Apparatus and Method for a Directional Finder
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing a determination of direction between an object and a user comprising:
- a first antenna having a first gain pattern;
a second antenna having a second gain pattern different than the first gain pattern of the first antenna, the first and second antenna being situated at or near a first location associated with either the user or object;
a third antenna for transmitting a location signal, the third antenna situated at a second location associated with the other one of either the user or object;
a circuit coupled to the first antenna and second antenna to determine field strengths of the location signal received at the first and second antennas and to determine by comparison of the received location signal at the first and second antennas a probable relative direction between the user and the object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a determination of direction to a remote object which omnidirectionally transmits a signal. The invention includes a handheld directional and omnidirectional antenna at a user'"'"'s location and a handheld circuit coupled to the antennas to determine field strengths of the signal received from the remote object by the two antennas. A comparison of the received signals at the antennas during a sweep a field of observation is made and a probable direction of the remote object relative to the user'"'"'s location is selected from the data sweep. The apparatus may further comprise a digital compass which generates a compass heading corresponding to each direction in which the directional antenna is pointed. The circuit stores field strength data by compass heading and averages the field strength data according to a predetermined protocol over compass headings.
19 Citations
41 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing a determination of direction between an object and a user comprising:
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a first antenna having a first gain pattern; a second antenna having a second gain pattern different than the first gain pattern of the first antenna, the first and second antenna being situated at or near a first location associated with either the user or object; a third antenna for transmitting a location signal, the third antenna situated at a second location associated with the other one of either the user or object; a circuit coupled to the first antenna and second antenna to determine field strengths of the location signal received at the first and second antennas and to determine by comparison of the received location signal at the first and second antennas a probable relative direction between the user and the object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for providing a determination of direction to a remote object which omnidirectionally transmits a signal comprising:
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a handheld directional antenna at a user'"'"'s location; a handheld digital compass which generates a compass heading corresponding to each direction in which the directional antenna is pointed; and a handheld circuit coupled to the directional antenna to determine field strengths of the signal received from the remote object by the directional antenna and to determine a probable direction of the remote object relative to the user'"'"'s location when the directional antenna sweeps a field of observation by storing field strength data by compass heading and averaging the field strength data according to a predetermined protocol over compass headings.
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22. A method for providing a determination of direction between an object and a user comprising:
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transmitting a location signal from a third antenna, the third antenna situated at a second location associated with the other one of either the user or object; receiving the location signal a first antenna having a first gain pattern; receiving the location signal at a second antenna having a second gain pattern different than the first gain pattern of the first antenna, the first and second antenna being situated at or near a first location associated with either the user or object; determining field strengths of the location signal received; determining a probable relative direction between the user and the object by comparison of the received location signal at the first antenna and second antenna. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An method for providing a determination of direction to a remote object which omnidirectionally transmits a location signal comprising:
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receiving a location signal with a handheld directional antenna at a user'"'"'s location; generating a compass heading corresponding to each direction in which the directional antenna is pointed; determining field strengths of the location signal received from the remote object by the directional antenna; and determining a probable direction of the remote object relative to the user'"'"'s location when the directional antenna sweeps a field of observation by storing field strength data by compass heading and averaging the field strength data according to a predetermined protocol over compass headings.
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Specification