The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 06, 1994
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1993
David R Gildea, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Charles Trimble, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Trimble Navigation Limited, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
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.