LOCATION SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH A FIBER OPTIC LINK
First Claim
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1. A wireless TDOA location system comprising:
- at least one wireless transmitter operable to transmit wireless signals;
a plurality of receivers operable to receive and to estimate a time-of-arrival (TOA) of the wireless signals received from said at least one wireless transmitter;
at least a pair of fiber optic links, wherein each fiber optic link couples an antenna to a respective one of the plurality of receivers, the antenna operable to receive the wireless signal from said at least one transmitter;
a synchronizing device to time synchronize the plurality of receivers with a common timing signal; and
processing device coupled to the plurality of receivers, and operable to calculate a location of the at least one wireless transmitter location based on the TOA of the wireless signals received.
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Abstract
A TDOA (time difference of arrival) location system, in which mobile wireless devices broadcast wireless signals which are received by two or more transceivers deployed in the vicinity of the mobile wireless device. Each transceiver measures the TOA (time of arrival) of the received broadcasted signal and reports the TOA to a central server. The central server then calculates the mobile device position using multi-lateration of TDOA values. The system uses fiber optic links between the antennas and the transceivers deployed in the location area to provide unique advantages that couldn'"'"'t be achieved using RF coaxial cables.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A wireless TDOA location system comprising:
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at least one wireless transmitter operable to transmit wireless signals; a plurality of receivers operable to receive and to estimate a time-of-arrival (TOA) of the wireless signals received from said at least one wireless transmitter; at least a pair of fiber optic links, wherein each fiber optic link couples an antenna to a respective one of the plurality of receivers, the antenna operable to receive the wireless signal from said at least one transmitter; a synchronizing device to time synchronize the plurality of receivers with a common timing signal; and processing device coupled to the plurality of receivers, and operable to calculate a location of the at least one wireless transmitter location based on the TOA of the wireless signals received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 36)
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11. An apparatus in a wireless TDOA location system comprising:
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a first wireless receiver operable to receive and estimate a first time-of-arrival (TOA) of wireless signals received from at least one wireless transmitter; a first antenna operable to receive the wireless signal transmitted from the at least one transmitter and wherein the antenna is located at a distance from the first wireless receiver and attached to the first wireless receiver with a fiber optic link; a timing source providing a common timing signal to time synchronize the first wireless receiver to a plurality of wireless receivers; and a processor to calculate the wireless transmitter location using the TOA. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A fiber optic link for use in a wireless location system, the fiber optic link connected between an apparatus and an antenna, the antenna physically separate from the apparatus, wherein the apparatus operable to receive and to estimate the time-of-arrival (TOA) of wireless signals received from at least one wireless transmitter, wherein the fiber optic link comprising:
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a fiber optic cable; a local unit at least comprising an RF-fiber transponder connecting between the apparatus and the fiber optic cable; and a remote unit at least comprising an RF-fiber transponder connecting between the antenna and the fiber optic cable; wherein the remote unit further comprises means to send back through the fiber optic link, signals transmitted by the apparatus, wherein the signals sent back are received by the apparatus; wherein the apparatus comprising means to calculate the round trip time of the transmitted and received back signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of locating a wireless transmitter using a wireless TDOA location system comprising:
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transmitting wireless signals from at least one wireless transmitter; receiving the wireless signals by a plurality of receivers; estimating a time-of-arrival (TOA) of the wireless signals received by the receivers, wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers comprising an antenna physically separate from the at least one receiver, the antenna operable to receive the wireless signal, wherein the antenna is connected to the at last one receiver with a fiber optic link, wherein the at least one of said plurality of receivers comprising an antenna physically separate and connected to said receiver with a fiber optic link is physically close to at least one another receiver from said plurality of receivers, and synchronizing the plurality of receivers by a common timing signal; and sending the TOA values by the receivers to a processor, the processor operable to calculate the transmitter location based on the TOA values. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification