Multipath signal discrimination
Granted: October 3, 2000
Patent Number:
6128337
Methods for identification of, and compensation for, the effects of presence of a multipath signal in a received composite digital signal that includes a direct, distortion-free signal. A direct signal is additively or multiplicatively combined with a distinguishable indicium signal and the resultant signal is transmitted to a receiver. The indicium signal may be distinguished by use of a different frequency or by use of a bit pattern that cannot be included in a direct signal pattern.…
GPS based augmented reality collision avoidance system
Granted: September 26, 2000
Patent Number:
6124825
The present invention comprises a global positioning system (GPS) based augmented reality (AR) aircraft collision avoidance system. The system of the present invention includes a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals and determining a present position using the GPS signals. The system of the present invention also includes an automatic dependent surveillance (ADS-B) receiver for receiving an ADS-B signal from an aircraft. The system of the present invention further includes an AR visor…
Audible tilt sensor calibration
Granted: September 19, 2000
Patent Number:
6119355
An audible signal generator incorporated into a total station to audibly indicate to the user the rotational orientation of the total station, and a method for using the audible indication to perform the tilt sensor calibration. In one embodiment, the present invention indicates to the user of the total station when the tilt sensor has been calibrated with the total station in a first rotational orientation. This embodiment then audibly indicates to the user when the rotational alidade…
Network of ground transceivers
Granted: September 19, 2000
Patent Number:
6121928
The present invention involves a system and method for determining a position of an object. The system comprises at least one ground transmitter configured to generate ground transmitter position signals comprising position information. The at least one ground transmitter has a known position. The system also comprises at least one ground transceiver having a known position and configured to receive the ground transmitter position signals and transmit ground transceiver position signals…
GSM cellular telephone and GPS receiver combination
Granted: September 19, 2000
Patent Number:
6122506
A GPS/GSM receiver combination for receiving GSM and GPS signals using an RF GPS integrated circuit for downconverting the GPS signal. The GPS integrated circuit includes a synthesizer for generating LO signals, first and second downconverters for using the LO signals for downconverting the GPS signal, and a sampler for providing in-phase and quadrature phase sampled output signals representative of the GPS signal. The synthesizer includes a multi-mode divider for providing substantially…
GPS data recorder and playback system
Granted: September 5, 2000
Patent Number:
6114989
A circuit for storing GPS data gathered in the field is described. The stored data is later used to test the ability of GPS processing circuits to handle GPS data containing multipath interference and dropouts.
Integrated circuit using a power supply input for digital logic
Granted: September 5, 2000
Patent Number:
6115595
A GPS receiver including an RF GPS integrated circuit downconverter having a standby mode controlled by a power supply input used as a logic signal. The RF GPS integrated circuit includes a synthesizer for generating LO signals, first and second downconverters for using the LO signals for downconverting the GPS signal, and a sampler for using a clock signal for providing in-phase and quadrature phase sampled output signals representative of the GPS signal. The synthesizer includes a…
Lane change alarm for use in a highway vehicle
Granted: August 22, 2000
Patent Number:
6107939
A lane change alarm using data for a highway track. A highway track database provides geographical location points for a track of a highway lane. A differential global positioning system (DGPS) receiver provides a vehicle location. A longitudinal track matching code matches the vehicle location against a track location and provides a longitudinal direction and a transverse distance to an alarm gate. The alarm gate indicates an alarm condition unless a lane change signaler is operated for…
Method and apparatus for accurately positioning a tool on a mobile machine using on-board laser and positioning system
Granted: August 22, 2000
Patent Number:
6108076
A method and apparatus for accurately positioning a tool on a mobile machine are provided. The machine is equipped with a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver, a robotic total station with an integrated scanning laser and a storage facility storing a digital terrain model (DTM) of a work area. The machine operates within the work area and a number of stationary reflectors are positioned at various locations about the work area. The SPS receiver determines the current location of…
All-terrain error correction
Granted: August 15, 2000
Patent Number:
6104339
The real time differential satellite navigational system integrated with the tilt measurement system is disclosed. The integrated positioning system allows one to perform the real time precise navigation of a mobile unit in a variable tilt environment. In another embodiment, the map generating system is disclosed. The map generating system utilizes the low cost post-processing differential GPS receiver. The map generating system allows one to record the map of an actual area covered by a…
Chained location determination system
Granted: August 8, 2000
Patent Number:
6100842
Methods for chaining together two or more navigation or survey stations to complete a project, where only adjacent stations in the chain have contact with each other. The location of a mobile reference station is determined and corrected, if necessary, using location determination (LD) signals from an LD system such as GPS, GLONASS, LEO or the like. The location of a first rover station is determined using RTK information and signal differencing from the mobile reference station. The…
Method and apparatus for dead reckoning and GIS data collection
Granted: August 1, 2000
Patent Number:
6097337
A surveying device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver unit configured to provide first positioning information signals; a dead reckoning (DR) unit configured to provide second positioning information signals; and a geographic information system (GIS) data collection unit configured (e.g., through appropriate software) to collect GIS data using the first and second positioning information signals. The GPS receiver unit may be a differential GPS receiver unit or a real…
Integrated radio direction finding and GPS receiver tracking system
Granted: July 25, 2000
Patent Number:
6094164
An integrated radio direction finding and GPS receiver tracking system. In one embodiment, a transmitter device is attached to an object to be located. The transmitter device transmits a signal. The transmitted signal is received by a portable, user-totable tracking unit. The portable, user-totable tracking unit uses the received signal to determine at least the bearing of the object from the portable, user-totable tracking unit. A position generating system is coupled to the portable,…
Augmented vision for survey work and machine control
Granted: July 25, 2000
Patent Number:
6094625
Methods and apparatus which enable use of augmented vision in survey procedures and related work. Virtual objects are presented to an operator on a see through display. Some of the objects correspond with real objects in the operators field of view at any instant and others may provide interactive functions for the operator. The operator eye positions are determined using measurements from a remote positioning system such as GPS, an operator head orientation sensing system, and knowledge…
Integrated position determination system with radio relay
Granted: July 18, 2000
Patent Number:
6091358
A integrated position determination network including a position determination system and a radio relay system is disclosed which locates the precise location of the position determination system. The position determination system incorporates the radio, the power source and the GPS receiver and all necessary electronics into a single housing. Similarly, all of the components of the radio relay are integrated into a single housing. Many of the components of the position determination…
Receiver having a memory based search for fast acquisition of a spread spectrum signal
Granted: July 18, 2000
Patent Number:
6091785
A GPS receiver having a fast time to lock to a GPS signal by storing a time period of an incoming GPS signal in a signal memory and rapidly comparing the signal memory against locations in a replica memory having stored GPS signal replicas. The GPS receiver includes a memory-based search engine for acquiring the GPS signal so that it may be tracked. The memory-based search engine includes a signal memory for storing a millisecond of a digitized GPS signal, a replica memory section for…
Integrated audio recording and GPS system
Granted: July 18, 2000
Patent Number:
6091816
A method and apparatus for indicating the time and location at which audio signals are received by a user-carried audio-only recording device. In one embodiment, audio signals are received at a receiver of a user-carried audio-only recording device. A position determining system generates position information indicative of the location of the portable user-carried audio-only recording device when the receiver of the portable user-carried audio-only recording device receives the audio…
Optimal survey map projection system
Granted: July 18, 2000
Patent Number:
6092022
Methods for providing a representation of location coordinates for a collection of survey points with enhanced accuracy. An obliquely oriented cylindrical surface, rather than a tangent plane, is determined and used as the projection surface at or near a survey base point, with the angular orientation and radius of the cylinder being chosen to optimize the accuracy of the projection. A scale factor that corrects for distances of locations projected onto the cylindrical surface is…
Authentication of accumulated instrument data
Granted: July 18, 2000
Patent Number:
6092193
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…
Vehicle mileage meter and a GPS position tracking system
Granted: July 11, 2000
Patent Number:
6087965
A trip meter, such as a taximeter or a mileage meter for a commercial vehicle, such as a truck, are combined with an integral GPS receiver/computer which provides GPS position and time information. Odometer input pulses to the trip meter are accurately calibrated by using GPS position, velocity, and time information to generate corrected odometer pulses which are provided to the odometer input terminal of the trip meter. The GPS system is integrated into the trip meter for calibrating…
