Locating system and method

• US 20060035648A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Hume, Kevin Judge, Mark Scislowski, Norman Mohi
• Original Assignee: James Hume, Kevin Judge, Mark Scislowski, Norman Mohi
• Inventors: Mohi, Norman, Hume, James, Scislowski, Mark, Judge, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A mobile controller unit has a radio positioning system and a two-way communication system and a rover unit also has a radio positioning system and a two-way radio communication system. The controller unit can query the rover unit to send its location data so that the rover unit can be located and if desired, found, such as in the case of a lost child or items. Relative spatial position can be displayed along with an arrow showing where the rover is, also how fast it is moving and other data.

Claims

1. A system for locating on demand a rover unit relative to a mobile controller unit comprising;

a mobile controller unit comprising a radio positioning receiver module for receiving radio position information from a radio positioning source;

a radio communications module and a control system including a specially programmed computer for sending instructions to a rover unit and for processing data received from its own and a rover'"'"'s radio positioning receiver module and is equipped to obtain its heading;

at least one rover unit having a radio positioning receiver module for receiving radio position information from a radio positioning source, a radio communications module;

a control system for receiving instructions from a mobile controller unit and for sending data to a mobile controller unit whereby the mobile controller unit may display position data of the rover and may display relative spatial position of the rover or absolute map position of the rover unit and the mobile controller unit;

whereby the mobile controller unit is able to obtain and process its own position and heading data and position data of the rover unit and to display on a display associated with the mobile controller unit a bearing line to the rover unit relative to the heading and position of the mobile controller unit.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the radio positioning modules of the rover unit and the mobile controller unit comprise GPS receiver/processor modules and the radio position source comprises the GPS.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the mobile controller unit is equipped with a compass to provide heading of the mobile controller unit and to allow display of a bearing to the rover unit relative to the heading of the mobile controller unit.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the mobile controller unit and the rover unit use a common set of radio positioning sources.

5. The system of claim 2 in which the mobile controller unit and the rover unit use at least a commonly tracked suite of GPS satellites.

6. A method for locating a rover unit from a mobile controller unit in which the rover unit and the mobile controller unit have radio communication capability between them via a communication network such that the mobile controller unit may upon query obtain information from the rover unit and each of the mobile controller unit and the rover unit has a radio positioning receiver module for obtaining radio position information from a radio positioning source such that radio position information of the rover unit will upon query be sent to the mobile controller unit and in which the mobile controller unit can process the radio position information to provide relative spatial relationship of the mobile control unit to the rover unit with periodic updates, and the mobile controller unit has a means to obtain its heading comprising;

using the radio position information and the heading of the mobile controller unit and the radio position information of the rover unit, determining the bearing from the mobile controller unit to the rover unit relative to the heading and position of the mobile controller unit; and

displaying on one or more displays associated with the mobile controller unit, as selected by the user;

a bearing line showing the bearing of the rover unit relative to the heading and position of the mobile controller unit; and

a map showing the location of both the mobile controlled unit and the rover unit;

identification data representing the rover unit.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing the ability of displaying one or more of the following;

the speed of movement of the rover unit;

the distance of rover unit to the mobile controller unit;

the altitude of rover unit relative to the mobile controller unit;

a map display showing the location of the rover unit and trail indicia showing display a history of the location of rover unit over a specified period of time;

geographical coordinates of the rover unit.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising;

providing a compass to the mobile controller unit for obtaining its heading to enable displaying of the bearing of the rover unit relative to the heading and position of the controller unit.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the radio positioning receiver modules are GPS receiver/processor modules and the rover unit and mobile controller unit use radio position information from commonly tracked GPS satellites.

10. A system for locating and tracking at least one rover unit from a mobile controller unit comprising;

a mobile controller unit comprising;

a radio position receiver/processor module for receiving and processing radio position information from a radio positioning source;

a display;

a rover unit comprising;

a radio position receiver/processor module for receiving and processing radio position information from a radio positioning source; and

a specially programmed computer that is enabled to obtain and use radio positioning information for the rover unit and the mobile controller unit from their respective radio position receiver/processors and heading information for the mobile controller unit and to calculate the bearing of the rover from the mobile controller unit relative to the mobile controller unit'"'"'s heading and position and to display on the display a bearing line from the mobile controller unit to the rover unit relative to the mobile controller unit'"'"'s heading and position.

11. The system of claim 10 in which the mobile controller unit is equipped with a compass to obtain its heading and to use the heading so provided to calculate and to allow display of the bearing to the rover unit relative to the heading and position of the mobile controller unit.

12. The system of claim 10 in which the radio positioning source is the GPS and the rover unit and the mobile controller unit use a common suite of GPS satellites.

13. A method for locating a rover unit from a mobile controller unit comprising;

the mobile controller unit obtaining its radio position information from a radio positioning source and its heading;

the rover unit obtaining its radio position information from the radio positioning source.

using the radio position information of the rover unit and the mobile controller unit and the heading of the mobile controller unit calculating with a specially programmed computer the bearing of the rover unit relative to the heading and position of the mobile controller unit; and

displaying a bearing line from the mobile controller unit to the rover unit relative to the heading and position of the mobile controller unit.

14. The method of claim 13 further wherein the radio positioning source is the GPS.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising obtaining the radio positioning information of the mobile controller unit and of the rover from a satellite positioning system.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the mobile controller unit and the rover obtaining radio positioning information form a common set of radio positioning sources.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising calculating the distance from the mobile controller unit to the rover unit and enabling display of the distance.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising obtaining the heading of the mobile controller unit from a compass.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising calculating in a specially programmed computer the speed of movement of the rover unit and enabling its display on the mobile controller unit.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising calculating in a specially programmed computer the height of the rover unit relative to the mobile controller unit and enabling its display on the mobile controller unit.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing an audible announcement of the rover unit'"'"'s bearing direction and distance from the mobile controller unit.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the GPS radio position information of the rover unit and the controller unit is obtained from a common suite of GPS satellites.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein the radio position information is GPS pseudorange information.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein the heading of the controller is obtained by using GPS signals.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising using the GPS radio positioning information, calculating the distance from the mobile controller unit to the rover unit and enabling display of the distance.