Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090228210 | NAVIGATION SYSTEM BASED ON NEUTRINO DETECTION - A method and system for navigating is disclosed. The method and system comprises measuring the angle of arrival of neutrinos emitted by a source and tagging the neutrino measurements utilizing an accurate clock. The method and system further includes processing the tagged neutrino measurements through a computational model of a neutrino generator and combining the processed measurements with navigational aids to provide location information. A system and method in accordance with an embodiment measures angle of arrival of neutrinos generated by the sun, and therefore derives navigation information which is obtainable deep underground or underwater. Additionally, the system provides robust navigation, without drift, in the absence of other common navigation systems such as global positioning systems. | 09-10-2009 |
20090315764 | PRECISE ABSOLUTE TIME TRANSFER FROM A SATELLITE SYSTEM - Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for obtaining a precise absolute time using a satellite system. The precise absolute time may be used, for example, as an aid for positioning systems including navigation in attenuated or jammed environments. A method of obtaining precise absolute time transfer from a satellite according to an embodiment comprises: receiving a precision time signal from a satellite, wherein the precision time signal comprises a periodic repeating code; determining a timing phase of the code; receiving additional aiding information; and using the timing phase and the additional aiding information to determine a precise absolute time. | 12-24-2009 |
20090315769 | INTERNET HOTSPOTS LOCALIZATION USING SATELLITE SYSTEMS - Systems and methods according to various embodiments provide for navigation in attenuated environments by integrating satellite signals with Internet hotspot signals. In one embodiment, a receiver unit adapted to perform geolocation comprises an antenna adapted to receive a precision time signal from a satellite and receive additional aiding information from a wireless network station, wherein the precision time signal comprises a periodic repeating code. The receiver unit also comprises a processor and a memory adapted to store a plurality of computer readable instructions which when executed by the processor are adapted to cause the receiver unit to: use the precision time signal and the aiding information to determine a precise absolute time, determine positioning information associated with the receiver unit, use the positioning information to request location information of the wireless network station, and determine an absolute geolocation of the receiver unit using the positioning information and the location information. | 12-24-2009 |
20100171652 | LOCAL CLOCK FREQUENCY CALIBRATION USING LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO) SATELLITES - Various techniques are provided for calibrating a frequency of a local clock using a satellite signal. In one example, a method of transferring frequency stability from a satellite to a device includes receiving a signal from the satellite. The method also includes determining a code phase from the satellite signal. The method further includes receiving aiding information. In addition, the method includes calibrating a frequency of a local clock of the device using the code phase and the aiding information to substantially synchronize the local clock frequency with a satellite clock frequency. | 07-08-2010 |
20110148701 | Precise Absolute Time Transfer From A Satellite System - Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for obtaining a precise absolute time using a satellite system. The precise absolute time may be used, for example, as an aid for positioning systems including navigation in attenuated or jammed environments. A method of obtaining precise absolute time transfer from a satellite according to an embodiment comprises: receiving a precision time signal from a satellite, wherein the precision time signal comprises a periodic repeating code; determining a timing phase of the code; receiving additional aiding information; and using the timing phase and the additional aiding information to determine a precise absolute time. | 06-23-2011 |
20110248887 | GEOLOCATION LEVERAGING SPOT BEAM OVERLAP - A method and system are disclosed for providing an estimate of a location of a user receiver device. The method and system involve emitting from at least one vehicle at least one spot beam on Earth, and receiving with the user receiver device a signal from at least one spot beam. In one or more embodiments, at least one vehicle may be a satellite and/or a pseudolite. The method and system further involve calculating with the user receiver device the estimate of the location of the user receiver device according to the user receiver device's location within at least one spot beam. In some embodiments, when the user receiver device receives signals from at least two spot beams, the user receiver device calculates the estimate of the location of the user receiver device to be located in the center of the intersection of at least two spot beams. | 10-13-2011 |
20120072990 | COST FUNCTION FOR DATA TRANSMISSION - A method, system, and apparatus are disclosed for cost functions for data transmission. In one or more embodiments, the method, system, and apparatus involve assigning costs associated with the data transmission corresponding to risks. The method, system, and apparatus further involve adjusting data transmission performance parameters according to the costs and the risks. The risks are associated with potential danger, harm, and/or data loss. Data transmission operation costs are related to available radio frequency (RF) bandwidth, data transmission levels of service (LoS) and/or data transmission quality of service (QoS). In at least one embodiment, each different LoS has an associated trigger boundary, which is located at a specific distance away from a risk area and indicates where and/or when to begin data transmission. The risks are related to a number of various factors including topographical features of a terrain, weather factors, conflict factors, crime factors, terrorism factors, and/or environmental region factors. | 03-22-2012 |
20120131650 | SPOT BEAM BASED AUTHENTICATION - In one embodiment, a method to authenticate a claimant comprises receiving, from the claimant, at least one of a set of beam data from a spot beam transmission, comparing the claimed at least one set of beam data to a known valid data set, and authenticating the claimant when a difference between at least one set of beam data and the known valid data set is less than a threshold. | 05-24-2012 |
20120139782 | DIFFERENTIAL CORRECTION SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT LEVERAGES ROVING RECEIVERS ENABLED FOR A NON-GPS, SECONDARY PN&T SIGNAL TO CHARACTERIZE LOCAL ERRORS - System, methods, and devices for a self-sustaining differential corrections network that employs roving reference devices (RRDs) as reference stations for improving positioning, navigation, and timing (PN&T) solutions for other enabled local roving and/or stationary receiving devices (RDs) are disclosed herein. The disclosed differential correction system enhancement leverages RRDs enabled for a non-global positioning system (non-GPS), secondary PN&T signal to characterize local errors. These local errors are then used by local RDs in combination with a signal to calculate an improved PN&T estimate for the RDs. | 06-07-2012 |
20120144451 | GEOLOCATING NETWORK NODES IN ATTENUATED ENVIRONMENTS FOR CYBER AND NETWORK SECURITY APPLICATIONS - A system and method for verifying and/or geolocating network nodes in attenuated environments for cyber and network security applications are disclosed. The system involves an origination network node, a destination network node, and at least one router network node. The origination network node is configured for transmitting a data packet to the destination network node through at least one router network node. The data packet contains a security signature portion, a routing data portion, and a payload data portion. The security signature portion comprises a listing of at least one network node that the data packet travelled through from the origination network node to the destination network node. In addition, the security signature portion comprises geolocation information, identifier information, and timing information for at least one network node in the listing. | 06-07-2012 |
20120218147 | Precise Absolute Time Transfer From A Satellite System - Various techniques are provided for obtaining a precise absolute time using a satellite system. In one example, a method of transferring precise absolute time from a satellite to a device includes receiving data from a messaging channel, wherein the data has a frame structure. The method also includes using the data to identify the satellite and a position of the satellite, correcting for signal time of flight using the satellite identity and the position, and using the data as a time reference to align a receiver clock to the frame structure. The method also includes, with the receiver clock aligned to the frame structure, receiving a precision time signal from the satellite, wherein the precision time signal comprises a periodic repeating code. The method also includes determining a timing phase of the code and using the timing phase to determine a precise absolute time. | 08-30-2012 |
20120222089 | NETWORK TOPOLOGY AIDED BY SMART AGENT DOWNLOAD - A system, method, and apparatus for a network topology aided by a smart agent download are disclosed. The method involves authenticating, with at least one authenticator device, at least one claimant. The method further involves transmitting, by at least one transmission source, the smart agent download to at least one receiving source associated with at least one claimant. In one or more embodiments, at least one transmission source is employed in a Lower Earth Orbiting (LEO) Iridium satellite. Also, the method involves receiving, by at least one receiving source, the smart agent download. In addition, the method involves executing, by at least one processor, the smart agent download. Further, the method involves monitoring, by the smart agent download, network behavior. The monitoring of network behavior includes monitoring the users on the network, monitoring data passing through the network, and monitoring the quantity of data passing through the network. | 08-30-2012 |
20120309416 | GEOTHENTICATION BASED ON NETWORK RANGING - A system, method, and apparatus for the authentication of the physical location of a target node are disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, the authentication of the target node's physical location is achieved by using ping ranging measurements obtained from the amount of time that elapses during ping messages being sent between the target node and at least one trusted node with a known physical location. The physical location of the trusted node(s) is obtained by using satellite geolocation techniques. The accuracy of the ranging measurements may be improved upon by using pre-coordination and/or priority determination of the ping messages being sent between the target node and the trusted node(s). In at least one embodiment, the ping messages are sent by dedicated ping response hardware that is associated with the target node and/or the trusted node(s). In some embodiments, the ping messages include a pseudo random code bit sequence. | 12-06-2012 |
20130014216 | GUARD SPOT BEAMS TO DETER SATELLITE-BASED AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM SPOOFING - A transmission-based authentication system and method to prevent an unauthorized claimant from tracking a signal are disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, the method involves transmitting, from at least one transmission source, a plurality of authentication signals. The method further involves receiving, from at least one receiving source, a resultant signal that includes at least two of the authentication signals. Further, the method involves authenticating, with at least one authenticator device, at least one claimant by comparing properties of the resultant signal the claimant receives from the receiving source location(s) to expected properties of the resultant signal that the claimant should receive from the receiving source location(s). The properties that are compared are signal power, doppler shift, time of reception, and/or signal modulation. The transmission source(s) is employed in at least one satellite and/or at least one pseudo-satellite. | 01-10-2013 |
20130019317 | SECURE ROUTING BASED ON DEGREE OF TRUST - A system, method, and apparatus for secure routing based on a degree of trust are disclosed herein. The disclosed method involves assigning a level of trust to at least one network node, and utilizing the level of trust to determine a degree of security of the network node(s). The level of trust of the network node(s) is related to an amount of certainty of the physical location of the network node(s). The amount of certainty is attained from the network node(s) being located in a known secure location, and/or from verification of the physical location of the network node(s) by using satellite geolocation techniques or by using network ping ranging measurements. The method further involves utilizing the level of trust of the network node(s) to determine a degree of trust of at least one path for routing the data, where the path(s) includes at least one of the network nodes. | 01-17-2013 |
20130031598 | Contextual-Based Virtual Data Boundaries - A system, method, and apparatus for contextual-based virtual data boundaries are disclosed herein. In particular, the present disclosure relates to improvements in access control that work to restrict the accessibility of data based on assigning contextual data thresholds that create a virtual boundary. Specifically, the disclosed method involves assigning at least one threshold to at least one contextual criterion. The method further involves determining whether contextual information from the claimant meets at least one threshold to at least one contextual criterion. Also, the method involves authenticating the claimant, if the contextual information from the claimant meets at least one of the thresholds to at least one contextual criterion. Further, the method involves allowing the claimant access to the data, if the claimant is authenticated. | 01-31-2013 |
20130065514 | Advanced Timing and Time Transfer for Satellite Constellations Using Crosslink Ranging and an Accurate Time Source - A system, method, and apparatus for advanced timing and time transfer for satellite constellations using crosslink ranging and an accurate time source are disclosed herein. In particular, the present disclosure relates generally to systems for providing improved positioning, navigation, and/or timing information for oscillator calibration and more specifically, to use at least one satellite with accessibility to an accurate time source to calibrate the local oscillator on a crosslink paired satellite. In at least, one embodiment, time synchronization on a subset of satellites with crosslinking capabilities is used to distribute time through a network of crosslinked satellites. | 03-14-2013 |
20130135143 | METHOD FOR POSITIONING DETERMINATIONS OF RECEIVERS - The disclosed method and system is used to determine the position of a user device. The user device can receive data signals and/or carrier signals from orbiting space vehicles. These data signals can be used for positioning calculation and/or track maintenance of the user device. The disclosed method and system can account for time and frequency biases of the user device. For the track maintenance, a Kalman filter state estimator can be extended to include a velocity of the user device. | 05-30-2013 |
20130197860 | Acquisition Channel Geolocation - A method and system are disclosed for providing an estimate of a location of a user receiver device. The method involves emitting, from at least one vehicle, at least one spot beam on Earth; and receiving, with the user receiver device, at least one spot beam. The method further involves calculating, with the user receiver device, the estimate of the location of the user receiver device according to the user receiver device's location within at least one spot beam. Each spot beam contains at least one acquisition signal, which may comprise at least one ring channel. Each ring channel comprises a frame count; a space vehicle identification (SVID); a spot beam identification (ID); and/or X, Y, Z coordinates of the vehicle emitting the spot beam relative to an Earth coordinate system. In one or more embodiments, at least one vehicle may be a satellite and/or a pseudolite. | 08-01-2013 |
20130203437 | CELLS OBTAINING TIMING AND POSITIONING BY USING SATELLITE SYSTEMS WITH HIGH POWER SIGNALS FOR IMPROVED BUILDING PENETRATION - A system, method, and apparatus for cells to obtain timing and positioning by using satellite systems with high power signals for improved building penetration are disclosed herein. In particular, the present disclosure relates to providing timing synchronization and geolocation for small cells or macrocells in attenuated and/or indoor environments. In order to achieve timing synchronization and geolocation, the cells utilize high power signals, which contain timing information, in conjunction with related aiding information. Satellites, such as Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) Iridium satellites, are employed to transmit the high powered signals to the cells. | 08-08-2013 |
20130232565 | Secure Routing Based on the Physical Locations of Routers - A system, method, and apparatus for secure routing based on the physical location of routers are disclosed herein. The disclosed method for secure data transmission of at least one data packet through a plurality of network nodes involves defining a source network node, a destination network node, and at least one security constraint, which is based on the physical location of at least one of the network nodes. The method further involves comparing available network nodes with the security constraint(s) to determine which of the available network nodes meet the security constraint(s) and, thus, are qualified network nodes. Additionally, the method involves determining a route comprising at least one of the qualified network nodes to route the data packet(s) through from the source network node to the destination network node. Further, the method involves transmitting the data packet(s) through the route of the qualified network node(s). | 09-05-2013 |
20130305044 | Geothentication Based on New Network Packet Structure - A system and method for verifying and/or geolocating network nodes in a network in attenuated environments for cyber and network security applications are disclosed. The system involves an origination network node, a destination network node, and at least one router network node. The origination network node is configured for transmitting a data packet downstream to the destination network node through at least one router network node. The data packet contains a header portion and a payload data portion. At least one of the network nodes is an enabled network node. The enabled network node(s) is configured to verify any of the network nodes that are located upstream from the enabled network node(s) by analyzing the header portion and/or the payload data portion of the data packet. | 11-14-2013 |
20130335268 | Multipath Isolation Through the Combined Use of Antenna Diversity and Frequency Diversity - A method, system, and apparatus are disclosed for multipath isolation through the combined use of antenna diversity and frequency diversity. In particular, the present disclosure utilizes antenna diversity and frequency diversity to combat the deleterious effects of reflected signals on the positioning accuracy of satellite navigation systems. In at least one embodiment, the present disclosure uses two antennas and two frequencies for operation with a satellite navigation system. The present disclosure segregates the antennas and frequencies into two classes: references and monitors. The reference measurements are used for estimating the state of the vehicle, and the monitor measurements are used to detect faults that might degrade the reference estimation. Thus, the present disclosure enables an improvement in the positioning error experienced by roving users in downtown and indoor environments. Applications include positive train control, aircraft surface guidance, marine craft navigation in canals and ports, as well as automotive lane keeping. | 12-19-2013 |
20140104102 | SPACE BASED AUTHENTICATION UTILIZING SIGNALS FROM LOW AND MEDIUM EARTH ORBIT - A system and methods for location-based authentication using medium earth orbit (MEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites are presented. Location of a client device is authenticated based on at least one client received MEO satellite signal received from at least one MEO satellite at the client device and at least one client received LEO satellite signal received from at least one LEO satellite at the client device. | 04-17-2014 |
20140104103 | SERVER ALGORITHMS TO IMPROVE SPACE BASED AUTHENTICATION - A system and methods for location authentication are presented. An estimated server signal is estimated based on a generated known code signal, and a client received satellite signal is received from a client device. The client received satellite signal is compared to the estimated server signal to provide a comparison result. | 04-17-2014 |
20140108800 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED GEOTHENTICATION BASED ON A HASH FUNCTION - A system and methods for time and/or location authentication are presented. A hash value is received from a client device and a hash value receiving time of the received hash value is stored. A data block is received after receiving the hash value is received, the received data block comprising alleged transmission signal data. A computed hash value of the received data block is computed, and an estimated transmission signal client receiving time by the client is calculated based on the alleged transmission signal data. A timely possession of the received data block by the client device is authenticated based on a comparison of the computed hash value to the received hash value and a comparison of the hash value receiving time to the estimated transmission signal client receiving time. | 04-17-2014 |
20140159953 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR REDUCING GNSS RECEIVER POWER USAGE BY LEVERAGING SIGNALS OF OPPORTUNITY TO PREDICT GNSS AVAILABILITY - A system and methods for reducing navigation satellite receiver power usage are presented. A wireless signal is received at a portable electronic device in a signal environment. At signal characteristic of the wireless signal at the portable electronic device is measured in the signal environment. An estimated signal strength of the wireless signal in the signal environment is estimated based on the signal characteristic. The estimated signal strength is compared to an expected signal strength of the wireless signal to calculate an estimated signal-strength-change relative to the expected signal strength. A GNSS signal is tracked at the portable electronic device, if the estimated signal-strength-change indicates an expected GNSS signal attenuation is lower than a signal attenuation threshold. The tracking of the GNSS signal is reconfigured at the portable electronic device, if the expected GNSS signal-strength-change indicates the expected GNSS signal attenuation is greater than the signal attenuation threshold. | 06-12-2014 |
20140247183 | SATELLITE-BASED INTEGER CYCLE AMBIGUITY RESOLUTION OF LOCAL MEDIUM WAVE RADIO SIGNALS - A system and methods for resolving integer cycle ambiguity in medium wave carrier radio signals are presented. A satellite signal is received at a receiving location and a measured code phase of the satellite signal is measured. A satellite location estimate of the receiving location is computed based on the measured code phase. Medium wave radio carrier signals from medium wave radio transmitters are received at the receiving location. A number of wavelengths of the medium wave radio carrier signals from the satellite location estimate to each of the medium wave radio transmitters is determined respectively. A carrier phase of each of the medium wave radio carrier signals is measured. An improved position estimate of the receiving location is computed based on the number of wavelengths and the carrier phase of each of the medium wave radio carrier signals, and a location of each of the medium wave radio transmitters. | 09-04-2014 |