IP Library Granted Patent US 11,073,591
Granted Patent B2
US 11,073,591 · App. 16/326,481 · Granted Jul 27, 2021

System and methods for a private eLoran service

Inventors: Gerard Offermans (Bertem, BE); Stephen Bartlett (Tewksbury, MA); Charles Schue (Waterford, VA); Andrei Grebnev (Bedford, MA); John Allan (Tyngsboro, MA); Arthur Helwig (Milford, CT)
Assignee: UrsaNav, Inc.
G01S1/24G01S1/245H04L9/0822H04W12/02H04W12/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,073,591
App. No.
16/326,481
Granted
Jul 27, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for generating private eLoran signals includes receiving, by a transmitter site, a transmission key. The transmitter site is configured to transmit a timing signal at a fixed time. The method also includes determining, by the transmitter site, for the timing signal configured to be transmitted at the fixed time, a pseudo-random transmission time for transmitting the timing signal, and initiating transmission, by the transmitter site, of the timing signal at the pseudo-random transmission time.]. A method for receiving private timing signals includes determining, by the receiver device and using the fixed time, a pseudo-random time for receiving the timing signal from the transmitter site, receiving, by the receiver device, the timing signal at the pseudo-random time, and using, by the receiver device, the timing signal to determine at least one of a time, a longitude, and a latitude at the receiver device.

Claims (47)

1. A method for generating private eLoran signals, comprising:

receiving, by a transmitter site, a transmission key, the transmitter site configured to transmit a timing signal at a fixed time;

determining, by the transmitter site, for the timing signal configured to be transmitted at the fixed time, a pseudo-random transmission time for transmitting the timing signal, wherein the pseudo-random transmission time is determined using the transmission key and the fixed time; and

initiating transmission, by the transmitter site, of the timing signal at the pseudo-random transmission time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fixed time is a time synchronized to Universal Time Coordinated.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the transmitter site to a receiver device, the transmission key.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the transmission comprises a data channel, and wherein transmitting, by the transmitter site to the receiver device, the transmission key comprises:

transmitting the transmission key in the data channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmission comprises an encrypted data channel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter site is configured to complete a transmission in a timeslot having a start time being the fixed time and an end time, and wherein determining a transmission time comprises:

determining the transmission time such that transmission, by the transmitter site, completes within the timeslot.

7. A system for transmitting private eLoran signals, the system comprising:

an encoding unit configured to:

determine a pseudo-random transmission time for a transmission, the transmission comprising a timing signal, the system configured to transmit the transmission at a fixed time, wherein the pseudo-random transmission time is a time after a start time of the fixed time; and

a transmission unit configured to:

transmit the timing signal at the pseudo-random transmission time.

8. The system of claim 7 ,

the transmission unit is further configured to:

transmit the timing signal within a timeslot having the fixed time as the start time and having an end time; and

the encoding unit is further configured to:

determine the pseudo-random transmission time such that the transmission unit completes transmission of the timing signal before the end time.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the fixed time is a time synchronized to Universal Time Coordinated.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the encoding unit is further configured to:

determine the pseudo-random transmission time using a transmission key.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the transmission unit is further configured to:

transmit, to a receiver device, the transmission key.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the timing signal comprises a data channel, and wherein to transmit, to the receiver device, the transmission key comprises to:

transmit the transmission key in the data channel.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein to transmit, to the receiver device, the transmission key comprises to:

encrypt the transmission key.

14. A method for receiving private timing signals, comprising:

determining, by a receiver device and using a fixed time, a pseudo-random time for receiving a timing signal from a transmitter site;

receiving, by the receiver device, the timing signal at the pseudo-random time; and

using, by the receiver device, the timing signal to determine at least one of a time, a longitude, and a latitude at the receiver device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining, by the receiver device and using the fixed time, the pseudo-random time for receiving the timing signal from the transmitter site comprises:

determining the pseudo-random time using a transmission key.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiver device acquires the transmission key by steps comprising:

extracting the transmission key from a data channel of a signal transmitted by the transmitter site.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

extracting usage information for the transmission key.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving a decryption key; and

decrypting the transmission key.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein extracting the transmission key from the data channel comprises:

searching a signal space for an eLoran signal to acquire the data channel of the signal transmitted by the transmitter site.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fixed time is a time synchronized to Universal Time Coordinated.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2019
From: OFFERMANS, GERARD; BARTLETT, STEPHEN; SCHUE, CHARLES; GREBNEV, ANDREI; ALLAN, JOHN; HELWIG, ARTHUR
To: URSANAV, INC.
Reel/Frame 049349/0525 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62381454 · Aug 30, 2016
Related Publication 20190377055A1 · Dec 12, 2019