As noted previously on ÆtherCzar, the FCC recently issued an NPRM proposing to offer favorable treatment to academic researchers over researchers in industry. Yesterday, ÆtherCzar presented evidence from wide-ranging studies showing that industry, not academia is the principal fountainhead of innovation. This previous research did not specifically address wireless technology, however. Today ÆtherCzar continues excerpting from a Comment I filed with the FCC last week – taking a closer look at the relative roles of industry and academia in one of the wireless industry’s most important and rapidly growing sectors: Radio Frequency Identification or RFID.
In yesterday’s post, FCC Overhauls Experimental Licensing to Favor Academia Over Industry, I explained how a recent Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) would offer academic researchers preferred status over researchers with non-academic affiliations. The NPRM justifies this discriminatory treatment on the grounds that that universities are “a powerhouse for ideas” and “have a record of generating the types of innovations and technological breakthroughs we seek to foster.” These claims are asserted with nothing more than anecdotal evidence. As I noted in a Comment filed earlier this week, wide-ranging studies of the origins of technological innovation show that industry, not academia is the principal fountainhead of innovation.
Dec 302010
A statue of former Idaho Governor, Frank Steunenberg faces the Idaho Capital in Boise. Harry Orchard assassinated Governor Stuenenberg in 1905 in retaliation for the Governor's role in suppressing the violent 1899 miners' strike in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.
On this day, December 30, 1905, former Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg opened his garden gate. An explosion shattered the calm and mortally wounded Steunenberg. Steunenberg was targeted for his role in suppressing the violent 1899 miners’ strike in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho.
The Steunenberg assassination led to a no-holds-barred trial pitting William Borah for the prosecution against Clarence Darrow for the defense. Ultimately, Darrow triumphed and the union leaders responsible for soliciting the crime escaped justice. See ÆtherCzar’s review of Big Trouble: The Steunenberg Assassination.
Also, an excellent source of information should you wish to learn more is John T. Richards, Jr.’s “Idaho Meanderings” blog. Richards, a great grandson of Frank Steunenberg, maintains this blog devoted to the history surrounding his great grandfather’s assassination, early Idaho history, and related topics.
Nov 032010
Time for more wireless updates:
- Here’s a great article about the British precursor to LORAN: “GEE.” GEE was one of the first implementations of the “Time-Difference-of-Arrival (TDOA)” concept used in some modern RTLS implementations.
- A simple explanation of Ekahau RTLS: “The Perfect Pairing of RF and IR.”
- Whatever happened to TV Channel One? Find out here. Hat Tip: Steven J. Crowley
- A detailed survey of telecommunications litigation is here. Yet another Hat Tip to Steven J. Crowley.
- Matthew Lasar asks if the likes of Pandora are poised to kill AM/FM radio at Ars Technica.
- RFID Bracelet Turns Admission Ticket into a Fashionable Item – at least according to the vendor’s press release. Hat Tip: Ajay Malik
- FCC approves RF power transfer device (EDN). This is a much longer range system than “PowerMat,” mentioned here a few months back.
Satellite navigation was first described in U.S. Patent 3,172,108 (1965).
With the launch and tracking of Sputnik in 1957, it soon became obvious that the location of the satellite could be tracked by monitoring its Doppler shift. Frank McClure persuaded fellow researchers at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab to devise a satellite navigation and positioning system based on the Doppler shift of satellite signals. [1] The team, led by Richard Kershner, developed the first satellite positioning system: the US Navy’s Transit constellation (also known as NAVSAT). Transit provided up to 100 m location accuracy. [2] Due to coverage limitations, the 10-15 minute processing time required for a position, and position inaccuracies, the DoD sought an alternative solution and formed the GPS Joint Program Office.
Testing for GPS continued throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s with the full constellation of 24 satellites coming on line in 1995. GPS operates by time of flight principles with precise ephemeris, timing synchronization, and a variety of corrections including atmospheric and relativistic effects. The satellites are placed in geosynchronous orbit and can provide global location metrics with measured accuracies within 9 m (95% confidence) or better. The primary limitation of the current GPS system is that the microwave signals are largely blocked indoors and vulnerable to multipath in urban canyons. [3]
[1] Frank T. McClure, Method of navigation, US Patent 3,172,108, March 2, 1965.
[2] B. Parkinson, “A History of Satellite Navigation,” NAVIGATION: Journal of Navigation, 42, 1, 1995, pp. 109-164.
[3] E. Kaplan, Understanding GPS: Principles and Applications, (Boston: Artech House, 1996), p. 237
The 1942 frequency-hopping spread spectrum invention (US Patent 2,292,387) issued to H.K. Markey (Hedy Lamarr) and George Antheil exemplifies the variety of wide band signaling. Image Copyright © D. McKeown and K. Siwiak, 2003-2010. Used with permission.
Spread-spectrum and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology arose during the Second World War. Actress Hedy Kiesler Markey (better known by her screen name, Hedy Lamarr) and George Antheil invented a frequency-hopping secret communication system. [1] The Figure below shows their frequency hopping transmitter. A record tape encodes a unique coding pattern to a network of tuning capacitors controlling a variable frequency carrier oscillator. The signal is thus virtually impossible to decode without knowledge of the frequency hopping pattern. The lack of regard for Lamarr’s invention at the time is evidenced by the fact that it was promptly allowed and published instead of being kept confidential for the duration of the conflict.
A classic example of an invention ahead of its time, spread spectrum and ultra-wideband technologies did not come into vogue until after Lamarr’s patent had already expired.
The first spread-spectrum RF system was proposed by Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil. A record tape controls which of a selection of capacitors tunes a variable oscillator.
More comprehensive histories of the development of spread spectrum and ultra-wideband technology are available elsewhere. [2], [3], [4], [5]
[1] Hedy Kiesler Markey and George Antheil, Secret communication system, US Patent 2,292,387, August 11, 1942.
[3] See “Spread Spectrum History” at http://www.sss-mag.com/shistory.html
[4] See “Female Inventors – Hedy Lamarr” at http://www.inventions.org/culture/female/lamarr.html
S/Sgt Paul Farnum was one "of the men who would make or break the coming invasion of Europe."
On 24 September, 1944 Operation Market Garden was capturing attention, as the Allies attempted to capture the “bridge too far” at Arnhem. Also that day, my grandfather, Paul Farnum, died at the 32nd Evac. Hospital of wounds received 21 September in the fighting for Luneville. He was buried at U.S. Military Cemetary, Andilly France, about 15 miles northwest of Nancy, Plot G, row 12, grave 296.
In 1948 he made his final voyage, arriving home to Millington, MI on 28 December accompanied by a military escort.
In honor of Memorial Day, I kicked off a series of posts following my grandfather, Paul Farnum, and his experiences in combat in northwestern Europe in 1944. The entire series may be read here. This was my way of sending a posthumous thank you for his contribution, however humble, to victory in Europe. And I wanted to be sure my daughters and my sons would be able to remember their great-grandfather in the context of events when the time comes for them to study the history of the Second World War. Although I was familiar with the grand scale of the campaigns in Northwestern Europe 1944-1945, reviewing the the events of June-September 1944 at the level of Paul’s Regiment (the 313th) gave me a new perspective on events. Stephen Ambrose (Citizen Soldiers) and particularly Ernie Pyle (Brave Men) helped me gain a greater appreciation for the men of Paul’s generation who were called upon to fight.
To the past, present, and future members of our armed forces: “Thanks!”
Paul Farnum arrives home, 28 December, 1948.
The 1st and 3rd Battalions were ordered to attack in the vicinity of the railroad overpass and to clear out resistance in houses beyond the overpass. At noon, the defence of Luneville was put in the hands of the 313th Regiment. Acknowledging the severe resistance of the enemy, the 315th Regiment was called in to assist. By 21:00 the 1st Battalion was in the area around Moncel, just outside of Luneville.
Earlier today, 21 September, 1944, Paul Farnum was seriously wounded. According to letters later received by the family, Paul was in combat, leading a section driving the enemy back into the village seeking to silence a gun emplacement. A mortar shell hit a nearby wall, sending shrapnel into his back, resulting in a large wound. He was taken to the 32nd Evac. Hospital.
Sir Oliver Lodge, radio pioneer.
In 1898, Sir Oliver Lodge (1851-1940) patented the first syntonic or tuned radio system. Ironically, the very patent that inaugurated this fundamental concept of narrow-band, frequency-domain radio also disclosed some of the first ultra-wideband (UWB) antennas:
As charged surfaces or capacity areas, spheres or square plates or any other metal surfaces may be employed; but I prefer, for the purpose of combining low resistance with great electrostatic capacity, cones or triangles or other such diverging surfaces with the vertices adjoining and their larger areas spreading out into space; or a single insulated surface may be used in conjunction with the earth, the earth or conductors embedded in the earth constituting the other oppositely-charged surface [U.S. Patent 609,154]
The figure from his patent (below the break) makes clear that he was thinking of what we would now call a biconical antenna. In another figure, he shows what modern antenna engineers would recognize as a bow tie antenna. But Lodge was ahead of his time. I’ve noted elsewhere how early radio was narrow band in conception but ultra-wideband in practice. As spark gap transmitters were supplanted by more efficient continuous wave sources, Lodge’s pioneering work was largely forgotten. I recounted the re-discovery of the biconical antenna by Phillip Carter (see U.S. Patent 2,175,252) in the 1930′s in my book (p. 14). More recently, I learned that the biconical antenna was independently discovered yet another time, for a total of at least three.
By midnight a treadway bridge has been constructed across the river at Lamath. Except for occasional enemy fire, the night was quiet. At 13:30 the Regiment moved out of Germaniel. No enemy contact was encountered by the column on the march to Luneville. The 1st Battalion was ordered to proceed southeast through the city to set up a defensive position east of town and south of the east-west road through the city of Luneville.
Paul Farnum and the rest 1st Battalion made contact with the enemy at the eastern edge of Luneville where they encountered machine gun and small arms fire. Tank swere brought forward, but were unable to advance in the face of the anti-tank fire. The entire area where the Battalion was deployed was subjected to considerable artillery and mortar fire.
