Ensco, Inc.

Daniel Thomas Goff

William Todd Faulkner

Robert Barlow Alwood

David W A Taylor, Jr

Bradley David Farnsworth

Edward Joseph Kreinar

William Petersen Lounsbury

Michael Lee Picciolo

Aspects of the present disclosure describe a system and method for synchronizing time, frequency, and phase among a plurality of devices.

Systems and methods for synchronizing time, frequency, and phase among a plurality of devices

A virtual phased-array and associated methods are disclosed for coherent transmission and/or reception of radio signals among antenna elements of the array, where the antenna elements are wirelessly interconnected and one or more of the elements may be moving. In one embodiment, clocks of the antenna elements are synchronized based on a first set of measurements of wireless signal(s) transmitted by one or more of the antenna elements. Relative positions and orientations of the antenna elements are determined based on a second set of measurements of wireless signal(s) transmitted after the synchronizing of the clocks. Weight(s) of a manifold vector are determined based on the relative positions and orientations, to calibrate the manifold vector. A plurality of coherent wireless signals are transmitted via two or more of the antenna elements based on the calibrated manifold vector.

Virtual phased-array for coherent, distributed, and dynamic applications

A position and orientation determining system includes a first radio frequency (RF) device including at least one antenna configured to receive and transmit RF signals, a first radio unit in communication with the at least one antenna, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The system further includes a second RF device includes a constellation of antennae including at least three receiving antennae, a second radio unit in communication with the constellation of antennae, and a processor configured to determine a three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of the first RF device relative to the second RF device based on computing at least two of three angles in the second RF device coordinate frame (XY, XZ and YZ) computed from carrier phase difference (CPD) measurements taken between each pair of the at least three receiving antennae when receiving a single RF signal transmitted from the at least one antenna of the first RF device, and estimating a direction of a gravity vector generated by the IMU.

Position and orientation tracking system, apparatus and method

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Springfield, VA, United States of America

Daniel Thomas Goff