System and apparatus for integrated wireless location detection

• US 20090021390A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Amidi, Soroush
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/011 Identifying the radio environment

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method are provided for integrated wireless location detection. The system includes a location detection (LD) transmitter that transmits first and second radio frequency signals in first and second formats, respectively. First and second LD receivers, respectively, receive the first and second signals and determine first and second information relating to a location of the LD transmitter. An LD server wirelessly receives the first and second information and calculates the location of the LD transmitter from one of the first and second information. The LD server may receive a signal indicating a preferred one of the first and second information and calculate the location from the preferred one of the first and second information.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a location detection (LD) transmitter, operable to transmit a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first format and a second RF signal in a second format;

a first LD receiver operable to;

receive the first RF signal from the LD transmitter; and

determine from the first RF signal first information relating to a location of the LD transmitter;

a second LD receiver operable to;

receive a second RF signal from the LD transmitter; and

determine from the second RF signal second information relating to the location of the LD transmitter; and

an LD server operable to;

receive the first information and second information wirelessly from the first LD receiver and second LD receiver, respectively; and

calculate the location of the LD transmitter from one of the first information and second information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the LD server is further operable to:

receive a signal indicating a preferred one of the first information and second information; and

calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the preferred one of the first information and second information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the LD server is further operable to calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the other one of the first information and second information in response to a failure to receive the preferred one of the first information and second information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the LD transmitter is further operable to transmit an identifier in at least one of the first RF signal and the second RF signal; and

the LD server is further operable to;

receive a signal indicating a preferred one of the first information and second information for the LD transmitter;

receive the identifier from at least one of the first LD receiver and second LD receiver; and

in response to the identifier, calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the preferred one of the first information and second information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the LD server is further operable to calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the other one of the first information and second information in response to a failure to receive the preferred one of the first information and second information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the LD server is further operable to receive the first information and second information wirelessly via a plurality of intermediate nodes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first format is one of Ultra Wide Band, ZigBee and WiFi and the second format is a different one of Ultra Wide Band, ZigBee and WiFi.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface; and

a location calculator, operable to;

receive via the network interface first information from a first location detection (LD) receiver, the first information relating to a location of an LD transmitter and determined from a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first RF format received from the LD transmitter;

receive via the network interface second information from a second LD receiver, the second information relating to the location of the LD transmitter and determined from a second RF signal in a second RF format received from the LD transmitter; and

calculate the location of the LD transmitter from one of the first information and second information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the location calculator is further operable to:

receive a signal via the network interface, the signal indicating a preferred one of the first information and second information; and

calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the preferred one of the first information and second information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location calculator is further operable to calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the other one of the first information and second information in response to a failure to receive the preferred one of the first information and second information.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the location calculator is further operable to:

receive a signal via the network interface, the signal indicating a preferred one of the first information and second information for the LD transmitter;

receive an identifier of the LD transmitter from at least one of the first LD receiver and second LD receiver; and

in response to the identifier, calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the preferred one of the first information and second information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the location calculator is further operable to calculate the location of the LD transmitter from the other one of the first information and second information in response to a failure to receive the preferred one of the first information and second information.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first format is one of Ultra Wide Band, ZigBee and WiFi and the second format is a different one of Ultra Wide Band, ZigBee and WiFi.

14. A method, comprising:

transmitting a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first format from a location detection (LD) transmitter;

transmitting a second RF signal in a second format from the LD transmitter;

receiving the first RF signal in a first LD receiver and determining from the first RF signal first information relating to a location of the LD transmitter;

receiving the second RF signal in a second LD receiver and determining from the second RF signal second information relating to the location of the LD transmitter;

receiving the first information and second information wirelessly in an LD server and calculating the location of the LD transmitter from one of the first information and second information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving in the LD server a signal indicating a preferred one of the first information and second information; and

calculating the location of the LD transmitter from the preferred one of the first information and second information.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising calculating the location of the LD transmitter from the other one of the first information and second information in response to a failure to receive the preferred one of the first information and second information.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting an identifier in at least one of the first RF signal and the second RF signal;

receiving in the LD server a signal indicating a preferred one of the first information and second information for the LD transmitter;

receiving in the LD server the identifier from at least one of the first LD receiver and second LD receiver; and

in response to the identifier, calculating the location of the LD transmitter from the preferred one of the first information and second information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising calculating the location of the LD transmitter from the other one of the first information and second information in response to a failure to receive the preferred one of the first information and second information.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the first information and second information wirelessly in an LD server further comprises receiving the first information and second information via a plurality of intermediate nodes.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first format is one of Ultra Wide Band, ZigBee and WiFi and the second format is a different one of Ultra Wide Band, ZigBee and WiFi.