RADIO FREQUENCY TAG LOCATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A method for locating a radio frequency tag using spatially separated beacon nodes, said method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a plurality of beacon symbols from cyclically selected antennas of each of a plurality of beacon nodes;
receiving the plurality of beacon symbols at a radio frequency (RF) tag;
determining phase jumps of the plurality of beacon symbols received at the RF tag and the respective selected antennas transmitting each of the plurality of beacon symbols for each of the plurality of beacon nodes;
estimating an angle-of-arrival (AoA) of the plurality of beacon symbols transmitted from each of the plurality of beacon nodes;
estimating an AoA vector for each of the plurality of beacon nodes from the respective AoA estimates; and
estimating a spatial location of the RF tag from the AoA vectors.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Determination of the location and bearing of an asset having an RF-tag imbedded therein is accomplished through extended radio frequency triangulation. A beacon arrangement determines the direction of an RF tag from a specially designed beacon node. RF-tag localization is further improved by repeating this measurement from multiple spatially displaced beacon nodes. The beacon nodes are equipped with multiple strategically located antennas and transmit frames with each symbol cyclically switched to a different antenna. The symbols traveling different distances result in phase shifts within the frame received by the RF-tag. From the phase shifts and the known arrangements of the antennas the angle at which the RF-tag is RF visible from the specific beacon node can be estimated. Determination of the signal phase shifts are part of the baseband processing hardware, the rest of the location determination procedure may be realized in software.
19 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method for locating a radio frequency tag using spatially separated beacon nodes, said method comprising the steps of:
-
transmitting a plurality of beacon symbols from cyclically selected antennas of each of a plurality of beacon nodes; receiving the plurality of beacon symbols at a radio frequency (RF) tag; determining phase jumps of the plurality of beacon symbols received at the RF tag and the respective selected antennas transmitting each of the plurality of beacon symbols for each of the plurality of beacon nodes; estimating an angle-of-arrival (AoA) of the plurality of beacon symbols transmitted from each of the plurality of beacon nodes; estimating an AoA vector for each of the plurality of beacon nodes from the respective AoA estimates; and estimating a spatial location of the RF tag from the AoA vectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for locating a radio frequency tag using spatially separated beacon nodes, said method comprising the steps of:
-
transmitting a plurality of beacon symbols from an antenna of a radio frequency (RF) tag; receiving the plurality of beacon symbols on cyclically selected antennas of each of a plurality of beacon nodes; determining phase jumps of the plurality of beacon symbols transmitted from the RF tag and the respective selected antennas receiving each of the plurality of beacon symbols for each of the plurality of beacon nodes; estimating an angle-of-arrival (AoA) of the plurality of beacon symbols received at each of the plurality of beacon nodes; estimating AoA vectors of each of the plurality of beacon nodes from the AoA estimates; and estimating a spatial location of the RF tag from the AoA vectors. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification