Methods and systems for synchronized ultrasonic real time location

• US 10,126,407 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Inventors: Amir, Israel, Annamalai, Karuppiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US15/458,153
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 340 81
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a location and an identity of a portable device are provided. The system includes apparatus for transmitting timing synchronization information, a plurality of stationary ultrasonic base stations and a plurality of portable devices. Each ultrasonic base station is configured to receive the timing synchronization information and to transmit a corresponding ultrasonic location code in a time period based on the received timing synchronization information. Each portable device is configured to: 1) receive the timing synchronization information, 2) detect the ultrasonic location codes from the ultrasonic base stations and 3) transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected ultrasonic location code. Each portable device is synchronized to detect the ultrasonic location code in the time period based on the received timing synchronization information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server;

a transceiver base station;

a plurality of location base stations having a respective plurality of location base station IDs, each location base station ID being associated with a respective location; and

a plurality of portable tags having a respective plurality of tag IDs;

wherein;

the transceiver base station is configured to transmit timing synchronization information (TSI) via a first type of communication technology to one or more of the plurality of location base stations;

one location base station of the plurality of location base stations is configured to receive the TSI via the first type of communication technology, and to transmit a signal including its respective location base station ID at a time determined from the received TSI, via a second type of communication technology, different from the first type of communication technology;

at least one portable tag of the plurality of portable tags is configured;

     1) to receive the signal corresponding to the second type of communication technology,

     2) to detect timing information and the location base station ID from the received signal,

     3) to store the detected location base station ID and

     4) to transmit, via the first type of communication technology and at a time determined from the timing information, a communication signal, including the stored base station ID and the tag ID to the transceiver base station; and

the transceiver base station is configured;

     1) to receive and decode the communication signal from the portable tag,

     2) to transmit the tag ID and the location base station ID in the received communication signal to the server; and

the server is configured to associate the portable tag with the respective location associated with the location base station ID.

2. A system comprising:

a plurality of RE base stations coupled to a backbone network, configured to receive timing synchronization information (TSI) from a timing server, wherein each of the RF base stations is synchronized based on the TSI;

a portable device configured to transmit a first request to the RF base stations, for association with at least one of the RF base stations, the first request including first information related to ones of the RE base stations from which the portable device receives signals;

an ultrasonic base station configured to transmit a second request to the RE′

base stations, for association with the RE base stations, the second request including second information related to ones of the RF base stations from which the ultrasonic base station receives signals;

wherein;

the portable device is assigned a first association with at least one of the RE base stations, that received the first request, based on the first information, and

the ultrasonic base station is assigned a second association with at least one of the RE base stations, that received the second request, based on the second information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the RE base stations are further configured to receive the first request from the portable device in a first time period, defined by the TSI, and to receive the second request from the ultrasonic base station, in a second time period defined by the TSI.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the RE base stations are further configured to transmit, to a central server, (1) the first information including respective RSSI values of the ones of the RF base stations from which the portable device receives signals and (2) the second information including respective RSSI values of the RF base stations from which the ultrasonic base station receives signals.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the central server is configured to select:

(1) the first assignment for the portable device according to the RSSI values indicated in the first information, and (2) the second assignment for the ultrasonic base station according to the RSSI values indicated in the second information.

6. A method of operating a portable device comprising:

associating the portable device with a first RF base station and receiving time synchronization information (TSI) from the RE base station;

switching the portable device to a sleep mode;

switching to a wake up mode in a first time period defined by the TSI;

receiving at least one ultrasonic base station ID from a plurality of ultrasonic base stations in a second time period defined by the TSI;

transmitting a request message to a plurality of RE base stations including the first RF base station, for dynamically associating the portable device with the plurality of RF base stations, the request message including;

(a) the association information of the portable device with the first RF base station, (b) the at least one ultrasonic base station ID and (c) a portable device ID identifying the portable device;

receiving, in response to the request message, association information from another RE base station that is different from the first RF base station; and

dynamically associating the portable device with the other RF base station.

7. The method of claim 6, further including receiving a response message, from the first RF base station, indicating that the portable device is still associated with the first RF base station, upon the transmission of the request message.

8. The method of claim 7, further includes switching back, by the portable device, to the sleep mode upon receiving the response message from the first RE base station indicating that the portable device is still associated with the first RF base station.

9. A system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of portable devices, each portable device having a respective portable device ID;

one or more ultrasonic base stations;

a plurality of RF base stations coupled to a backbone network, at least one RF base station of the plurality or RF base stations configured to receiving timing synchronization information (TSI) from a time server and to transmit the TSI to the one or more stationary ultrasonic base stations, wherein;

at least one ultrasonic base station of the one or more ultrasonic base stations is configured to receive the TSI and to transmit an ultrasonic signal including a corresponding ultrasonic base station ID at a time determined from the received TSI, the ultrasonic base station ID being associated with a location of the one ultrasonic base station;

at least one portable device of the plurality of portable devices is configured;

     1) to receive the ultrasonic signal,

     2) to detect timing information and the ultrasonic base station ID from the received ultrasonic signal,

     3) to store a digital value representing the detected ultrasonic base station ID, and

     4) to transmit an RF output signal including the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID to the one RF base station at a time determined from the timing information;

the one RF base station is configured;

     1) to receive the RF output signal including the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID, and

     2) to send the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID to the server; and

the server, responsive to receiving the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID is configured to associate the portable device with the location of the one ultrasonic base station.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable device is further configured to decode the ultrasonic base station ID from the received ultrasonic signal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable device is configured to encode the ultrasonic base station ID, wherein the transmitted RF output signal includes the encoded ultrasonic base station ID.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable device is configured to encode the stored digital value representing portable device ID, wherein the RF output signal includes the encoded digital value representing the portable device ID.

13. A system for determining a location and an identity of a portable device, the system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit timing synchronization information;

a plurality of stationary ultrasonic base stations, each ultrasonic base station configured to receive the transmissions with the timing synchronization information and to transmit a corresponding ultrasonic location code at a time determined from the received timing synchronization information, each ultrasonic location code representative of a location of the respective ultrasonic base station; and

a plurality of portable devices, each portable device configured to detect the ultrasonic location codes from the ultrasonic base stations and transmit an output signal including a portable device ID, representative of the portable device, and the detected location code,

wherein each portable device is synchronized to detect the ultrasonic location code at a next time determined from the ultrasonic signal received from one of the ultrasonic base stations.