Trimble Navigation Limited

Hewlett-Packard Company

David R Gildea

James M Janky

Allen P Edwards

Mark L Nagel

John F Schipper

Peter Van Wyck Loomis

Arthur Francis Lange

Eric B Rodal

Peter V Loomis

Charles R Trimble

Lea Ann McNabb

Michael C Detro

Lloyd H Banta

Charles Abraham

Chung Y Lau

Embodiments of the present invention recite a system having Doppler-based control of a mobile device. In one embodiment, at least one measured Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Doppler frequency shift measurement corresponding to a GNSS signal measured at a mobile electronic device is received. The speed of the remote device is then determined based at least in part upon the GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement. An operation of the remote device is then controlled from the base station when the speed of the remote device exceeds a speed threshold.

System having Doppler-based control of a mobile device

System having doppler-based control of a mobile device

Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for limiting the functionality of a mobile electronic device. In one embodiment, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver configured to determine a GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement corresponding to a GNSS signal. A control component is configured to control an operation of the mobile electronic device in response to a control signal which is generated when the GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement is used to determine that the speed of the mobile electronic device exceeds a speed threshold.

Method and communication system for limiting the functionality of an electronic device

A GNSS receiver and method using alternating 'A' and 'B' time segments for a reception time length of two or more data bits. The GNSS signal in an &#x201c;A&#x201d; time period comprising the &#x201c;A&#x201d; time segments is integrated for determining &#x201c;A&#x201d; magnitudes corresponding to code phase increments and the GNSS signal in a &#x201c;B&#x201d; time period comprising the &#x201c;B&#x201d; time segments is integrated for determining &#x201c;B&#x201d; magnitudes corresponding to code phase increments. A trial-and-error data bit search is performed for depolarizing data bit senses. The code phase increment showing the largest correlation level is used for acquisition of the GNSS signal and/or determination of the location where the GNSS is being received.

Signal receiver using data bit search in alternating time segments

Methods and apparati for representing and storing a sequence of digital data values so that, once stored in memory, a data value cannot be modified, or cannot be modified without detection. Detection of subsequent data alteration may use error checksums, storage of instrument data in different data fields, data constraint relations, data encryption techniques and/or comparison of instrument identification numbers. Where data are to be stored in non-alterable form, the number of elements used in representing the sequence is reduced or minimized. A data value sequence can be supplemented by one or more additional data values that are received and similarly stored, without changing any of the sequence of data values already stored. The instrument data values can be individual readout values or can be accumulated sums of data values. Some of the methods are exact, allowing reconstruction of any data value with zero error. Other methods are approximate but are less complex to apply. These methods can be applied to numerical readout values from instruments such as odometers and electropotential meters at a selected sequence of sampling times.

Authentication of accumulated instrument data

A peripheral component interconnect (PCI) global positioning system (GPS) card for receiving a GPS signal. In a first embodiment the PCI card includes a GPS downconverter. In a second embodiment the PCI card including the GPS downconverter is integrated into a personal computer for correlating a GPS signal and computing a GPS location. In a third embodiment the PCI card includes a GPS downconverter and a GPS correlator. In a fourth embodiment the PCI card including the GPS downconverter and the GPS correlator is integrated into a personal computer for computing a GPS location.

PCI card for receiving a GPS signal

An antenna aiming method and apparatus for automatically pointing an antenna to a selected distant location. The antenna aiming apparatus includes a database for storing data for distant locations, an electronic compass for determining a reference azimuth for the local antenna, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for determining a local location. A processor computes a pointing direction having an azimuth and an elevation from the local location to the distant location and then computes a horizontal rotation angle between the pointing direction and the reference azimuth and a vertical rotation angle from horizontal to the elevation. An antenna rotator servo-mechanism under processor control rotates the local antenna by the horizontal and vertical rotation angles for pointing the local antenna to the distant location. Optionally, the apparatus further includes electronic roll and pitch inclinometers for providing information to the processor for correcting the horizontal and vertical rotation angles for pitch and roll of the platform.

Method and apparatus for automatically aiming an antenna to a distant

Apparatus for determining the present location of an observer on the Earth's surface, the apparatus including an antenna to receive Global Positioning System (GPS) signals from two or more GPS satellites and a credit card size GPS signal processing Smartcard attached to the antenna that receives the GPS signals and determines and displays the present position of the antenna. In one embodiment, the signal processing card includes a frequency downconverter to downconvert the frequency of the GPS signals received, a digital signal processor and associated memory device that is programmed to determine the present antenna location from the GPS signals received, and an information transfer device linked to a nearby host computer or other electronic device for further data processing and display. In other embodiments, the antenna, or the antenna and the downconverter, are contained on a separate card. In another embodiment, the antenna, downconverter, digital signal processor and an information transfer device are contained on a separate smart antenna card. In all these embodiments, the Smartcard device can be linked to a host computer or other electronic device to display the observer's present position on a map or to provide further processing of the GPS signals received. The card containing the information transfer device can be connected to components on a separate card by a cable or wireless link. The card interfaced with the host computer is constructed according to PCMCIA standards, with a thickness of about 3.3, 5 or 10 mm.

Compact GPS receiver/processor

A GPS receiver and a method for improving time to first fix (TTFF). The GPS receiver includes an internal clock for maintaining an approximate clock time during a standby mode and a microprocessor system including a data bit timer code, a temperature compensation code, and a learned time adjustment code. When the GPS receiver enters an operational mode, the data bit timer code instructs the microprocessor system for determining a GPS-based clock time by aligning the approximate clock time according to a time-of-arrival of a GPS data bit when the approximate clock time and the GPS-based clock time are estimated to be within a correction range of ten milliseconds. The temperature compensation code and a learned time adjustment code include instructions for using a stored frequency/temperature characteristic and a learned time correction, respectively, for estimating and compensating for time drift that has occurred during the standby mode. A temperature sensor provides a temperature measurement of a reference oscillator used as a time base for the internal clock.

GPS receiver using data bit timing to achieve a fast time to first fix

A GPS receiver system to determine and display a geographical differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) location where the components of the system are interconnected with an airwave infrared (IR) link. The system includes a GPS Smart Antenna receiver module to determine the geographical location of the module, a DGPS radio receiver to receive an airwave radio frequency DGPS signal having DGPS correction information, and a personal computing display to run an application program and to display the geographical DGPS location and application information that is useful to a user. The GPS Smart Antenna receiver module and the DGPS radio receiver are switched on and off from the personal computing display through the airwave IR link.

Differential GPS receiver system linked by infrared signals

Integrated antenna apparatus for determination of the location of an observer and/or of the time of observation by use of a GPS or a GLONASS or other Satellite Positioning System that uses differential corrections of the pseudorange, the location and/or the observation time. The apparatus includes an antenna module and a display module, connected by a communication link. In one embodiment, the antenna module includes: a GPS antenna to receive the GPS signals; a signal frequency downconverter; a Differential GPS (DGPS) radiowave signal antenna and receiver to receive GPS correction information; a GPS/DGPS signal processor to receive the GPS antenna and DGPS antenna output signals and to determine at least one of (i) the present GPS antenna location, as corrected by the DGPS signals, and (ii) the observation time of such location; and a communication link to communicate GPS processor output signals to the display unit. The display module in this embodiment includes: a display processor to receive signals from the communication link and to process these signals for display of location or time information; and display means to visibly or audibly display the location or time information. In other embodiments, these components are repositioned. The communication link may be one or more cables or wires or may be a wireless link.

Differential GPS smart antenna device

Cordless antenna apparatus for determination of the location of an observer and/or of the time of observation by use of a Satellite Positioning System (SPS), such as the Global Positioning System or the Global Orbiting Navigational Satellite System. In each embodiment, the apparatus includes a Smart Antenna device and a display unit, connected by a wireless link. In a first embodiment, the Smart Antenna device includes: an SPS antenna to receive the SPS signals; an SPS signal frequency downconverter; an SPS signal processor to receive antenna output signals and to determine at least one of the present location of the SPS antenna or the time of observation; a transmitter to receive processor output signals and transmit these signals to the display unit; and a power supply. The display unit in the first embodiment includes: a receiver to receive the signals transmitted by the SPS Smart Antenna device transmitter; a display processor to receive output signals from the receiver and to process these signals for display of location or time information; display means to visibly or audibly display the location or time information; and a second power supply. In a second embodiment, the SPS signal processor is moved to the display unit. The transmitter and receiver may be replaced by two transceivers to allow the display unit to transmit messages, such as requests for information, to the SPS Smart Antenna device.

Cordless SPS smart antenna device

An antenna comprises a base plate forming a ground plane, a coaxial feed serving as a mast connected to the base plate and extending along an axis that is normal to the ground plane, and two orthogonal dipoles each formed of two elements. Each dipole element has a first end connected to and supported by the mast at a first location spaced apart from the ground plane by a predetermined distance and a second end closer to the ground plane and exhibits a curvature in a plane containing the mast.

Antenna with curved dipole elements

A novel vector signal generator is provided which includes a vector modulator controlled by baseband manipulation circuitry. The output signal from the vector modulator is down converted to a desired output frequency. The baseband manipulation circuitry provides, under digital control from, for example, a microprocessor, adjustments to the phase, carrier leakage, and modulation levels of the I and Q signals. In this manner, a highly accurate vector modulated signal is generated within a wide range of carrier frequencies.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

David R Gildea