Voting method of locating mobile objects
First Claim
1. A method of determining a location of a mobile object within a monitored area using many signposts positioned in subareas of the monitored area wherein signposts are capable of communicating with the mobile object, and wherein each signpost transmits a coded signal identifying the subarea that the signpost is positioned in, and wherein at least two signposts are positioned in a same subarea and transmit a same coded signal identifying the same subarea, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining which signposts are in range of the mobile object;
for each subarea, counting a number of signposts that transmit the coded signal identifying said subarea and that are in range of the mobile object, wherein said counting is capable of determining a total greater than one; and
determining the location of the mobile object as being within one of said subareas having a said number of signposts greater than or equal to said number for any other subarea.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to a system and method for locating mobile objects. The system includes many signposts positioned within a monitored area and many mobile objects. The monitored area is subdivided into subareas. Many signposts are positioned in each subarea. Each signpost transmits a vote signal having encoded therein a subarea code identifying the subarea that the signpost is positioned in. The mobile objects receive the vote signals and detect the subarea codes encoded therein. The location of a mobile object is determined to be one of these subareas having a maximum count of signposts that are positioned in that subarea and that are in range of the mobile object.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of determining a location of a mobile object within a monitored area using many signposts positioned in subareas of the monitored area wherein signposts are capable of communicating with the mobile object, and wherein each signpost transmits a coded signal identifying the subarea that the signpost is positioned in, and wherein at least two signposts are positioned in a same subarea and transmit a same coded signal identifying the same subarea, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining which signposts are in range of the mobile object; for each subarea, counting a number of signposts that transmit the coded signal identifying said subarea and that are in range of the mobile object, wherein said counting is capable of determining a total greater than one; and determining the location of the mobile object as being within one of said subareas having a said number of signposts greater than or equal to said number for any other subarea. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of determining a location of a mobile object within a monitored area using many signposts positioned in subareas of the monitored area wherein each signpost transmits a vote signal, wherein at least two signposts are positioned in a same subarea and transmit a same vote signal, and wherein each mobile object is capable of receiving said vote signals, the method comprising the steps of:
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encoding in said vote signal of each said signpost a subarea code identifying the subarea the signpost is positioned in; detecting the subarea code encoded in the vote signals received at the mobile object; for each subarea code for which a vote signal having that subarea code encoded therein was received at a mobile object, counting a number of vote signals received at the mobile object and having that subarea code encoded therein; and determining the location of the mobile object as being within one of the subareas having the maximum said number of vote signals. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method of determining a location of mobile objects within a monitored area using many signposts positioned in subareas of the monitored area wherein each signpost is capable of transmitting a vote signal and wherein each mobile object is capable of receiving the vote signals, and wherein each mobile object is capable of transmitting a polling signal and wherein each signpost is capable of receiving the polling signals, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting from the mobile object a polling signal; in response to receiving a first polling signal at a signpost, transmitting from the signpost a vote signal having encoded therein a subarea code identifying the subarea the signpost is positioned in; in response to receiving a vote signal at a mobile object, detecting the subarea code encoded within the vote signal; for each subarea code, counting a number of vote signals having that subarea code and received at the mobile object in a mobile object polling period that starts at the time of transmission of said polling signal and that ends a predetermined duration thereafter; and determining the location of the mobile object as being within one of the subareas with the maximum said number of vote signals. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification