System for location finding

• US 10,536,920 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2016
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components San Diego Inc (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ethertronics, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Desclos, Laurent, Shamblin, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US14/993,016
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0221 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A system for location finding of devices and personnel for in-building applications is described. A group of sensors are distributed throughout a region or building of interest where each sensor contains an RF transceiver and an antenna system, with the antenna system capable of generating multiple radiation patterns or modes. The assets to be tracked by the sensors can have RF transceivers associated with each asset, and these transceivers can have antenna systems capable of generating multiple radiation patterns or modes. A system controller containing a processor is integrated into the system and is used to control the sensors and assets.

Claims

1. A system for locating a wireless communication asset within a network region, the system comprising:

a communication asset including a multi-mode antenna configurable in a plurality of modes, wherein the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset exhibits distinct radiation pattern characteristics when configured in each of the plurality of modes;

a first sensor, the first sensor including a multi-mode antenna configurable in a plurality of modes, wherein the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor exhibits distinct radiation pattern characteristics when configured in each of the plurality of modes;

a processor connected to the first sensor, the processor adapted to acquire and store information received at the first sensor;

wherein the system is adapted to;

configure the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in a first mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor and configure the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in a first mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset;

with the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the first mode and with the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the first mode, sample the network region to obtain a first receive-signal from at least one of the first sensor or the communication asset within the network region, the first receive-signal comprising first information, wherein the first information includes amplitude data and phase data;

store the first information;

configure the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in a second mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor and configure the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in a second mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset;

with the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the second mode and with the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the second mode, sample the network region to obtain a second receive-signal from at least one of the first sensor or the communication asset within the network region, the second receive-signal comprising second information, wherein the second information includes amplitude data and phase data;

store the second information;

determine a signal variation based at least in part on a difference between the first information and the second information;

determine data associated with one or more potential locations of the communication asset within the network region based at least in part on a comparison of the signal variation to a priori knowledge of radiation pattern characteristics, the data associated with each of the potential locations comprising a direction and a distance to the communication asset; and

eliminate, based at least in part on the comparison and based at least in part on the a priori knowledge of radiation pattern characteristics, one or more incorrect potential locations of the communication asset from the one or more potential locations of the communication asset.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor having a multi-mode antenna, wherein the system is adapted to:

configure the multi-mode antenna of the second sensor in one of a plurality of modes of the second sensor;

sample the network region to obtain a third received signal from the communication asset;

reconfigure the multi-mode antenna of the second sensor in another of the plurality of modes of the second sensor; and

sample the network region to obtain a fourth receive;

signal from the communication asset.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to determine the data associated with one or more potential locations of the communication asset based at least in part on the third receive-signal and the fourth receive-signal.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor having an antenna with one fixed radiation pattern mode, wherein the system is adapted to:

configure the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in one of the plurality of modes of the communication asset;

sample the network region with the first sensor and the second sensor to obtain a third receive-signal from the communication asset;

reconfigure the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in another of the plurality of modes of the communication asset, and

sample the network region with the first sensor and the second sensor to obtain a fourth receive-signal from the communication asset.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system is configured to determine the data associated with one or more potential locations of the communication asset based at least in part on the third receive-signal and the fourth receive-signal.

6. The system of claim 1 comprising three or more sensors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor comprises a radiating element, and a parasitic conductor element positioned adjacent to the radiating element, the parasitic conductor element coupled to an active component or circuit for varying a reactance associated with the parasitic conductor element, wherein the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor is reconfigurable between the plurality of possible modes upon varying the reactance associated with the parasitic conductor element.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first receive-signal or second receive-signal is transmitted from the communication asset to the first sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first receive-signal or second receive-signal is transmitted from the first sensor to the communication asset.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further adapted to:

configure the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the first mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor and configure the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the second mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset;

with the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the first mode and with the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the second mode, sample the network region to obtain a third receive-signal from at least one of the first sensor or the communication asset within the network region, the third receive-signal comprising third information, wherein the third information includes amplitude data, phase data, or a combination thereof; and

analyze the third information and at least one of the first information or second information based at least in part on a comparison of the respective amplitude or phase data of the third information and the at least one of the first information or second information to determine the data associated with one or more potential locations of the communication asset within the network region.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the a priori knowledge of radiation pattern characteristics comprises an amplitude or phase response of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor or the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset as a function of location.

12. A method for locating a position of a communication asset within a network region, the communication asset including a multi-mode antenna configurable in a plurality of modes, the method comprising:

providing a first sensor connected to a multi-mode antenna, the multi-mode antenna configurable in a plurality of modes, wherein the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor exhibits distinct radiation pattern characteristics when configured in each of the plurality of modes;

providing a processor connected to the sensor, the processor adapted to acquire and store information received at the sensor;

configuring the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in a first mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor and configuring the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in a first mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset;

with the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the first mode and with the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the first mode, sampling the network region to obtain a first receive-signal from at least one of the first sensor or the communication asset within the network region, the first receive-signal comprising first information, wherein the first information includes amplitude data and phase data;

storing the first information;

configuring the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in a second mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor and configuring the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in a second mode of the plurality of possible modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset;

with the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the second mode and with the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the second mode, sampling the network region to obtain a second receive-signal from at least one of the first sensor or the communication asset within the network region, the second receive-signal comprising second information, wherein the second information includes amplitude data and phase data;

storing the second information;

determining a signal variation based at least in part on a difference between the first information and the second information

determining data associated with one or more potential locations of the communication asset within the network region based at least in part on a comparison of the signal variation to a priori knowledge of radiation pattern characteristics, the data associated with each of the potential locations comprising a direction and a distance to the communication asset; and

eliminating, based at least in part on the comparison and based at least in part on the a priori knowledge of radiation pattern characteristics, one or more incorrect potential locations of the communication asset from the one or more potential locations of the communication asset.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a second sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second sensor comprises a second multi-mode antenna, the method further comprising:

configuring the second multi-mode antenna in a first mode of the second multi-mode antenna;

sampling with the second sensor to obtain a third receive-signal from the communication asset with the second multi-mode antenna configured in the first mode;

reconfiguring the second multi-mode antenna in a second mode of the second multi-mode antenna; and

sampling with the second sensor to obtain a fourth receive-signal from the communication asset with the second multi-mode antenna configured in the second mode.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the data associated with one or more potential locations of the communication asset based at least in part on the third receive-signal and the fourth receive-signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first receive-signal or second receive-signal is transmitted from the communication asset to the first sensor.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first receive-signal or second receive-signal is transmitted from the first sensor to the communication asset.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

configuring the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the first mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor and configuring the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the second mode of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset;

with the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor in the first mode and with the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset in the second mode, sampling the network region to obtain a third receive-signal from at least one of the first sensor or the communication asset within the network region, the third receive-signal comprising third information, wherein the third information includes amplitude data, phase data, or a combination thereof; and

analyzing the third information and at least one of the first information or second information based at least in part on a comparison of the respective amplitude or phase data of the third information and the at least one of the first information or second information to determine the data associated with one or more potential locations of the communication asset within the network region.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the a priori knowledge of radiation pattern characteristics comprises an amplitude or phase response of the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the first sensor or the plurality of modes of the multi-mode antenna of the communication asset as a function of location.