POSITIONING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090111483A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ELTA Systems Limited (Government of Israel)
• Original Assignee: ELTA Systems Limited (Government of Israel)
• Inventors: Fiereizen, Moshe
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/20 using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for positioning a receiver, the system comprising an antenna array coupled to a common generating and switching unit. The generating and switching unit is configured to generate a periodic signal and to switch the signal between at least two antennas, constituting a positioning signal; such that an RF receiver receiving the positioning signal and having a phase difference estimator is capable to measure phase differences between portions of the positioning signal transmitted by the spaced-apart antennas, the phase differences indicating the orientation of the received relative to the positioning system.

Claims

1. A system for positioning a receiver, the system comprising am antenna array of at least two spaced-apart antennas coupled to a common generating and switching unit, said generating and switching unit is configured to generate a periodic signal and to switch the signal between at least two antennas, constituting a positioning signal;

such that an RF receiver receiving the positioning signal and having a phase difference estimator is capable to measure phase differences between portions of said positioning signal transmitted by said spaced-apart antennas, said phase differences indicating the orientation of the receiver relative to the positioning system.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said periodic signal includes portions having a first frequency and portions having a second frequency;

portions having the same frequency are switched between said at least two spaced-apart antennas.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said first frequency is in the range of about 1 GHz or more and the second frequency differ from said first frequency by about 1 MHz.

4. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said spaced-apart antennas are coupled to said generating and switching unit via substantially identical feed lines.

5. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said antenna array comprises four antennas in a tetrahedron form.

6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said position information includes information of a surface of a cone onto which located are the receiver and two of said at least two antennas.

7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said antenna array includes at least three antennas and said position information includes information about the orientation of said receiver with respect to said antenna array.

8. A system for positioning a receiver, the system comprising two spaced-apart antenna arrays coupled to at least one generating unit;

each antenna array comprises at least two spaced-apart antennas coupled to a common switching unit;

said common switching unit is coupled to said generating unit and is configured to switch the signal between said at least two antennas, constituting a positioning signal;

such that an RF receiver receiving said positioning signals transmitted by both antenna arrays and having a phase difference estimator is able to measure phase differences between portions of each of said positioning signals, said phase differences indicating position information of the receiver relative to the position of the antenna arrays.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said position information includes information about the orientation of said receiver with respect to said antenna array.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein said position information includes information about the position of said receiver.

11. A system for positioning a transponder, the system comprising an antenna array of at least two spaced-apart antennas coupled to a common generating and switching unit, said generating and switching unit is configured to generate a periodic signal and to switch the signal between said at least two antennas, constituting a positioning signal transmitted to the transponder and returned to the system;

the system comprises a phase difference estimator coupled to said antenna array and operable to measure phase differences between portions of the returned positioning signal;

the system further comprising a positioning utility coupled to said phase difference estimator and configured to determine the position of the transponder relative to the position of the system.

12. A method for positioning a receiver, the method comprising:

providing a periodic signal switched between at least two spaced-apart antennas of known locations coupled to a common generating and switching unit;

measuring phase differences between portions of said signal as received by said receiver; and

determining position information indicative of the position of the receiver relative to the location of said at least two antennas.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said position information includes information of a surface of a cone onto which located are the receiver and two of said at least two antennas.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein said position information includes information about the orientation of said receiver with respect to said antenna array.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein said periodic signal includes portions having a first frequency and portions having a second frequency;

portions having the same frequency are switched between said at least two spaced-apart antennas.

16. A positioning system as described in the appended text and drawings.

17. A positioning method as described in the appended text and drawings.