Expandable, decentralized position tracking systems and methods
First Claim
1. A position tracking system comprising:
- at least three spatially separated radiofrequency (RF) sources of radio signals, each RF source being disposed in an area at a location known to that RF source, each RF source including an RF transmitter configured to transmit radio signals that carry a unique identifier and the known location of that RF source; and
at least one tag each coupled to a different mobile object, each tag including a radio module with an RF receiver for receiving the radio signals transmitted by the at least three spatially separated RF sources, memory storing executable code, and a processor that executes the executable code stored in the memory compute a range from that tag to each of the at least three spatially separated RF sources, a given tag of the at least one tag including a barometric sensor, the processor of the given tag computing a position of the given tag based on the at least three ranges computed by the processor of the given tag and on a pressure measurement made by the barometric sensor of the given tag.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for position tracking include at least three spatially separated radio-frequency (RF) sources of radio signals. Each RF source is disposed in an area at a location known to that RF source. Each RF source includes an RF transmitter configured to transmit radio signals that carry a unique identifier and the known location of that RF source. The position tracking system and method include at least one tag. Each tag is coupled to a different mobile object and includes a radio module with an RF receiver for receiving the radio signals transmitted by the at least three spatially separated RF sources. Each tag further includes memory and a processor that executes executable code stored in the memory to compute a range from that tag to each of the at least three RF sources and to compute a position of that tag based on at least three computed ranges.
178 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A position tracking system comprising:
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at least three spatially separated radiofrequency (RF) sources of radio signals, each RF source being disposed in an area at a location known to that RF source, each RF source including an RF transmitter configured to transmit radio signals that carry a unique identifier and the known location of that RF source; and at least one tag each coupled to a different mobile object, each tag including a radio module with an RF receiver for receiving the radio signals transmitted by the at least three spatially separated RF sources, memory storing executable code, and a processor that executes the executable code stored in the memory compute a range from that tag to each of the at least three spatially separated RF sources, a given tag of the at least one tag including a barometric sensor, the processor of the given tag computing a position of the given tag based on the at least three ranges computed by the processor of the given tag and on a pressure measurement made by the barometric sensor of the given tag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of position tracking system comprising:
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receiving, by a tag coupled to a mobile object, radio signals from at least three spatially separated radio-frequency (RF) sources; acquiring, by the tag, a unique identifier for and known location of each of the at least three RF sources from the radio signals received from that RF source; measuring, by the tag, pressure; computing, by the tag, a range to each of the at least three RF sources from communications exchanged with that RF source; and computing, by the tag, a three-dimensional position of the tag based on the computed ranges to the at least three RF sources and on the pressure measured by the tag. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification