METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR POSITIONAL FINDING USING RF, CONTINUOUS AND/OR COMBINED MOVEMENT

• US 20070075898A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InvisiTrack, Inc.
• Inventors: MIKHIENKO, Evgenii, MARKHOVSKY, Russ, VITYAEV, Evgenii
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/386
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A system for determining location of an object, the system including a Master Unit having an RF transceiver and adapted to measure distance to the Tag. The Master Unit has a first input from which it can derive its current position. The Master Unit transmits instructions to the Tag for movement in a predetermined direction. The Master Unit measures distance to the Tag after the movement in the predetermined direction. The Master Unit determines position of the Tag after the movement in the predetermined direction. The Tag can include a compass, a pedometer, and optionally an accelerometer, a solid-state gyroscope, an altimeter inputs for determining its current position by the Master Unit. The Master can optionally include a compass as well as a pedometer, an altimeter, an accelerometer, a solid-state gyroscope, an altimeter and a GPS receiver. Also, the Tag movement does not have to follow the Master'"'"'s direction. However, the Master Unit still will be able to determine the Tag location(s). Also, the roles of the Master Unit and Tag can be reversed.

Claims

1. A system for locating an object, comprising:

a Master Unit having a first RF transceiver and adapted to interface to a Tag to measure distance to the Tag, wherein the Tag includes a second RF transceiver;

the Master Unit having a first input from which it can derive its current position;

the Tag having a second input from which it can determine a distance the Tag has traveled;

the Master Unit adapted to transmitting instructions to the Tag for movement in a predetermined direction;

the Master Unit being adapted to receiving information from the Tag relating to the Tag'"'"'s movement;

the Tag being adapted to receiving instructions for movement in the predetermined direction;

the Tag being adapted to transmitting the information related to its movement to the Master Unit;

the Master Unit adapted to determine distance to the Tag after the movement of the Tag; and

the Master Unit adapted to determine position of the Tag after the movement of the Tag.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the Master Unit further comprises a compass input for determining current position of the Master Unit, for determination of the position of the Tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the Master Unit can derive position-related information of the Tag based on the first input.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the Tag can derive position-related information of the Tag based on the second input.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the Tag further comprises a compass input for from which the Tag can derive its direction of movement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the Master Unit can derive its current position based on the first input.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the Master Unit is adapted to transmitting requests for telemetry information to the Tag for Tag diagnostics.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the Master Unit is adapted to transmitting voice information to the Tag for instructing the Tag to move in a specified direction.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the Master Unit is configured to receive any of status, telemetry and voice information from the Tag.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first input comprises any of a pedometer, an altimeter, an accelerometer, a solid-state gyroscope and a GPS receiver.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second input comprises any of a pedometer, an altimeter, an accelerometer, a solid-state gyroscope and a GPS receiver.

12. A system for locating an object, comprising:

a Master Unit having an RF transceiver and adapted to interface to a Tag to measure a first distance to the Tag;

the Master Unit having a first input from which it can derive its current position;

the Master Unit having an interface to an operator;

the Tag having an interface for instructing the Tag'"'"'s operator to move in a predetermined direction;

the Master Unit adapted to measuring a second distance to the Tag after the Tag'"'"'s movement; and

the Master Unit adapted to determine position of the Tag after the Tag movement, based on the first and second distance measurements.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the Master Unit is adapted to determine position of the Tag after the Tag movement in any direction, based on previous distance measurement.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the Master Unit is adapted to determine position of the Tag during a combined movement of the Master Unit and the Tag.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the Tag moves based on instructions from the Master Unit.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the Tag movement is independent the Master Unit.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein roles of the Master Unit and the Tag Unit can be reversed.

18. A method for locating an object, comprising:

interfacing a Master Unit having a first RF transceiver to a Tag having a second RF;

determining a distance to the Tag;

at the Master Unit, receiving a first input and deriving a first position of the Master Unit based on the first input;

at the Tag, receiving a second input and deriving a first distance the Tag has traveled based on the second input;

transmitting instructions to the Tag for movement in a predetermined direction;

at the Master Unit, receiving information from the Tag relating to the Tag'"'"'s movement;

the Master Unit adapted to determine a second distance to the Tag after the movement of the Tag; and

the Master Unit adapted to determine a second position of the Tag after the movement of the Tag.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a compass input for determining current position of the Master Unit.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a compass input for determining the direction of movement of the Tag.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the Master Unit can derive its current position based on the first input.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting requests for telemetry information from the Master Unit to the Tag for Tag diagnostics.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting voice information to the Tag for instructing the Tag to move in a specified direction.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the first input comprises any of a pedometer, an altimeter, an accelerometer, a solid-state gyroscope and a GPS receiver.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the second input comprises any of a pedometer, an altimeter, an accelerometer, a solid-state gyroscope and a GPS receiver.

26. A method for locating an object, comprising:

at a Master Unit having an RF transceiver, interfacing to a Tag to measure a first distance to the Tag;

deriving a first position of the Master Unit based on a first input;

instructing the Tag to move in a predetermined direction;

at the Master Unit, measuring a second distance to the Tag after the Tag'"'"'s movement in the predetermined direction; and

at the Master Unit, measuring position of the Tag after the Tag movement in the predetermined direction, based on the first and second distance measurements.

27. A system for locating an object, comprising:

a Master Unit having a first RF transceiver and adapted to interface to a Tag to measure distance to the Tag, wherein the Tag includes a second RF transceiver;

the Master Unit having a first input from which it can derive its current position;

the Tag having a second input from which it can derive a distance the Tag has traveled;

the Master Unit being adapted to receiving information from the Tag relating to the Tag'"'"'s movement;

the Tag being adapted to transmitting the information related to its movement to the Master Unit;

the Master Unit adapted to measuring distance to the Tag after the movement of the Tag; and

the Master Unit adapted to measuring position of the Tag after the movement of the Tag.