Device and method for position measurement by means of linear doppler shifts generated

• US 20080084351A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cairos Technologies Ag
• Original Assignee: Cairos Technologies Ag
• Inventors: Englert, Walter, Bucher, Tilman
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/418
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

A position determination method including a step of transmitting a periodic signal having a carrier frequency, a step of sequentially receiving the periodic signal having the carrier frequency at various locations using at least one antenna, and a step of determining a first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location.

Claims

1. A device for providing information about an object location within a location determination area wherein the object is positioned, it being possible to associate a first coordinate with the object location, the device comprising:

a sequential transmitter and/or receiver having at least one antenna for sequentially transmitting or receiving periodic signals having a carrier frequency at various locations; and

a location determiner for determining the first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when transmitting or receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sequential receiver having at least one antenna comprises a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas being sequentially operated as a receive antenna to electronically simulate an antenna movement and to receive a periodic signal transmitted by the object.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sequential transmitter having at least one antenna comprises a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas being sequentially operated as a transmit antenna to electronically simulate an antenna movement and to transmit a periodic signal to the object.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, the device additionally including a switcher to switch each antenna of the plurality of antennas as a transmit and/or receive antenna in a temporally sequential manner.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sequential transmitter and/or receiver includes an individual antenna linearly movable along the location determination area.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sequential transmitter and/or receiver is configured to cause an antenna movement speed v>

c/1000, c representing the speed of light.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location determiner is further configured to determine a second coordinate of the object location on the basis of an inclination of the Doppler frequency response in the zero crossing of the Doppler frequency response.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location determiner exhibits an analog bandpass filter having a passband around the carrier frequency for filtering the signals from the at least one antenna.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location determiner includes an A/D converter and a digital bandpass filter having a passband around the carrier frequency for filtering the signals from the at least one antenna.

10. A movable object for position determination within a location determination area, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting periodic signals having a carrier frequency.

11. A movable object for position determination in a location determination area, comprising:

a receiver for receiving periodic signals from a sequential transmitter having at least one antenna for sequentially transmitting the periodic signals having a carrier frequency at various locations; and

a location determiner for determining the first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when transmitting the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location.

12. A position determination system, comprising:

a device for providing information about an object location within a location determination area wherein the object is positioned, it being possible to associate a first coordinate with the object location, comprising

a sequential receiver having at least one antenna for sequentially receiving periodic signals having a carrier frequency at various locations,

a location determiner for determining the first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location; and

an object, the position of which may be determined, having

a transmitter for transmitting a periodic signal having the carrier frequency.

13. A position determination system, comprising:

device for providing information about an object location within a location determination area wherein the object is positioned, it being possible to associate a first coordinates with the object location, comprising

a sequential transmitter having at least one antenna for sequentially transmitting periodic signals having a carrier frequency at various locations; and

a location determiner for determining the first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location; and

an object, the position of which may be determined, having

a receiver for receiving periodic signals from the sequential transmitter having the at least one antenna for sequentially transmitting periodic signals having the carrier frequency at various locations,

a location determiner for determining the first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when transmitting the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location.

14. A method for providing information about an object location within a location determination area wherein the object is positioned, it being possible to associate a first coordinate with the object location, comprising:

sequentially transmitting or receiving periodic signals having a carrier frequency at various locations using at least one antenna; and

determining the first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when transmitting or receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location.

15. A position determination method comprising:

transmitting a periodic signal having a carrier frequency;

sequentially receiving the periodic signal having the carrier frequency at various locations using at least one antenna; and

determining a first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location.

16. A position determination method comprising:

sequentially transmitting a periodic signal having the carrier frequency at various locations using at least one antenna;

receiving the periodic signal having the carrier frequency; and

determining a first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when transmitting the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location.

17. A computer program having a program code for performing the method for providing information about an object location within a location determination area wherein the object is positioned, it being possible to associate a first coordinate with the object location, comprising:

sequentially transmitting or receiving periodic signals having a carrier frequency at various locations using at least one antenna; and

determining the first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when transmitting or receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location,

when the computer program runs on a computer or a microcontroller.

18. A computer program having a program code for performing the position determination method comprising:

transmitting a periodic signal having a carrier frequency;

sequentially receiving the periodic signal having the carrier frequency at various locations using at least one antenna; and

determining a first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when receiving the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location,

when the computer program runs on a computer or a microcontroller.

19. A computer program having a program code for performing the position determination method comprising:

sequentially transmitting a periodic signal having the carrier frequency at various locations using at least one antenna;

receiving the periodic signal having the carrier frequency; and

determining a first coordinate of the object location on the basis of a zero crossing of a Doppler frequency response which may be associated with the first coordinate of the object location, the first coordinate of the object location corresponding to a coordinate of that location of the at least one antenna which it has when transmitting the periodic signal at the zero crossing in relation to the object location,

when the computer program runs on a computer or a microcontroller.