System and method for establishing real-time location
First Claim
1. A system for establishing location information in real-time, the system comprising:
- a plurality of fixed position devices, each of said fixed position devices configured to communicate via an auxiliary communication link with at least one other of said plurality of fixed position devices, wherein fixed position information about each of said fixed position devices is stored in memory;
a portable device configured to communicate wirelessly via a primary communication link with a first one of said fixed position devices, wherein a second one of said fixed position devices is configured to monitor communication over said primary communication link between said first one of said fixed position devices and said portable device, wherein said second one of said fixed position devices determines one or more signal characteristics pertaining to said monitored communication and communicates signal information relating to said one or more signal characteristics, via said auxiliary communication link, to said at least one other of said fixed position devices; and
wherein location information about said portable device is determined based on said signal information relating to said one or more signal characteristics communicated over said auxiliary communication link, wherein said signal information includes one or more signal characteristic values for said one or more signal characteristics, wherein an offset value for the portable device is obtained based on a device characteristic of the portable device, wherein the device characteristic of the portable device is substantially the same irrespective of changes in the environment of the portable device, and wherein at least one of said one or more signal characteristic values is changed according to the obtained offset value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system with a master device configured to determine location information in real-time with respect to a portable device. The master device may direct one or more monitor devices to monitor communications that occur over a primary communication link. The monitor devices may sense characteristic information about the signal from the portable device, and communicate this characteristic information to the master device via an auxiliary communication link. The communication system may determine location of the portable device, authenticate the portable device, determine whether the portable device is authorized to allow or initiate an action, and command or enable an action with respect to equipment.
192 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system for establishing location information in real-time, the system comprising:
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a plurality of fixed position devices, each of said fixed position devices configured to communicate via an auxiliary communication link with at least one other of said plurality of fixed position devices, wherein fixed position information about each of said fixed position devices is stored in memory; a portable device configured to communicate wirelessly via a primary communication link with a first one of said fixed position devices, wherein a second one of said fixed position devices is configured to monitor communication over said primary communication link between said first one of said fixed position devices and said portable device, wherein said second one of said fixed position devices determines one or more signal characteristics pertaining to said monitored communication and communicates signal information relating to said one or more signal characteristics, via said auxiliary communication link, to said at least one other of said fixed position devices; and wherein location information about said portable device is determined based on said signal information relating to said one or more signal characteristics communicated over said auxiliary communication link, wherein said signal information includes one or more signal characteristic values for said one or more signal characteristics, wherein an offset value for the portable device is obtained based on a device characteristic of the portable device, wherein the device characteristic of the portable device is substantially the same irrespective of changes in the environment of the portable device, and wherein at least one of said one or more signal characteristic values is changed according to the obtained offset value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A device for establishing real-time location information about a portable device, said device comprising:
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a first communication interface operable to receive wireless communication transmissions from the portable device; a second communication interface configured for communications with at least one fixed position device separate from the device, said communications including one or more communicated signal characteristics of wireless communication transmissions transmitted from the portable device to the at least one fixed position device; and a controller operably coupled to said first communication interface and said second communication interface, wherein location information about the portable device is determined based on said one or more communicated signal characteristics communicated via said second communication interface, wherein said one or more communicated signal characteristics includes one or more signal characteristic values, wherein an offset value for the portable device is obtained based on a device characteristic of the portable device, wherein the device characteristic of the portable device is substantially the same irrespective of changes in the environment of the portable device, and wherein at least one of said one or more signal characteristic values is changed according to the obtained offset value. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of determining a location of a portable device in real-time, said method comprising:
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receiving, in a master device, wireless communications from a portable device via a wireless communication link; monitoring, in at least one fixed position device, the wireless communications from the portable device to the master device; receiving, via an auxiliary communication link separate from the wireless communication link, information pertaining to one or more signal characteristics based on the wireless communication monitored by the at least one fixed position device, wherein the information includes one or more signal characteristic values indicative of the one or more signal characteristics, and wherein an offset value for the portable device is obtained based on a device characteristic of the portable device, wherein the device characteristic of the portable device is substantially the same irrespective of changes in the environment of the portable device; changing at least one of the one or more signal characteristic values according to the offset value; obtaining position information relating to a position of the fixed position device; and determining a location of the portable device based on the one or more signal characteristic values and the position information. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification