Network Location and Synchronization of Peer Sensor Stations in a Wireless Geolocation Network
First Claim
1. A system for geo-locating transmitters of interest using a network of geographically dispersed sensor stations, said network of geographically dispersed sensor stations including reference sensor stations and one or more blind sensor stations, comprising:
- a plurality of sensor stations, wherein at least three sensor stations are at a known location and are synchronized with a reference clock, said at least three sensor stations being useful as reference sensor stations;
a central node configured to control the sensor stations; and
a backhaul communications network configured to permit wireless communications among the sensor stations and central node;
wherein the system is configured to employ said backhaul communications network and reference sensor stations for synchronization and geo-location of one or more blind sensor stations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Transmitters are located with a network of sensors by measuring signal characteristics at multiple known locations and processing these measurements at a central node. The sensors communicate their location to the central node along with measured characteristics of the transmitter'"'"'s signal, and may be required to synchronize with other sensors. Often, GNSS receivers are utilized to locate and synchronize the sensors. However, the GNSS signals may be attenuated by obstructions. In this case, the sensors determine their location by making ranging measurements with sensors that can receive the GNSS signals. The waveform for the wireless backhaul permits this ranging. Additionally, many sensors can determine their location and time synchronize with the geolocation network through reception of signals from other sensors even if they do not have a direct connection to sensors that know their location and are time synchronized.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for geo-locating transmitters of interest using a network of geographically dispersed sensor stations, said network of geographically dispersed sensor stations including reference sensor stations and one or more blind sensor stations, comprising:
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a plurality of sensor stations, wherein at least three sensor stations are at a known location and are synchronized with a reference clock, said at least three sensor stations being useful as reference sensor stations; a central node configured to control the sensor stations; and a backhaul communications network configured to permit wireless communications among the sensor stations and central node; wherein the system is configured to employ said backhaul communications network and reference sensor stations for synchronization and geo-location of one or more blind sensor stations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for geo-locating transmitters of interest using a network of geographically dispersed sensor stations, said network of geographically dispersed sensor stations including reference sensor stations and one or more blind sensor station, comprising:
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determining the locations of at least three sensor stations and synchronizing said at least three sensor stations with a reference clock, said at least three sensor stations being useful as reference sensor stations; employing wireless communications via a backhaul wireless communications network to synchronize and geo-locate at least one blind sensor station, said wireless communications including broadcast by said reference sensor stations of a wireless communications waveform that is received by the at least one blind sensor station and used for synchronization and geo-location; and geo-locating at least one transmitter of interest using the network of geographically dispersed sensor stations, including the at least one blind sensor station. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for geo-locating transmitters of interest using a network of geographically dispersed sensor stations, said network of geographically dispersed sensor stations including reference sensor stations and at least one deficient sensor station, wherein the deficient sensor station is at an unknown location, is not synchronized with the reference sensor stations, and does not have a radio connection to three or more reference sensor stations, comprising:
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determining the locations of at least three sensor stations and synchronizing said at least three sensor stations with a reference clock, said at least three sensor stations being useful as reference sensor stations; and employing wireless communications via a backhaul wireless communications network to synchronize and geo-locate a first deficient sensor station, said wireless communications including broadcast by said reference sensor stations of a wireless communications waveform that is received by the first deficient sensor station and used for synchronization and geo-location. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification