Ranging system and method for determining the range of a vehicle from a plurality of reference points
First Claim
1. A system for determining the range from a vehicle to a plurality of reference points, comprisinga reference transmitter for transmitting a timing pulse;
- a mobile transceiver located on the vehicle for receiving the timing pulse and for transmitting a ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency in response to the timing pulse, and for receiving ranging response signal pulses modulated on RF carriers having the given frequency;
a plurality of reference transponders, one of which is located at each of the plurality of reference points for receiving the timing pulse and the ranging interrogation signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency and for responding thereto by transmitting a ranging response signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency during an interval that is discrete from the intervals during which ranging response signal pulses are transmitted from the other reference transponders, wherein within a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse, a single ranging interrogation signal pulse is followed by a sequence of the discrete ranging response signal pulses; and
processing means located on the vehicle for determining and processing the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the transmitted ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the range from the vehicle to the individual reference points.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for determining the range from a vehicle to a plurality of reference points. In one system a mobile transceiver is located on the vehicle for transmitting a ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency in response to a timing pulse and for receiving ranging response signal pulses modulated on RF carriers having the given frequency. A plurality of reference transponders are individually located at each of the plurality of reference points for receiving the timing pulse and the ranging interrogation signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency and for responding thereto by transmitting a ranging response signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency during an interval that is discrete from the intervals during which ranging response signal pulses are transmitted from the other reference transponders. Within a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse, a single ranging interrogation signal pulse is followed by a sequence of discrete ranging response signal pulses. A data processor determines and processes the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the transmitted ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the range from the vehicle to individual reference points, and processes the range determinations to determine the position of the vehicle by multilateration. The mobile transceiver, transponders, and transmitter each include an RF transmitter having a modulator circuit for modulating an RF carrier signal to have a predetermined shape envelope determined by the shape of a modulating signal.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system for determining the range from a vehicle to a plurality of reference points, comprising
a reference transmitter for transmitting a timing pulse; -
a mobile transceiver located on the vehicle for receiving the timing pulse and for transmitting a ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency in response to the timing pulse, and for receiving ranging response signal pulses modulated on RF carriers having the given frequency; a plurality of reference transponders, one of which is located at each of the plurality of reference points for receiving the timing pulse and the ranging interrogation signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency and for responding thereto by transmitting a ranging response signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency during an interval that is discrete from the intervals during which ranging response signal pulses are transmitted from the other reference transponders, wherein within a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse, a single ranging interrogation signal pulse is followed by a sequence of the discrete ranging response signal pulses; and processing means located on the vehicle for determining and processing the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the transmitted ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the range from the vehicle to the individual reference points. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A ranging system, comprising
a reference transmitter located at one of a plurality of reference points for transmitting a timing pulse and a first ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency; -
a mobile receiver located on a first vehicle for receiving the timing pulse, ranging response signal pulses and the first ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on RF carriers having the given frequency, wherein the response signal pulses and the first interrogation signal pulse are received in a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse; a mobile transceiver located on a second vehicle for receiving the timing pulse and for transmitting a second ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency in response to the timing pulse, and for receiving ranging response signal pulses modulated on RF carriers having the given frequency, wherein the second interrogation signal pulse is transmitted and the response signal pulses are received in a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse that is discrete from the given time slot in which the first interrogation signal pulse and the ranging response signal pulses are received by the mobile receiver; a plurality of reference transponders, one of which is located at each of a plurality of the reference points for receiving the timing pulse and a said ranging interrogation signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency and for responding thereto by transmitting a ranging response signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency during an interval that is discrete from the intervals during which ranging response signal pulses are transmitted from the other reference transponders, wherein within a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse, a single ranging interrogation signal pulse is followed by a sequence of the discrete ranging response signal pulses; first processing means located on the first vehicle for determining and processing the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the received first ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the differences in range from the first vehicle to the individual reference points; and second processing means located on the second vehicle for determining and processing the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the transmitted second ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the range from the second vehicle to the individual reference points. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A system for determining the differences in range from a vehicle to a plurality of reference points, comprising
a reference transmitter located at one of the reference points for transmitting a timing pulse and a ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency; -
a mobile receiver located on the vehicle for receiving the timing pulse, ranging response signal pulses, and the ranging interrogation signal pulse modulated on RF carriers having the given frequency; a plurality of reference transponders, one of which is located at each of the other reference points for receiving the timing pulse and the ranging interrogation signal pulse on a carrier having the given frequency and for responding thereto by transmitting a ranging response signal on a carrier having the given frequency during an interval that is discrete from the intervals during which ranging response signal pulses are transmitted from the other reference transponders, wherein within a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse a single ranging interrogation signal pulse is followed by a sequence of the discrete ranging response signal pulses; and processing means located on the vehicle for determining and processing the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the received ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the differences in range from the vehicle to the individual reference points. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for determining the position of a vehicle in relation to a plurality of reference points, comprising the steps of
transmitting a timing pulse; -
transmitting a ranging interrogation signal pulse from the vehicle in response to the timing pulse wherein the interrogation signal pulse is modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency; receiving the timing pulse and the ranging interrogation signal pulse at each of the plurality of reference points and responding thereto by transmitting a ranging response signal pulse modulated on an RF carrier having the given frequency during an interval that is discrete from the intervals during which ranging response signal pulses are transmitted from the other reference points, wherein within a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse, a single ranging interrogation signal pulse is followed by a sequence of the discrete ranging response signal pulses; receiving the ranging response signal pulses at the vehicle; determining and processing the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the transmitted ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the range from the vehicle to the individual reference points. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for determining the differences in range from a vehicle in relation to a plurality of reference points, comprising the steps of
transmitting a timing pulse and a ranging interrogation signal pulse from one of the reference points, wherein the ranging interrogation signal pulse is modulated on an RF carrier having a given frequency; -
receiving the timing pulse and the ranging interrogation signal pulse at each of the other reference points and responding thereto by transmitting a ranging response signal modulated on an RF carrier having the given frequency during an interval that is discrete from the intervals during which ranging response signal pulses are transmitted from the other reference points, wherein within a given time slot in relation to the timing pulse, a single ranging interrogation signal pulse is followed by a sequence of the discrete ranging response signal pulses; and receiving the ranging response signal pulses at the vehicle; receiving the ranging interrogation signal pulses at the vehicle; and determining and processing the phase of the received ranging response signal pulses in relation to the received ranging interrogation signal pulse to determine the differences in range from the vehicle to the individual reference points. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification