CYCLING REFERENCE MULTIPLEXING RECEIVER SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A position tracking system for tracking a physical location of a radio-frequency (RF) transmitter, the position tracking system comprising:
- at least four RF receiver antennae disposed at known locations, each of the RF receiver antennae receiving RF signals from an RF transmitter, one of the RF receiver antennae being used as a reference RF receiver antenna;
a receiver channel unit in communication with the at least four RF receiver antennae, the receiver channel unit comprising a plurality of receiver channels including a reference receiver channel and a measurement receiver channel, the receiver channel unit further comprising a multiplexer dynamically configurable to selectively connect the reference receiver channel to the reference RF receiver antenna and to connect, in succession, each of the other RF receiver antennae to the measurement receiver channel, the receiver channel unit further comprising a comparator circuit for measuring phase differences between the RF signals received by the reference RF receiver antenna and the RF signals received by each of the other RF receiver antennae; and
a data processor computing the physical location of the RF transmitter from the phase differences measured by the comparator circuit and the known locations of the at least four RF receiver antennae.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A position tracking system for tracking a physical location of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter comprises at least four RF receiver antennae at known locations. Each receiver antenna receives RF signals from the RF transmitter. One receiver antenna is used as a reference antenna. A receiver channel unit is in communication with the RF receiver antennae. The receiver channel unit comprises a reference receiver channel and a measurement receiver channel. A multiplexer is dynamically configurable to selectively connect the reference receiver channel to the reference receiver antenna and to connect, in succession, each other receiver antenna to the measurement receiver channel. A comparator measures phase differences between the RF signals received by the reference antenna and those received by each other receiver antennae. A data processor computes the physical location of the RF transmitter from the phase differences measured by the comparator and the known locations of the receiver antennae.
51 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A position tracking system for tracking a physical location of a radio-frequency (RF) transmitter, the position tracking system comprising:
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at least four RF receiver antennae disposed at known locations, each of the RF receiver antennae receiving RF signals from an RF transmitter, one of the RF receiver antennae being used as a reference RF receiver antenna; a receiver channel unit in communication with the at least four RF receiver antennae, the receiver channel unit comprising a plurality of receiver channels including a reference receiver channel and a measurement receiver channel, the receiver channel unit further comprising a multiplexer dynamically configurable to selectively connect the reference receiver channel to the reference RF receiver antenna and to connect, in succession, each of the other RF receiver antennae to the measurement receiver channel, the receiver channel unit further comprising a comparator circuit for measuring phase differences between the RF signals received by the reference RF receiver antenna and the RF signals received by each of the other RF receiver antennae; and a data processor computing the physical location of the RF transmitter from the phase differences measured by the comparator circuit and the known locations of the at least four RF receiver antennae. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A radio-frequency (RF) receiver channel unit for tracking a physical location of an RF transmitter, the RF receiver channel unit comprising:
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a reference receiver channel including a RF receiver and demodulator; a measurement receiver channel including a RF receiver and demodulator; a multiplexer dynamically configurable to selectively connect the reference receiver channel to a reference RF receiver antenna and to connect, in succession, each of at least three other RF receiver antennae to the measurement receiver channel, wherein the RF receiver and demodulator of the reference receiver channel receives and demodulates RF signals transmitted by the RF transmitter and received by the reference RF receiver antenna, and wherein the RF receiver and demodulator of the measurement receiver channel, in succession, receives and demodulates RF signals transmitted by the RF transmitter and received by each of the at least three other RF receiver antennae; and a comparator circuit measuring phase differences between the RF signals received by the reference RF receiver antenna and the RF signals received by each of the three other RF receiver antennae. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for tracking a physical location of a radio-frequency (RF) transmitter, the method comprising:
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receiving RF signals from an RF transmitter by at least four RF receiver antennae disposed at known locations; dynamically selecting one of the at least four RF receiver antennae as a reference RF receiver antenna; connecting the selected reference RF receiver antenna to a reference receiver channel; connecting, one at a time, each of the other RF receiver antennae to a measurement receiver channel; measuring phase differences between the RF signals received by the reference RF receiver antenna and the RF signals received by each of the other RF receiver antennae; and computing the physical location of the RF transmitter from the measured phase differences and the known locations of the at least four RF receiver antennae. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification