Guidance pattern allowing for access paths
Granted: August 19, 2003
Patent Number:
6609065
A method and apparatus for a guidance system that gives a farmer a choice of different approaches to coping with the problem of compaction caused by vehicular traffic are disclosed.
Radio navigation emulating GPS system
Granted: August 12, 2003
Patent Number:
6606559
The present invention provides a radio navigation emulating GPS device. In one embodiment, the radio navigation emulating GPS device receives an identifier associated with a conventional radio navaid. The present radio navigation emulating GPS device then retrieves latitude and longitude information corresponding to the received conventional radio navaid from a database. A satellite based position information system generates position information for the aircraft on which the present…
Integrated position and direction system with radio communication for updating data
Granted: July 1, 2003
Patent Number:
6587788
An integrated position and direction system is disclosed that includes a digital compass, a communication module, and a satellite positioning system having a receiver adapted to receive satellite position determining signals. Signals that are received from satellites are used to determine position of the integrated position and direction system. A method for updating data is disclosed in which the integrated position and direction system communicates with a remote site and sends a…
Method and apparatus for determining position using a handheld personal computer and a cradle
Granted: July 1, 2003
Patent Number:
6587891
A method and apparatus for determining position using a handheld personal computer. A cradle is disclosed that that is adapted to couple to a handheld personal computer. In one embodiment, the cradle includes projecting members that capture the handheld personal computer and hold it securely in place. The cradle includes a position determining system that is adapted to determine position. Upon coupling the cradle to a handheld personal computer, the cradle is operable to determine…
Determining time stamps in a data acquisition system
Granted: June 3, 2003
Patent Number:
6574244
Streams of data packets and timing pulses are received from a source. Time stamping of the data packets is carried out largely independent of individual timing pulses. A normalised pulse time of arrival is calculated, preferably as a running average over the most recent arrivals. Times of applicability for the content of the packets can then be calculated according to a predetermined relationship between the order of arrival and of corresponding pulses and packets. Data acquisition may…
Light bar with tilt sensor
Granted: May 20, 2003
Patent Number:
6567747
The present invention is drawn to a light bar assembly for guiding the movement of a vehicle on a tilted surface. The light bar assembly is comprised of a housing having a light bar and a tilt sensor. The light bar is disposed in the housing and adapted to guide the movement of the vehicle. In addition, the tilt sensor is disposed in the housing and adapted to indicate the attitude of the vehicle. As such, the attitude of the vehicle is taken into consideration when the vehicle is being…
Portable laser layout instrument
Granted: May 13, 2003
Patent Number:
6563646
A laser beam projecting instrument primarily for construction purposes, and preferably self-leveling, produces four or five orthogonal output beams. The high-intensity central portion of a collimated elliptical beam from a laser diode is partially diverted by a beam splitter periscope device to produce one output beam, and the remainder of that central beam region is transmitted to produce another output beam in the straight-a-head direction. Two additional beams are produced from outer…
Cellular telephone using pseudolites for determining location
Granted: May 13, 2003
Patent Number:
6564064
A cellular telephone having a global positioning system (GPS) receiver using a blended combination of GPS signals from GPS satellites and GPS pseudolites for determining a location. The cellular telephone includes a cellphone transceiver and a GPS receiver. The cellular transceiver receives wireless downlink cellphone signals from the cell site transceiver and transmits wireless uplink cellphone signals to the cell site transceiver. The cell site transceiver passes voice and data from…
Differential global positioning system using coarse GPS data for a fast time to a precise first fix
Granted: May 6, 2003
Patent Number:
6559793
A differential global positioning system (DGPS) using coarse data for the locations-in-space of GPS satellites for ranging to the GPS satellites and then determining a precise differentially corrected GPS location of a GPS user receiver. The coarse GPS data can be GPS almanac data or non-current GPS ephemeris data as long as the same data is used by both a GPS reference receiver and the GPS user receiver.
Wide correlated optimized code multipath reduction
Granted: April 29, 2003
Patent Number:
6556615
The apparatus and method for the multipath pseudo-range error signal reduction using wide correlated optimized additional signals are disclosed. The wide correlated additional signals can be generated at different levels of the standard tracking channel to achieve the same result of minimizing the multipath signal. The additional signals are wide correlated and optimized during one-two chip periods.
Methods and apparatus for precision agriculture operations utilizing real time kinematic global positioning system systems
Granted: April 22, 2003
Patent Number:
6553299
Real time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS) technology is integrated with precision farming methodologies to provide highly accurate seeding, cultivating, planting and/or harvesting operations. RTK GPS systems are used to control fully or semi-autonomous vehicles in these operations and may allow for precision planting of seeds (e.g., from a seeder equipped with an RTK GPS receiver and related equipment) and/or precision weed removal (e.g., using a vehicle fitted with weed…
Method and system for updating directed user-based dynamic advertising
Granted: April 22, 2003
Patent Number:
6553313
A method and system for dynamically communicating content to an occupant of a moving vehicle according to the location and direction of travel of the vehicle. Position information (such as Global Positioning System information) is used to determine the location and the direction of travel of the vehicle. The vehicle provides its location and direction of travel to a central source (e.g., a server computer system). The central source provides to the vehicle content as a function of the…
Navigational off- line and off-heading indication system and method
Granted: April 22, 2003
Patent Number:
6553311
A system and method that provides off-line and off-heading correction information in a convenient format that is easy for an operator to comprehend. A dual mode indication system provides two different types of navigation information in a single device presentation configuration that is efficient and effective. The dual mode indication system presents information in a manner that is intuitive with minimal sensory resource commitment. Providing the off line and off heading in simplified…
Bracket with latch for coupling a global positioning system related device to a pole
Granted: April 15, 2003
Patent Number:
D473129
Accurate vehicle navigation
Granted: April 15, 2003
Patent Number:
6549846
Method and system for accurate vehicle navigation and tracking within a selected lane on a roadway or a waterway. A location determination (LD) receiver, carried on the vehicle, receives LD signals from satellite-based LD signal sources, receives LD signal correction information from one or more other wide area LD correction sources, estimates a corrected vehicle location (good to within 10-50 cm) and velocity (optional) relative to one or more lane boundaries that define the selected…
Integrated position and direction system with skyplot
Granted: April 15, 2003
Patent Number:
6549848
An integrated position and direction system is disclosed that includes a digital compass and a satellite positioning system having a receiver adapted to receive satellite position determining signals. Signals that are received from satellites are used to determine position of the integrated position and direction system. The orientation of the satellites relative to the determined position and relative to the orientation of the integrated position and direction system is then determined.…
Guidance pattern allowing for access paths
Granted: April 15, 2003
Patent Number:
6549849
A method and apparatus for a guidance system that gives a farmer a choice of different approaches to coping with the problem of compaction caused by vehicular traffic are disclosed.
GPS receiver having improved signal acquisition at a low signal to noise ratio
Granted: April 8, 2003
Patent Number:
6546040
A GPS receiver having a fast acquisition of a GPS signal having a low signal-to-noise ratio. The GPS receiver adjusts a local frequency for iteratively downconverting raw GPS signal samples to baseband GPS signal code data, combining a plurality of code epochs of the GPS signal code data in chunks and super chunks for providing representative code epochs, and correlates the representative code epochs to a replica code epoch for providing correlation times. A microcontroller processes the…
Device servicing system and method
Granted: April 8, 2003
Patent Number:
6546360
A system and method for determining when portable devices require service. In one embodiment, the system is co-located with the portable device and includes a sensor, positioning system receiver and communication transmitter. The sensor senses when the portable device requires service. The positioning system receiver receives positioning signals, such as positioning signals issued by the Global Positioning System, (GPS), and uses the positioning system signals to determine the location…
Directed user-based dynamic advertising
Granted: April 1, 2003
Patent Number:
6542822
A method and system for dynamically communicating content to an occupant of a moving vehicle according to the location and direction of travel of the vehicle. Multiple items of content are loaded onto the vehicle and updated at periodic intervals. Position information (such as Global Positioning System information) is used to determine the location of the vehicle. The direction of travel of the vehicle can also be determined from the position information. Using the vehicle's…
