| Topcon GPS, LLC Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20110012808 | Broadband Convex Ground Planes for Multipath Rejection - A ground plane for reducing multipath reception comprises a convex conducting surface and an array of conducting elements disposed on at least a portion of the convex conducting surface. Embodiments of the convex conducting surface include a portion of a sphere and a sphere. Each conducting element comprises an elongated body structure having a transverse dimension and a length, wherein the transverse dimension is substantially less than the length. The cross-section of the elongated body structure can have various user-specified shapes. Each conducting element can further comprise a tip structure. The azimuth spacings, lengths, and surface densities of the conducting elements can be functions of meridian angle. An antenna can be mounted directly on the conducting convex surface or on a conducting or dielectric support structure mounted on the conducting convex surface. System components, such as a navigation receiver, can be mounted inside the conducting convex surface. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20110012783 | Navigation Receiver for Processing Signals from a Set of Antenna Units - A navigation receiver processes signals transmitted by global navigation satellites and received by a set of antenna units. Each antenna unit is connected to a separate input port of an antenna multiplexer switch. Satellite signals received from each antenna unit are consecutively switched to the input of a common radiofrequency processing module. A common signal correlator generates a common in-phase correlation signal from the satellite signals received from all the antenna units. The common in-phase correlation signal is processed by a data processing module to demodulate information symbols from the received satellite signals. The common in-phase correlation signal is also processed by phase-lock loops and delay-lock loops to generate carrier phases and code delays from the received satellite signals. Embodiments are described in which, along with the common in-phase correlation signal, common functional blocks or hardware are used to process the satellite signals received from all the antenna units. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20100103032 | Base Data Extrapolator to Operate with a Navigation Receiver in Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) and Differential Global Positioning System ( DGPS) Modes - Base data received at a rover receiver is extrapolated to a rover measurement time referenced to a clock in the rover receiver. The base data comprises a plurality of base parameters, such as pseudo-ranges and full phases, calculated at base epochs from data received from navigation satellites. Base data is decomposed into a computed component, a common component, and an information component. Only the information component is extrapolated, thereby increasing the extrapolation time interval (during which base data are missing) over which an acceptable accuracy in determination of rover coordinates may be provided. The extrapolated base data is calculated by adding the computed component updated to the rover measurement time, the information component extrapolated to the rover measurement time, and the common component. A second-order recursive digital filter is used to generate the extrapolation function. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100073239 | Compact Circularly-Polarized Antenna with Expanded Frequency Bandwidth - Disclosed is a circularly-polarized antenna comprising a flat conducting ground plane, a radiator, and an excitation system disposed between the radiator and the ground plane. The radiator comprises a plurality of conducting segments separated from each other by a first dielectric medium and separated from the ground plane by a second dielectric medium. The plurality of conducting segments are symmetrically disposed about an antenna axis of symmetry orthogonal to the ground plane. The excitation system comprises a flat conducting exciter patch and four excitation sources with phase differences of 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees. The excitation sources are generated on two orthogonal printed circuit boards. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20090273522 | Broadband Micropatch Antenna System with Reduced Sensitivity to Multipath Reception - A micropatch antenna system with simultaneous high bandwidth and low sensitivity to multipath radiation is achieved by positioning a radiating element within a cavity in a ground plane. Bandwidth and sensitivity to multipath radiation may be varied by varying the height of the radiating element above the bottom of the cavity and above the top of the ground plane. The electromagnetic and physical characteristics of the antenna system may be further controlled by introducing dielectric solids or wave-slowing structures between the bottom of the cavity and the radiating element. A dual-band micropatch antenna system with simultaneous high bandwidth and low sensitivity to multipath radiation may be similarly configured by stacking a second radiating element on top of the first radiating element. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090184965 | Approximation of Ordered Sets of Points by Geometric Elements via Overlapping Polytopes - An ordered set of physical points, each comprising a nominal point and an associated allowable deviation, is approximated by a sequence of geometric elements determined by a method of intersecting polytopes in a parametric space. A first bundle of geometric elements connecting a first subgroup of physical points is generated and mapped to a first polytope. A second bundle of geometric elements connecting a second subgroup of physical points is generated and mapped to a second polytope. If the intersection between the first polytope and the second polytope is not null, the points in the intersection region correspond to geometric elements which approximate the physical points in the combined two subgroups. The process is repeated iteratively for additional subgroups. The center point of the final intersection region corresponds to an approximate best-fit geometric element. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090140930 | Patch Antenna with Capacitive Elements - Disclosed is a micropatch antenna comprising a radiating element and a ground plane separated by an air gap. Small size, light weight, wide bandwidth, and wide directional pattern are achieved without the introduction of a high-permittivity dielectric substrate. Capacitive elements are configured along the perimeter of at least one of the radiating element and ground plane. Capacitive elements may comprise extended continuous structures or a series of localized structures. The geometry of the radiating element, ground plane, and capacitive elements may be varied to suit specific applications, such as linearly-polarized or circularly-polarized electromagnetic radiation. | 06-04-2009 |
