Trimble Inc.

Gregory Craig Wallace

Shawn D Weisenburger

Peter Van Wyck Loomis

James M Janky

Mark Edward Nichols

Michael George Sanders

Nicholas Charles Talbot

Gregory C Best

John Atkinson

Eric C Krantz

Scott Crozier

A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) patch antenna can include a set of layers, a set of channels, and a set of conduction pins. The set of layers can include at least one layer with an electrically conductive antenna element configured to receive GNSS signals and another layer including a ground well. The set of channels can be aligned between the set of layers and can extend through the set of layers. The set of conduction pins can be located in the set of channels. Each conduction pin of the set of conduction pins can include a set of vias coupled by one or more donut-shaped connection pads at each interface between the set of layers.

Donut-shaped connection pad for patch antenna

A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) patch antenna can include a middle laminate, a top laminate, a bottom laminate, and a ground well. The middle laminate can include a first side and a second side. The top laminate can be coupled to the middle laminate and can be positioned on the first side of the middle laminate. The top laminate can include an electrically conductive antenna element configured to receive GNSS signals. The bottom laminate can be coupled to the middle laminate and can be positioned on the second side of the middle laminate. The ground well can cover exposed surfaces of the bottom laminate and exposed portions of the second side of the middle laminate and can comprise electrically conductive material. Some of the surface of the middle laminate that is covered by the bottom laminate can be free from the electrically conductive material.

Patch antenna with ground well

Disclosed are techniques for processing satellite signals for computing a geospatial position. A plurality of GNSS signals are received from a plurality of GNSS satellites. An image is captured using an imaging device at least partially oriented toward the plurality of GNSS satellites. The image is segmented into a plurality of regions based on RF characteristics of objects in the image. An orientation of the image is determined. The plurality of GNSS satellites are projected onto the image based on the orientation of the image such that a corresponding region is identified for each of the plurality of GNSS satellites. Each of the plurality of GNSS signals is processed in accordance with the corresponding region.

GNSS satellite line of sight detection

A GNSS antenna assembly for connection to a receiver circuit of a hardware front-end. The assembly may include a multiplayer antenna and a ground plane board. The antenna board may contain an L1 patch antenna of a first width, an L2 patch antenna of a second width greater than the first width, and a ground plane of a third width that is equal to or greater than the second width. The ground plane board may include a ground plane of a fourth width that is greater than the third width. Upon assembly, contact pads of the antenna board, which are in conductive contact with the ground plane of the antenna board, are in conductive contact with contact pads of the ground plane board.

Hardware front-end for a GNSS receiver

Navigation satellite system antenna mount

A hardware front-end for a software-defined GNSS receiver, which includes an antenna connected to a transmission line that is connected to a pair of separate circuits, one for receiving L1 signals and one for receiving L2 signals. Each circuit includes at least one bandpass filter, at least one LNA, and a single-chip GNSS receiver that receives analog RF signals and provides digitized I and Q signals. The pair of circuits differ in that a first one is designed to receive, filter, and amplify RF signals at the L1 frequency corresponding to the designed input frequency of the receiver and the second one is designed to receive, filter, and amplify RF signals at the L2 frequency, which is significantly different from the first frequency. The second circuit also includes a mixer to convert the L2 frequency to the L1 frequency, so that a similar receiver can be used in each circuit.

A device and methods are provided for determining data points with an integrated radar sensor. In one embodiment, a method includes determining position of a device, scanning one or more objects, wherein scanning includes detecting data points by an integrated radar sensor of the device and capturing image data of the one or more objects, and determining data points for one or more objects based on the scanning. The method may also include correlating data points to one or more portions of the image data, assigning correlated data points to one or more portions of the image data, and storing, by the device, image data with data points. The device and methods may advantageously be employed for one or more of mapping, modeling, navigation and object tracking.

System and methods for scanning with integrated radar detection and image capture

A dual-frequency patch antenna includes a first conductive element configured to receive global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals at a first frequency band, a second conductive element configured to receive GNSS signals at a second frequency band, and a ground plane. A first dielectric material is disposed between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, and a second dielectric material disposed between the second conductive element and the ground plane. The second dielectric material has a topside with an area at least as large as the topside of the ground plane.

Dual-frequency patch antennas

A radio frequency component receives and digitizes a first plurality of L1 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and a second plurality of L2C GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites. A software defined GNSS receiver operating on a processor of a cellular telephone separate from the radio frequency component derives carrier phase measurements from the first plurality of L1 GNSS signals and the second plurality of L2C GNSS signals during an epoch. A wireless message from a communication device located at a base location is received conveying pseudorange and carrier measurements derived from the first plurality of L1 GNSS signals from said plurality of GNSS satellites during the epoch. The cellular telephone determines a distance from the base location to said first location.

Electronic tape measure on a cellphone

Navigation satellite system antenna

A method and system for non-contact location and orientation determination for an implement coupled with a mobile machine. One example detects an orientation of a recognized feature of an implement with a sensor mounted at a fixed location on the mobile machine. A range from the sensor to the recognized feature of the implement is also determined. In addition, a known operating envelope of the implement coupled with the mobile machine is accessed. The known operating envelope of the implement is then combined with the orientation and the range from the sensor to determine a position of the implement with respect to the mobile machine.

Non-contact location and orientation determination of an implement coupled with a mobile machine

A stand-alone radio frequency (RF) hardware component comprises first and second antennas, a digitizer, a serializer, and a serial output. The first antenna receives, over-the-air, a first analog Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal in a first frequency band. The second antenna receives, over-the-air, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are separate and distinct. The digitizer digitizes the first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal and digitizes the second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal. The serializer serializes the digitized GNSS signals into a serialized output signal. A wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the digitized GNSS signals, as the serialized output signal, from the radio frequency hardware component to a separate communication device.

Global navigation satellite system receiver system with radio frequency hardware component

A method for capturing ionospheric data is disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a plurality of phase-coherent signals transmitted by at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite is received via a mobile multi-frequency GNSS receiver. Respective code phase data and carrier phase data for each of said plurality of phase-coherent signals are derived using a software defined GNSS receiver operating on a processor of a first communication device of the multi-frequency GNSS receiver. Respective code phase data and carrier phase data for each of the plurality of phase-coherent signals is stored in a data storage device. The respective code phase data and carrier phase data is appended with a respective time-stamp and position fix. An ionospheric sample based upon respective code phase data and carrier phase data of said plurality of phase-coherent signals is wirelessly transmitted to a second location.

Mobile ionospheric data capture system

A stand-alone radio frequency hardware component includes a first antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, a first analog Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal in a first frequency band. A second antenna configured for receiving, over-the-air, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are separate and distinct. A digitizer configured for digitizing the first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal and for digitizing the second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal. A memory for storing the digitized GNSS signals, wherein the digitized GNSS signals are accessed from the memory by a separate communication device.

A stand-alone radio frequency (RF) hardware component comprises first and second antennas, a digitizer, a serializer, and a serial output. The first antenna receives, over-the-air, a first analog Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal in a first frequency band. The second antenna receives, over-the-air, at least a second analog GNSS signal in a second frequency band, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are separate and distinct. The digitizer digitizes the first analog GNSS signal into a first digitalized GNSS signal and digitizes the second analog GNSS signal into a second digitized GNSS signal. The serializer serializes the digitized GNSS signals into a serialized output signal. The serial output communicatively couples the digitized GNSS signals, as the serialized output signal, directly from the RF hardware component to a communication device that is removably couplable with the stand-alone RF hardware component.

Growing community of inventors

Arvada, CO, United States of America

Gregory Craig Wallace