Methods and systems for synchronized ultrasonic real time location

• US 10,365,347 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2018
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Inventors: Amir, Israel, Annamalai, Karuppiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US16/157,657
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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. An ultrasonic base station, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) receiver, coupled to a time server via a backbone network and configured to receive timing synchronization information from the time server via the backbone network; and

an ultrasonic transmitter configured to transmit an ultrasonic location code at a time determined from the received timing synchronization information, the ultrasonic location code representative of a location of the ultrasonic base station, wherein the ultrasonic base station transmits a request to the time server, via the backbone network;

to receive the timing synchronization information.

2. A system for determining a location and an identity of a portably:

device, the system comprising;

means for transmitting timing synchronization information;

a plurality of stationary ultrasonic base stations, each ultrasonic base station configured to receive 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;

1) detect the ultrasonic location code from one of the ultrasonic base stations and

     2) 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 the time based on timing information received in the detected output signal of the one ultrasonic base stations, and

wherein the means for transmitting includes at least one RF transceiver configured to transmit, to the plurality of ultrasonic base stations, the timing synchronization information relative to a unified time of origin.