by synthesizing the correction positioning trace and the correction dead reckoning trace, an absolute trace memory for storing the absolute trace.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2012Publication date: April 3, 2014Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Masahiro Iida, Ikuro Sato, Nobuhiro Mizuno
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Patent number: 8676503Abstract: A method of and apparatus for determining and controlling the inertial attitude of a spinning artificial satellite without using a suite of inertial gyroscopes. The method and apparatus operate by tracking three astronomical objects near the Earth's ecliptic pole and the satellite's and/or star tracker's spin axis and processing the track information.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2009Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Inventor: William M. Johnson
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Patent number: 8676505Abstract: There is provided a positioning system including a communication device which includes a connector configured to engage with a connector provided to a vehicle, a vehicle communication section configured to receive vehicle speed information or travelling distance information of the vehicle from the vehicle via the connector, and an information processing device-communication section configured to transmit, to an information processing device, transmission information based on the vehicle speed information or the travelling distance information acquired by the vehicle communication section, and the information processing device which includes a communication section configured to receive the transmission information from the communication device, and a position calculation section configured to calculate a current position based on the vehicle speed information or the travelling distance information.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Mitsuru Akatsuka
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Publication number: 20140074398Abstract: A positioning unit, a positioning system and a positioning method thereof are provided. The positioning method is used in the positioning system and includes: receiving a plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generating a first satellite-positioning data by a first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit; receiving the plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generating a second satellite-positioning data by a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit; receiving the first satellite-positioning data by a first GNSS unit; receiving the second satellite-positioning data by a second GNSS unit; and estimating a first positioning data and a second positioning data according to a measurement data of the vehicle, the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data by a dead-reckoning unit, the dead-reckoning unit outputs an output-positioning data correspondingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2013Publication date: March 13, 2014Applicant: Accton Technology CorporationInventors: I-Ru LIU, Te-Yao LIU
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Publication number: 20140074397Abstract: One embodiment is directed towards a method for providing integrity for a hybrid navigation system using a Kalman filter. The method includes determining a main navigation solution for one or more of roll, pitch, platform heading, or true heading for the vehicle using signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites and inertial measurements. Solution separation is used to determine a plurality of sub-solutions for the main navigation solution. The method also includes determining a separation between the main navigation solution and each of the sub-solutions, and a discriminator for each of the separations. The method also includes determining a separation variance between the main navigation solution and each of the sub-solutions, a threshold for detection of a satellite failure based on the separation variances; and a protection limit that bounds error in the main navigation solution based on the threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2012Publication date: March 13, 2014Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventor: Kevin D. Vanderwerf
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Patent number: 8670932Abstract: Methods and apparatus for navigating with the use of correlation within a select area are provided. One method includes, storing data required to reconstruct ranges and associated angles to objects along with statistical accuracy information while initially traversing throughout the select area. Measuring then current ranges and associated angles to the objects during a subsequent traversal throughout the select area. Correlating the then current ranges and associated angles to the objects to reconstructed ranges and associated angles to the objects from the stored data. Determining at least one of then current location and heading estimates within the select area based at least in part on the correlation and using the least one of the then current location and heading estimates for navigation.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2013Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventor: Randolph G. Hartman
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Patent number: 8670748Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus are presented for processing a remote lock command message. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, by a mobile device, a remote lock command message comprising a lock command and specifying a passcode to be set by the mobile device, locking the mobile device in response to the received remote lock command message, setting an unlock passcode associated with the mobile device to the specified passcode, and generating an acknowledgement message in response to the remote lock command message. Further, receiving the remote lock command message can include accessing a subscribed topic hosted on a notification service, the subscribed topic being associated with a lock command, and retrieving the remote lock command message from the subscribed topic. Additionally, locking the mobile device can include locking a display such that access to information stored on the mobile device and device functionality are blocked.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2010Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Stuart Slack, Brendan A. McCarthy, Carsten Guenther, Christopher Brooke Sharp
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Patent number: 8666367Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus are presented for processing a remote command message. In one aspect, a method includes accessing a subscribed topic hosted on a notification service, the subscribed topic corresponding to a mobile device, retrieving a remote command message included in the subscribed topic that identifies a command to be executed by the mobile device, determining whether the command can be executed by the mobile device, publishing a result message associated with the command, and executing, by the mobile device, the command based on the determining. Publishing the result message further can include identifying in the remote command message a result topic corresponding to the notification service and publishing the result message to the identified result topic. Additionally, the subscribed topic can be uniquely associated with the mobile device.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2009Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher Brooke Sharp, Brendan A. McCarthy, Stuart Slack, Carsten Guenther
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Patent number: 8649977Abstract: In a GPS composite navigation apparatus of a configuration having a GPS receiver, variation in an estimated position, an estimated velocity, and an estimated azimuth of a moving body when the moving body is not moving is resolved, and the GPS/INS integrated navigation system with good response characteristics from a stationary state to a moving state. A stationary detector for determining the stationary state of the moving body is provided, and when it is determined to be the stationary state by the stationary detector, a measurement model used for measurement-update of a Kalman filter is changed, while a changed amount of an error covariance matrix by the update is corrected.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2007Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: Furuno Electric Company LimitedInventor: Hiroyuki Toda
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Patent number: 8649930Abstract: A GNSS integrated multi-sensor guidance system for a vehicle assembly includes a suite of sensor units, including a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) sensor unit comprising a receiver and an antenna. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) outputs vehicle dynamic information for combining with the output of the GNSS unit. A controller with a processor receives the outputs of the sensor suite and computes steering solutions, which are utilized by vehicle actuators, including an automatic steering control unit connected to the vehicle steering for guiding the vehicle. The processor is programmed to define multiple behavior-based automatons comprising self-operating entities in the guidance system, which perform respective behaviors using data output from one or more sensor units for achieving the behaviors. A GNSS integrated multi-sensor vehicle guidance method is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2010Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: AgJunction LLCInventors: David R. Reeve, Malcolm B. Jones, Andreas F. Ramm, Aaron C. Stichter, Joshua M. Gattis
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Patent number: 8645062Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a step detection. An accelerometer measurement in the form of a multi-dimensional acceleration vector is obtained. The magnitude of the accelerometer measurement is filtered using a low pass filter. A threshold for a down-crossing is provided as is a threshold for an up-crossing. A step detection is triggered if the magnitude of the accelerometer measurement is greater than or equal to the threshold for an up-crossing.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2013Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: June Chul Roh, Deric Wayne Waters, Srinath Hosur, Goutam Dutta
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Patent number: 8635023Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to localizing mobile devices. In one example, a first location method associated with a first accuracy value may be used to estimate a location of the mobile device. A confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location is calculated. The confidence circle may be displayed on a mobile device. When other location methods become available, the size of the displayed confidence circle may be expanded based on information from an accelerometer of the client device or the accuracy of the other available location methods. This may be especially useful when the mobile device is transitioning between areas which are associated with different location methods that may be more or less accurate.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2012Date of Patent: January 21, 2014Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Sorelle Alaina Friedler, Mohammed Waleed Kadous, Andrew Lookingbill
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Patent number: 8634958Abstract: An autonomous robot system including a transmitter disposed within a working area and a mobile robot operating within the working area. The transmitter includes an emitter for emitting at least one signal onto a remote surface above the working area. The mobile robot includes a robot body, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot over a surface within the working area, and a navigation system in communication with the drive system. The navigation system includes a receiver responsive to the emitted signal as reflected off of the remote surface and a processor connected to the receiver and configured to determine a relative location of the robot within the working area based on input from the receiver.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2011Date of Patent: January 21, 2014Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mark J. Chiappetta, James Paul Frankel
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Patent number: 8626435Abstract: A method for determining location such as vehicle location receives data at a predetermined frequency, validates the received data, stores the received data based on the validation and computes a location based on the stored data. The validation includes verifying a presence of particular data substrings within the received data, verifying a presence of a plurality of data fields within each data substring, computing a parameter based on information contained in two of the plurality of data fields and comparing the computer parameter with a pre-defined threshold.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2008Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Volvo Group North America LLCInventors: Raymond Gardea, James Gwynn, John Bate
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Patent number: 8626441Abstract: An enhanced vehicle guidance system comprising a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver and a data processor with a memory component and a computing device. The method of enhancing a vehicle's guidance system may comprise calculating the altitude, latitude, and longitude of a GNSS receiver for each of a plurality of positions; calculating the incline angle between adjacent points; and using the calculated incline angles to infer the attitude of the vehicle at any of the plurality of positions. The attitude may be used to calculated an inertial correction factor to compensate for GNSS position inaccuracies induced as a result of the vehicle rolling and pitching on uneven terrain. The altitude, latitude, longitude, and attitude of the plurality of positions may be stored in the memory such that the system may look-up the attitude for a given position without recalculating the attitude and without using an inertial sensor.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2008Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: AGCO CorporationInventor: Paul Matthews
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Publication number: 20140005938Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating navigation solutions. A global positioning system based navigation solution unit; an inertial navigation solution unit; a correction unit, a limiter, and an adding unit. The global positioning system based navigation solution unit is capable of generating a first navigation solution. The inertial navigation solution unit is capable of generating a second navigation solution. The correction unit is capable of generating a raw correction. The limiter is capable of selectively modifying the raw correction to fall within a selected range of corrections to form a correction. The adding unit is capable of adding the correction to the second navigation solution to form a navigation solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2013Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventor: Hanching Grant Wang
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Publication number: 20140005928Abstract: A mobile device is described. The mobile device includes an electronic compass that generates compass data corresponding to an orientation of the mobile device relative to true north. A global positioning system (GPS) module receives a GPS signal from multiple satellites. The GPS module determines a heading direction of a vehicle transporting the mobile device relative to true north based on the position data when the vehicle is moving above a threshold velocity. A motion sensor generates motion data corresponding to a motion of the mobile device when the mobile device is moved. A processor adjusts the heading direction of the vehicle relative to true north based on the compass data when the vehicle is moving below the threshold velocity.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2012Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: Symbol Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Michael J. Giannetta, Chi Zhang, Eyal Peretz
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Patent number: 8612143Abstract: The passage determination device according to the present invention includes: a storage; a position information obtaining unit that obtains positions of the device at predetermined intervals; and a controller that causes the storage to store a course and a position of a passage point on the course set in advance by the user, and that causes the storage to store the positions obtained by the position information obtaining unit as well as times at which the positions are obtained, wherein the controller determines, if positions of the device enter a predetermined range of the passage point, a time at which the user passes through the passage point based on a position, from among the obtained positions within the predetermined range, that is closest to the passage point and a time at which the position is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignees: NEC Biglobe, Ltd., NEC System Technologies, Ltd.Inventors: Tadashi Haneishi, Tatsugo Ukegawa
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Publication number: 20130332065Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for fusion of sensor and map data using constraint based optimization. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method may include obtaining tracking data for a tracked subject, the tracking data including data from a dead reckoning sensor; obtaining constraint data for the tracked subject; and using a convex optimization method based on the tracking data and the constraint data to obtain a navigation solution. The navigation solution may be a path and the method may further include propagating the constraint data by a motion model to produce error bounds that continue to constrain the path over time. The propagation of the constraint data may be limited by other sensor data and/or map structural data.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2013Publication date: December 12, 2013Inventors: Daniel Hakim, Christopher Giles, John Karvounis, Benjamin Funk, Jared Napora, Carole Teolis
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Patent number: 8606501Abstract: A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as wheel rotation, wheel vibration caused by skidding, and specific electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The sensor circuitry is coupled to an RF transceiver, which may but need not be included within the wheel. The wheel may also include a brake mechanism. In one embodiment, the wheels are placed on shopping carts and are used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. The collected data may be used for various purposes, such as locking the wheel of an exiting cart if the customer has not paid, estimating numbers of queued carts, stopping wheel skid events that occur during mechanized cart retrieval, store planning, and providing location-based messaging to customers.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2008Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.Inventors: Stephen E. Hannah, Scott J. Carter, Jesse M. James
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Publication number: 20130317741Abstract: A system on a chip and a method for inertial navigation. The system includes a printed circuit board (PCB) on a single plane. The PCB includes a number of sensors configured to measure position, acceleration, angular rate, magnetic fields, pressure, and temperature measurements. The PCB also includes one or more processors in communications with the number of sensors configured to process the measurements to output a position, velocity, attitude, and acceleration.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2013Publication date: November 28, 2013Applicant: VECTORNAV TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: John Brashear, Jeff Cheek, Jeremy Davis, James Doebbler, Lasse Maeland
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Patent number: 8594972Abstract: A system for measuring a parameter of a medium with a vehicle moving in a traveling direction through the medium includes four detecting portions and a calculating portion. The four detecting portions respectively detect first through fourth values of the parameter from first through fourth lines-of-sight in first through fourth directions at first through fourth positions of the vehicle at first through fourth times. The first line-of-sight and the third line-of-sight are in a first plane and intersect at a first intersection, while the second line-of-sight and the fourth line-of-sight are in a second plane and intersect at a second intersection. The calculating portion calculates the parameter based on the first through fourth values and the first and second intersections.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2011Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: The Johns Hopkins UniversityInventors: Larry J. Paxton, Joseph M. Comberiate, Michael A. Kelly
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Publication number: 20130311085Abstract: A satellite and/or dead-reckoning navigation integrated positioning device with improved accuracy including position, velocity, etc. is disclosed. A tracking processing module performs, based on a GPS signal, acquisition and tracking thereof and demodulation of a navigation message. A GPS calculation module calculates position, velocity, and the like based on pseudo-range and Doppler frequency observations, and ephemeris data and gives the calculations to output judgment and tracking processing modules. Based on external support information including inertial sensor output, map information or information about differences between map position and measured position , along with the pseudo-range and Doppler observations, an integrated positioning calculation module estimates position, velocity, and the like, and gives the estimates to the output judgment module.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2013Publication date: November 21, 2013Inventors: Hiroyuki TODA, Masaki SUYAMA, Hiroshi HAMADA, Mika TANAKA (NINOMIYA), Kunihiko HASHIMOTO
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Patent number: 8589072Abstract: A navigation system comprises at least one processor, a satellite navigation receiver operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive a plurality of navigation signals from one or more navigation satellites, and an inertial measurement unit operatively coupled to the processor and configured to generate inertial measurement data. An extended Kalman filter is configured to receive the plurality of navigation signals and the inertial measurement data. A processor readable storage medium includes instructions executable by the processor to combine the plurality of satellite signals with the inertial measurement data in the extended Kalman filter to generate a navigation solution. The plurality of navigation signals includes L1 pseudorange measurements, L2 pseudorange measurements, L1 accumulated carrier phase measurements, and L2 accumulated carrier phase measurements.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2012Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.Inventor: Kenneth Steven Morgan
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Publication number: 20130289818Abstract: An unmanned vehicle is guided by selecting locations along a predetermined mute defining adjacent first, second and third linear portions. If an imaginary circle can be constructed that is mutually tangential to all three linear portions or to projections thereof, the vehicle is guided according to the circle intercept method until it reaches an imaginary point of contact (M) between the circle and the second linear portion or passes its traverse. If an imaginary circle cannot be constructed that is mutually tangential to all three linear portions or to projections thereof, an imaginary circle is constructed that is mutually tangential to the first and second linear portions; and the vehicle is guided along according to the leg intercept method until it reaches an imaginary point of contact (M) between the circle and the first linear portion or passes its traverse.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Inventor: Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.
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Publication number: 20130282274Abstract: A device for locating a vehicle and a method of generating location information are provided. The location device includes or is associated with a satellite-positioning location interface and a dead-reckoning location module. The satellite-positioning location interface and the dead-reckoning location module allow the location device to generate vehicle location information. The vehicle location information is generated by the dead-reckoning location module when the vehicle is detected as being in an area of poor satellite signal reception. A calibration of the dead-reckoning location module is provided when the vehicle is detected as being in an extended area with good satellite signal reception.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2011Publication date: October 24, 2013Inventor: Serge Hernando
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Publication number: 20130282275Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting location information using a navigation algorithm are provided. The method includes searching for neighboring Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, receiving, if at least one GPS satellite is detected, pseudo-range information from at least one of the detected GPS satellites and storing the received pseudo-range information, calculating a displacement of a pedestrian terminal based on step detection of a pedestrian, correcting the calculated displacement of the pedestrian terminal using the received pseudo-range information, and measuring the location of the pedestrian terminal is measured using the corrected displacement.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2012Publication date: October 24, 2013Applicants: SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R & DB FOUNDATION, Samsung Electronics Co.Ltd.Inventors: Kyong-Ha Park, Chan-Gook Park, Hyun-Su Hong, Sung-Min Park, Seung-Hyuck Shin
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Patent number: 8566033Abstract: A method for determining the position of a mobile body at a given instant and for monitoring the integrity of the position of said mobile body includes a step of determining a sustained position at the given instant by adding the integral of the hybrid speed between the preceding instant and the given instant to the position of the mobile body at the preceding instant; a step of determining the sustained protection radius associated with the sustained position by adding the integral of the hybrid speed protection radius between the preceding instant and the given instant to the position protection radius of the preceding instant; a step of determining a better position at the given instant, the better position being: when information from the first positioning device is available, the position associated with a better protection radius, the better protection radius being selected by comparing the intermediate protection radius with the sustained protection radius according to a predetermined selection criteriType: GrantFiled: May 28, 2010Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: ThalesInventors: Pierre-Jérôme Clemenceau, Jacques Coatantiec
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Patent number: 8565984Abstract: A steering system for a work vehicle towing a towed implement is described. A steering control unit is coupled to a location signal generation arrangement on the vehicle, a steering actuator, a memory for storing desired path data of the implement and a slope sensor for detecting a lateral inclination of the work vehicle or the implement. The steering control unit calculates a lateral offset compensation value to steer the work vehicle such that the implement is moved on the desired path and a slope offset compensation value based upon a signal from the tilt sensor to compensate for slope forces pulling the implement down a lateral slope. A steering signal is sent to the steering actuator based upon the lateral offset compensation value and the slope offset compensation value.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2007Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Deere & ComanyInventors: Robert Lynn Mayfield, Andrew Karl Wilhem Rekow
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Patent number: 8554478Abstract: Methods and apparatus for navigating with the use of correlation within a select area are provided. One method includes, storing data required to reconstruct ranges and associated angles to objects along with statistical accuracy information while initially traversing throughout the select area. Measuring then current ranges and associated angles to the objects during a subsequent traversal throughout the select area. Correlating the then current ranges and associated angles to the objects to reconstructed ranges and associated angles to the objects from the stored data. Determining at least one of then current location and heading estimates within the select area based at least in part on the correlation and using the least one of the then current location and heading estimates for navigation.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2007Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventor: Randolph G. Hartman
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Publication number: 20130261962Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a traveling pitch acquiring section configured to acquire a current traveling pitch, and a speed acquiring section configured to acquire a current traveling speed extracted from an association table showing correspondence between a traveling pitch and a traveling speed based on the current traveling pitch.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2013Publication date: October 3, 2013Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Tomohisa Takaoka
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Patent number: 8543329Abstract: An apparatus includes a display displaying a first map representing a position of the apparatus obtained as a result of a first positioning, and further displaying a second map representing the position of the apparatus and being obtained as a result of a second positioning which is started before displaying the first map, the second map being displayed without responding to a request for displaying the position of the apparatus obtained as a result of the second positioning.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: Renesas Electronics CorporationInventor: Keiichi Hirano
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Patent number: 8543266Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are described herein for using a modified Kalman filter to generate attitude error corrections. Attitude measurements are received from primary and secondary attitude sensors of a satellite or other spacecraft. Attitude error correction values for the attitude measurements from the primary attitude sensors are calculated based on the attitude measurements from the secondary attitude sensors using expanded equations derived for a subset of a plurality of block sub-matrices partitioned from the matrices of a Kalman filter, with the remaining of the plurality of block sub-matrices being pre-calculated and programmed into a flight computer of the spacecraft. The propagation of covariance is accomplished via a single step execution of the method irrespective of the secondary attitude sensor measurement period.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2011Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Rongsheng Li, Tung-Ching Tsao, Arunkumar P. Nayak
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Patent number: 8538682Abstract: This disclosure is directed to methods and systems for locally generating calculated ephemerides that may be used by a navigation device to calculate position information before a broadcast ephemeris from a given navigation satellite has been completely received or when the broadcast ephemeris from the satellite is not available. Generally, the invention includes the steps of calibrating the initial satellite velocity from the last available broadcast ephemeris, correcting the clock for a prediction time period, predicting the satellite position during the time period and formatting the predictions into a calculated ephemeris to be used by the receiver to determine position information.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2009Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Sai Pradeep Vankatraman, Janne Jarvenpaa, Qinfang Sun
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Patent number: 8538462Abstract: Location information is received at a mobile device from the memory of a vehicle device. The mobile device is updated based on the location information. Sensor data is received from at least one sensor measuring movement of the mobile device, and an estimated location of the mobile device is calculated based at least in part on the location information and the sensor data.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2012Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Scott Forstall, Gregory N. Christie, Robert E. Borchers, Kevin Tiene