According to an example embodiment, a client device is configured to receive a first positioning reference signal; identify an orientation of a polarisation of the first positioning reference signal based on the received first positioning reference signal; estimate an orientation of the client device based on at least the identified orientation of the polarisation of the first positioning reference signal; and provide the orientation estimate to a network node device, Devices, methods, and computer programs are disclosed.

In one embodiment, a process obtains a first compensated directional reading from a first directional sensor of a directionally sensitive system, and obtains a second compensated directional reading from a second directional sensor of the directionally sensitive system. The process may then determine, a difference between the first compensated directional reading and the second compensated directional reading, and declares, in response to the difference being greater than an acceptable threshold, an inaccurate directional reading. As such, the process may then prevent performance of a directionally sensitive action by the directionally sensitive system in response to an inaccurate directional reading.

In one embodiment, a process obtains a first compensated directional reading from a first directional sensor of a directionally sensitive system, and obtains a second compensated directional reading from a second directional sensor of the directionally sensitive system. The process may then determine, a difference between the first compensated directional reading and the second compensated directional reading, and declares, in response to the difference being greater than an acceptable threshold, an inaccurate directional reading. As such, the process may then prevent performance of a directionally sensitive action by the directionally sensitive system in response to an inaccurate directional reading.

The present invention generally relates to an electromagnetic field vector sensing receive antenna array system for installation and deployment on a structure. A multipolarized array of collocated antenna elements is used to provide calibrated amplitude and phase radiation patterns with monopole, dipole, and loop modes generated from crossed loops connected to a beamformer. The invention has applications for installation and deployment on a tower, balloon, satellite for radio frequency sensing and location of low-frequency galactic emissions. The novel receive antenna array system comprises a multipolarized vector sensor antenna array. The disclosed direction-finding vector sensor can be installed and deployed on a structure and can detect and locate radio frequency emissions from galactic sources. The key system components of the receive antenna array system consist of deployable antennas, receivers, signal processing computer, and communications link.

Embodiments of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader are provided herein, which include an RFID interrogator; a detection surface for a game piece, the detection surface comprising a plurality of reader antennas in a geometric arrangement; and antenna switching circuitry coupled between the RFID interrogator and the plurality of reader antennas; wherein the antenna switching circuitry is configured to consecutively activate each one of the plurality of reader antennas for at least a detection time window, and wherein the RFID interrogator is configured to: for each reader antenna, detect whether a response signal is received by the reader antenna during the detection time window, and determine a geometric orientation of the game piece based on a subset of reader antennas that received the response signal.

Embodiments of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader are provided herein, which include an RFID interrogator; a detection surface for a game piece, the detection surface comprising a plurality of reader antennas in a geometric arrangement; and antenna switching circuitry coupled between the RFID interrogator and the plurality of reader antennas; wherein the antenna switching circuitry is configured to consecutively activate each one of the plurality of reader antennas for at least a detection time window, and wherein the RFID interrogator is configured to: for each reader antenna, detect whether a response signal is received by the reader antenna during the detection time window, and determine a geometric orientation of the game piece based on a subset of reader antennas that received the response signal.

Embodiments of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader are provided herein, which include an RFID interrogator; a detection surface for a game piece, the detection surface comprising a plurality of reader antennas in a geometric arrangement; and antenna switching circuitry coupled between the RFID interrogator and the plurality of reader antennas; wherein the antenna switching circuitry is configured to consecutively activate each one of the plurality of reader antennas for at least a detection time window, and wherein the RFID interrogator is configured to: for each reader antenna, detect whether a response signal is received by the reader antenna during the detection time window, and determine a geometric orientation of the game piece based on a subset of reader antennas that received the response signal.

Embodiments of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader are provided herein, which include an RFID interrogator; a detection surface for a game piece, the detection surface comprising a plurality of reader antennas in a geometric arrangement; and antenna switching circuitry coupled between the RFID interrogator and the plurality of reader antennas; wherein the antenna switching circuitry is configured to consecutively activate each one of the plurality of reader antennas for at least a detection time window, and wherein the RFID interrogator is configured to: for each reader antenna, detect whether a response signal is received by the reader antenna during the detection time window, and determine a geometric orientation of the game piece based on a subset of reader antennas that received the response signal.

In an array antenna having a plurality of subarrays, a direction finding system and technique includes receiving signals at an array antenna and capturing data with a plurality of groups of subarrays. Each group of subarrays may capture data during a selected one of a plurality of different dwell times. The method further includes generating a plurality of dwell spatial sample covariance matrices (SCMs) using data corresponding to one or more of the plurality of groups of subarrays and combining the plurality of dwell spatial SCMs in complex form to generate an aggregate covariance matrix (ACM). The ACM may then be used in subsequent processing with MINDIST technique to estimate a direction of a received signal based on the combined data.

In an array antenna having a plurality of subarrays, a direction finding system and technique includes receiving signals at an array antenna and capturing data with a plurality of groups of subarrays. Each group of subarrays may capture data during a selected one of a plurality of different dwell times. The method further includes generating a plurality of dwell spatial sample covariance matrices (SCMs) using data corresponding to one or more of the plurality of groups of subarrays and combining the plurality of dwell spatial SCMs in complex form to generate an aggregate covariance matrix (ACM). The ACM may then be used in subsequent processing with MINDIST technique to estimate a direction of a received signal based on the combined data.