Remote object position and orientation locator

• US 4,346,384 A
• Filed: 06/30/1980
• Issued: 08/24/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chittenden Bank (People's United Financial Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Austin Company (Kajima Corporation)
• Inventors: Raab, Frederick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US06/164,783
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 343/112 R, 364/449, 364/460, 324/244
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00

Abstract

Apparatus for determining the position and orientation of a remote object relative to a reference coordinate frame is disclosed. A plurality of radiating means having orthogonal components are centered about the origin of the reference coordinate frame. Means are provided for applying to the radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic fields are multiplexed and thus are distinguishable from one another. A plurality of receiving means are disposed on the remote object, the receiving means having orthogonal components for detecting and measuring components of the electromagnetic fields. The radiating means and receiving means are separated by a distance sufficiently large to insure that the far-field components of the electromagnetic fields are substantially greater in magnitude than the near-field components of the electro-magnetic fields. Analyzing means is provided for converting in a non-iterative manner the received components of the electromagnetic fields into remote object position and orientation relative to the reference coordinate frame with at most one ambiguous combinations of orientation and position. The processing speed and the complexity of either the receiver of transmitter is reduced by providing one of the radiating means and receiving means with only two orthogonal components and the other with three orthogonal components.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining the position and orientation of a remote object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:

a plurality of radiating means having orthogonal components centered about the origin of said reference coordinate frame;

transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said plurality of electromagnetic fields being distinguishable from one another;

a plurality of receiving means disposed on said remote object, said receiving means having orthogonal components for detecting and measuring the received components of said electromagnetic fields;

one of said plurality of radiating means and said plurality of receiving means consisting of only two orthogonal components;

said radiating means and said receiving means being adapted for operation at a separation distance sufficient to insure that the far-field components of said electromagnetic fields are substantially greater in magnitude from the nearfield components of said electromagnetic fields; and

analyzing means associated with said receiving means for non-iteratively converting the received components of said electromagnetic fields into remote object position and orientation relative to said reference coordinate frame with at least one ambiguous combination of orientation and position, said analyzing means operating open loop with respect to said radiating means.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said radiating means and said receiving means is a mutually orthogonal, electric-dipole antenna.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the difference between said electromagnetic fields is selected from a group including time, frequency, phase and spread spectrum multiplexing of said electrical signals.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said analyzing means is physically remote from said receiving means and said analyzing means and said receiving means are coupled by electromagnetic radiation.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said analyzing means includes:

means for determining the power radiated from said radiating means;

means for determining the power received by said receiving means; and

means for determining the distance of said object from said reference coordinate frame by comparing said power radiated to said power received.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said electrical signals further include information selected from the group of transmitter identification, electromagnetic field distortion corrections, locations of obstacles, location of a landing site relative to said radiating means and wind direction.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a monitor station at a fixed location spaced from said radiating means having receiving means for detecting said radiated electromagnetic fields and being coupled to said transmitting means for providing feedback to said transmitting means characterizing said transmitted fields.

8. Apparatus for determining the position and orientation of a remote object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:

a plurality of radiating means having orthogonal components centered about the origin of said reference coordinate frame;

transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said plurality of electromagnetic fields being distinguishable from one another;

said electrical signals being applied to radiating means consisting of only two excitation states;

a plurality of receiving means disposed on said remote object, said receiving means having orthogonal components for detecting and measuring the received components of said electromagnetic fields;

said radiating means and said receiving means being adapted for operation at a separation distance sufficient to insure that the far-field components of said electromagnetic fields are substantially greater in magnitude from the nearfield components of said electromagnetic fields; and

analyzing means associated with said receiving means for non-iteratively converting the received components of said electromagnetic fields into remote object position and orientation relative to said reference coordinate frame with at least one ambiguous combination of orientation and position, said analyzing means operating open loop with respect to said radiating means.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said coverting means also converts the received components of said electromagnetic fields into object position coordinates relative to said reference coordinate frame.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein each of said radiating means and said receiving means is a mutually orthogonal, electric-dipole antenna.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein the difference between said electrical signals is selected from a group including time, frequency, phase and spread spectrum multiplexing.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said converting means further includes:

means for determining the strength of said electromagnetic fields radiated from said radiating means;

means for determining the strength of said electromagnetic fields received by said receiving means; and

means for determining the distance of said object from said reference coordinate frame by comparing transmitted and received electromagnetic fields and determining their attenuation.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 8 further comprising a monitor station at a fixed location spaced from said radiating means having receiving means for detecting said radiated electromagnetic field and being coupled to said transmitting means for providing feedback to said transmitting means characterizing said transmitted field.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said electrical signal further includes information selected from the group of transmitter identification, electromagnetic field distortion corrections, locations of obstacles, location of a landing site relative to said radiating means and wind direction.

15. Apparatus for determining the position and orientation of an object with respect to a reference coordinate frame comprising:

a plurality of mutually orthogonal, electric-dipole radiating means located at the origin of said reference coordinate frame for radiating a plurality of electromagnetic fields;

means for applying to each of said radiating means a time division multiplexed electrical signal, thereby creating distinguishable electromagnetic fields associated with each of said radiating means;

a plurality of mutually orthogonal, electric-dipole receiving means mounted to said object for detecting and measuring the received components of said electromagnetic fields, each of said plurality of receiving means having a characteristic signal associated with each of said radiating means;

one of said plurality of radiating means and said plurality of receiving means consisting of only two orthogonal components;

said radiating means and said receiving means being adapted for operation at a separation distance sufficient to insure that the far-field components of said electromagnetic fields are substantially greater in magnitude from the near-field components of said electromagnetic fields; and

means for converting the received components of said electromagnetic fields into object position and orientation relative to said reference coordinate frame, orientation being determined in a non-iterative manner, said converting means operating open loop with respect to said radiating means and including means for determining the distance of said object from said radiating means by comparing the strength of the transmitted and received electromagnetic fields.

16. Apparatus for determining the position and orientation of an object with respect to a reference coordinate frame comprising:

a plurality of mutually orthogonal, electric-dipole radiating means located at the origin of said reference coordinate frame for radiating a plurality of electromagnetic fields;

means for applying to each of said radiating means a time division multiplexed electrical signal, thereby creating distinguishable electromagnetic fields associated with each of said radiating means;

said time division multiplexed signals being applied to said radiating means consisting of only two excitation states;

a plurality of mutually orthogonal, electric-dipole receiving means mounted to said object for detecting and measuring the received components of said electromagnetic fields, each of said plurality of receiving means having a characteristic signal associated with each of said radiating means;

said radiating means and said receiving means being adapted for operation at a separation distance sufficient to insure that the far-field components of said electromagnetic fields are substantially greater in magnitude from the near-field components of said electromagnetic fields; and

means for converting the received components of said electromagnetic fields into object position and orientation relative to said reference coordinate frame, orientation being determined in a non-iterative manner, said converting means operating open loop with respect to said radiating means and including means for determining the distance of said object from said radiating means by comparing the strength of the transmitted and received electromagnetic fields.