TARGET LOCATION POSITIONING METHOD AND DEVICE

• US 20130214975A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iTrack LLC
• Original Assignee: iTrack LLC
• Inventors: SMID, G. EDZKO
• Application Number:
  US13/632,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214975A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/463
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning

Abstract

An inventive precision pinpoint tracking method and system is provided for devices that provide spot location measurements of objects. Embodiments of the location measuring device have a RF antenna, a tracking module in electrical communication with the RF antenna, and a tilt-compensated (TC) compass. In embodiments of the location measuring device, a measuring tip is offset at a distal end from the tracking module and the RF antenna is located at the proximal end of the tracking module. In embodiments, the TC compass provides data to calculate a translation of the position of the measuring tip with respect to the RF antenna to enable spot measurements of locations of a target object.

Claims

1. A location measuring device to enable spot measurements of a location of a target, said device comprising:

a RF antenna having an antenna position;

a tracking module in electrical communication with said RF antenna and a tilt-compensated (TC) compass;

a measuring tip having a tip position extending from said tracking module and said RF antenna located at the proximal end of said tracking module, said TC compass provides data to calculate a translation of the tip position with respect to the antenna position to enable the spot measurements of the locations of the target.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said measuring tip is offset at a distal end from said tracking module and said RF antenna with an extending wand or telescopic extension.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said tracking module and said tilt-compensated (TC) compass is located on or within said extending wand or telescopic extension.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said measuring tip corresponds to the crosshair intersection of two laser beams emanating from said tracking module.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the offset of said measuring tip is dynamically adjusted by altering the angles of said laser beams.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said tracking module further comprises at least one of a 3D accelerometer, a 3D compass, a 3D Gyroscopic sensor, a rechargeable battery, and a microcontroller with software.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said tracking module further comprises a user interface including one or more of a display, LED indicators, buttons, and an audio speaker.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a data storage memory.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising a wireless transceiver for communicating data of the locations.

10. A system for spot location measurements of objects, said system comprising:

at least three or more base stations;

a location measuring device of claim 1.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said tracking module communicates via said RF antenna with said at least three or more base stations to determine a location of said RF antenna.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least three or more base stations are formed in an ad hoc network communicating via high frequency ultra-wide bandwidth (UWB) wireless signals.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least three or more base stations form a mobile network.

14. A method for using the location measuring device of claim 1, said method comprising:

placing said measuring tip on an object to be positioned measured;

calculating a position of said RF antenna with at least three or more base stations; and

calculating a translation position of said measuring tip with respect to said RF antenna calculated position using said TC compass to enable spot measurements of locations of a target.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising data storage of the spot measurement of the locations of the target.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising wirelessly transferring the data storage to a remote storage.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising subsequently revisiting the target using the spot measurements of the locations.