ULTRASONIC TRACKING AND LOCATING SYSTEM

• US 3,696,384 A
• Filed: 07/08/1971
• Issued: 10/03/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intersonics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Robert W. Lester
• Inventors: Lester, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US05/160,851
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 340/311,312,152T,258,16,171 343/6.5 181/.5AG,.5T,.5ED,.5SH,.5J
• US Class Current: 367/199
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/66 Sonar tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/74 Systems using reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/91 Portable sonar devices

Abstract

An ultrasonic tracking and locating system in which an identification code number is programmed on a console keyboard to activate an encoder which transmits a plurality of coded pulses to a plurality of transceiver units located in the rooms of a building where surveillance is desired. A transducer in the transceiver transmits a coded, ultrasonic digital signal which is dispersed throughout the room. Portable pocket unit transceivers carried by persons to be located receive the transmitted ultrasonic signals and decode the signals to determine if they correspond to the pocket unit'"'"''"'"'s identification code. If the signal corresponds to the pre-programmed code, the pocket unit transmits a single ultrasonic pulse which is received by the room transceiver and is transmitted back to the console, where a display converter activates a digital readout display to provide a visual, numerical indication of the location of the person.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic tracking and locating system, comprising;

means for generating a coded sequence of digital pulses, the combination of said pulses being identified with a particular object or person to be located, first transceiver means coupled to said generating means and responsive to said digital pulses, for generating a plurality of corresponding, digitally coded ultrasonic signals, second transceiver means for receiving said digital ultrasonic signals, including a digital signal decoder, tuned to a predetermined digital code, for decoding said ultrasonic signals, and transmission means responsive to said digital decoder, for transmitting at least one ultrasonic pulse in response to the reception of the ultrasonic signal whose coded sequence corresponds to the code to which said decoder is tuned, said first transceiver means receiving said ultrasonic pulse and generating a corresponding digital pulse for identifying the location of said first transceiver, and means responsive to said digital pulse for indicating the location of the person or object desired.

2. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said generating means comprises;

a keyboard having a plurality of manually activated keys, each representing a selected numerical digit for enabling the identification code of a particular person or object to be entered therein, and a digital encoder coupled to said keyboard for generating a coded sequence of pulses representing the person'"'"''"'"'s or object'"'"''"'"'s identification number.

3. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first transceiver means comprises;

a first transducer for generating said digitally coded ultrasonic signals in response to said sequence of coded pulses generated by said generating means, an oscillator coupled to said first transducer and responsive to said generating means, so that said first transducer generates said plurality of ultrasonic digital signals, a second transducer for receiving said ultrasonic pulse transmitted by said second transceiver means, and means coupled to said second transducer for receiving and amplifying said ultrasonic pulse and transmitting said corresponding digital pulse to said indicating means.

4. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 3, wherein said first and second transducers are piezoelectric crystals.

5. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second transceiver means comprises;

a transducer for receiving and transmitting ultrasonic signals;

means for receiving and amplifying said digitally coded ultrasonic signals generated by said first transceiver means;

a digital decoder coupled to said receiving and amplifying means for generating an output signal in response to a received ultrasonic signal having a sequence of pulses corresponding to said predetermined digital code, and an oscillator coupled to said transducer so that said transducer transmits at least one ultrasonic pulse in response to the reception of a signal corresponding to said predetermined code.

6. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 5, wherein said second transceiver means further comprises a battery for supplying DC power to said receiving means, a decoder coupled to said receiving means, an oscillator coupled to said decoder and transducer, and a time delay, mercury switch, coupled to said battery and said receiving means, having an attitude sensor for sensing the vertical and horizontal position of said second transceiver means and automatically disconnecting said battery from said receiving means when said transceiver is disposed in a horizontal position and connecting said battery to said receiving means when said transceiver is disposed in a vertical position.

7. THe ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 6, wherein said transducer is a piezoelectric crystal.

8. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said indicating means comprises;

means for converting said digital pulse generated by said first transceiver means to an electrical signal identifying the location of said generating first transceiver means, and a digital readout, having a plurality of numerical digits disposed therein for numerically indicating the location of said generating first transceiver means, said second transceiver means, and the person or object to be located.

9. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said indicating means comprises;

means for converting said digital pulse generated by said first transceiver means to an electrical signal identifying the location of said generating first transceiver means, information storage means for storing the identification code number and name of the persons or objects to be located, and CRT display means coupled to said information storage means and said conversion means for displaying the numerical location of said generating first transceiver means, said second transceiver means transmitting said ultrasonic pulse, and the person or object to be located.

10. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 9, wherein said CRT display means displays the identification number, name and location of the person or object to be located.

11. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 9, wherein said CRT display means displays the floor plan of a selected location in a building, and the identification numbers of the persons or objects to be located, said numbers being disposed on said display means in a position corresponding to the actual location of the person or object to be located.

12. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first transceiver means is coupled to said generating means and said indicating means by a plurality of telephone wires.

13. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first transceiver means and said generating means are coupled together by 115 volt 60 cycle transmission wires, and further comprising a carrier current transmission means coupled to said generating means for transmitting said sequence of digital pulses over said wires to said first transceiver means, said transceiver means being coupled to wall outlet receptacles for receiving digital pulses generated by said generating means.

14. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for activating said generating means and said first and second transceiver means continuously in successive cycles, said indicating means operating in synchronization with said generating means and said first and second transceiver means, for automatically providing in successive cycles the location of the person or object desired.

15. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

a plurality of telephone extensions coupled to said generating means, means coupled to said telephone extensions for activating said generating means in response to the dialing of the identification number of a person or object to be located, and means for automatically connecting the telephone line on which said identification number is dialed to a telephone located near said first transceiver means generating said digital pulse and ringing said telephone.

16. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

at least one remote first transceiver means coupled to said generating means for generating a plurality of digitally coded ultrasonic signals in a location remote from said generating means, and a digital encoder coupled to said remote first transceiver means for receivIng a single digital pulse transmitted by said remote first transceiver means in response to a second transceiver means located in said remote location, converting said pulse to a digital serial pulse train, and transmitting said pulse train to said indicating means and thereby providing an indication of the remote location of the person or object desired.

17. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 16, wherein said encoder and said remote first transceiver means are coupled to said indicating means and said generating means by telephone wires.

18. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

RF transmission and receiving means for transmitting said coded pulses generated by said generating means and for receiving radio coded signals from remote locations, at least one remote first transceiver means for generating said plurality of coded pulses in a remote location, remote receiving means for receiving the RF transmission of said pulses generated by said generating means, a remote pulser coupled to said remote RF receiving means for relaying said received sequence of pulses to said remote transceiver means, a remote digital encoder for converting a single pulse response transmitted from said remote first transceiver means into a digital serial pulse train, and remote RF transmission means for transmitting said pulse train to said indicating means and thereby providing an indication of the location of the person or object desired.

19. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

RF transmission means and receiving means for transmitting said coded pulses generated by said generating means and receiving radio coded signals from a remote location, at least one remote first transceiver means for generating said plurality of digitally coded ultrasonic signals in the remote location, remote RF receiving means for receiving said radio coded signals from said RF receiving and transmission means, remote generating means and indicating means for generating said plurality of coded digital pulses and providing an indication of the location of the person or object desired, a TV camera focused on said indicating means provided on said remote console, for converting said indication of the location of the person or object desired into an electrical signal, and remote RF transmission means coupled to said TV camera for transmitting said electrical signals to said indicating means, so that said indicating means indicates the remote location of the person or object to be located.

20. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

at least one remote first transceiver means coupled to said generating means for generating a plurality of said digital ultrasonic signals in a remote location, remote generating and indicating means coupled to said first transceiver means for generating said digital coded pulses and providing an indication of the location of the person or object to be located at the remote location, a closed circuit TV camera focused on said remote indicating means for converting said indication of the remote location of the person or object to be located an electrical signal, and a closed circuit TV receiver coupled to said TV camera for receiving said electrical signals generated by said camera and transmitting said signals to said indicating means and thereby providing an indication of the remote location of the person or object to be located.

21. The ultrasonic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 20, wherein said remote first transceiver means and said closed circuit TV camera are coupled to said generating means and said closed circuit TV receiver respectively by a plurality of telephone wires.