How to Check if GPS Signal Corrections are Working Right
This patent describes a system to generate, check, and combine corrections for satellite navigation signals, ensuring they are accurate for precise positioning applications.
Original patent title: “System and method for GNSS correction monitoring”
This patent describes a system to generate, check, and combine corrections for satellite navigation signals, ensuring they are accurate for precise positioning applications. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent outlines a system designed to improve the accuracy of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data. It includes a 'correction generator' that creates adjustments for raw satellite signals. A 'correction checker' then verifies these adjustments to ensure they are reliable. A 'correction combiner' takes multiple checked corrections and merges them, likely to achieve even greater accuracy or redundancy. Finally, a 'positioning engine' uses these refined corrections to calculate a more precise location. The system is specifically designed to prevent 'interference between components', meaning each part works without messing up the others. For example, in an autonomous vehicle, this system would constantly verify the accuracy of GPS corrections to ensure the car knows its exact lane position.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the fundamental generation of raw GNSS satellite signals themselves, only the processing of their corrections.
- Does not cover positioning systems that rely solely on terrestrial signals or non-satellite-based methods.
- Does not cover the physical design of GNSS receiver hardware, only the computational processing of correction data.
- Does not cover methods for generating corrections that are not subsequently checked or combined by the system.
- Does not cover systems where components interfere with each other, as it specifically aims to be free from such interference.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in the integrated approach of generating, checking, and combining corrections while specifically engineering the system to be free from internal interference. This ensures that the corrections themselves are trustworthy and that their processing doesn't introduce new errors.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Autonomous vehicle navigation systems
High-precision drone flight control
Surveying equipment
Precision farming machinery
Location-based services requiring centimeter-level accuracy
Air traffic control systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Accurate positioning is crucial for many modern technologies, from self-driving cars to precision agriculture and drone delivery. This system aims to make GNSS data more reliable by actively monitoring and refining the corrections applied to satellite signals. By ensuring the integrity of these corrections, it helps prevent errors that could lead to significant problems in applications requiring high precision.
Filed
November 7, 2023
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Trimble, Hexagon (Leica Geosystems, NovAtel), and u-blox are continuously developing advanced GNSS correction and positioning technologies. Major automotive companies and tech giants working on autonomous driving, such as Waymo and Cruise, also invest heavily in highly accurate positioning systems that rely on robust correction monitoring.
Market impact
This type of technology contributes to the ongoing drive for higher accuracy and reliability in global positioning. It enables the development of new products and services that demand precise location data, such as fully autonomous vehicles and advanced robotics. By improving the trustworthiness of GNSS corrections, it helps to expand the market for applications where even small positioning errors are unacceptable.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent outlines a system designed to improve the accuracy of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data. It includes a 'correction generator' that creates adjustments for raw satellite signals. A 'correction checker' then verifies these adjustments to ensure they are reliable. A 'correction combiner' takes multiple checked corrections and merges them, likely to achieve even greater accuracy or redundancy. Finally, a 'positioning engine' uses these refined corrections to calculate a more precise location. The system is specifically designed to prevent 'interference between components', meaning each part works without messing up the others. For example, in an autonomous vehicle, this system would constantly verify the accuracy of GPS corrections to ensure the car knows its exact lane position.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in the integrated approach of generating, checking, and combining corrections while specifically engineering the system to be free from internal interference. This ensures that the corrections themselves are trustworthy and that their processing doesn't introduce new errors.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the fundamental generation of raw GNSS satellite signals themselves, only the processing of their corrections.
- Does not cover positioning systems that rely solely on terrestrial signals or non-satellite-based methods.
- Does not cover the physical design of GNSS receiver hardware, only the computational processing of correction data.
- Does not cover methods for generating corrections that are not subsequently checked or combined by the system.
- Does not cover systems where components interfere with each other, as it specifically aims to be free from such interference.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$18K – $58K
Midpoint $36K · 17.1 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). How to Check if GPS Signal Corrections are Working Right (U.S. Patent No. 12,736,683). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12736683/system-and-method-for-gnss-correction-monitoring
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to Check if GPS Signal Corrections are Working Right cover?
This patent describes a system to generate, check, and combine corrections for satellite navigation signals, ensuring they are accurate for precise positioning applications.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Accurate positioning is crucial for many modern technologies, from self-driving cars to precision agriculture and drone delivery. This system aims to make GNSS data more reliable by actively monitoring and refining the corrections applied to satellite signals. By ensuring the integrity of these corrections, it helps prevent errors that could lead to significant problems in applications requiring high precision.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the fundamental generation of raw GNSS satellite signals themselves, only the processing of their corrections.
Patent monitoring