Method and system for monitoring vehicle location
First Claim
1. A method for locating mobile objects within a predetermined search space, said method comprising:
- transmitting at least two reference transmissions from spaced-apart locations, each transmission including (1) an omnidirectional initialization signal followed by (2) a positioning signal having a sweeping null;
each said mobile object receiving the reference transmissions and measuring elapsed time between detection of the initialization signal and detection of the null in the positioning signal, said elapsed time corresponding to the relative angle between the location of the transmission and the object; and
determining the position of each object based on comparison of each said relative angle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Multiple vehicles located within a predefined search space are located and tracked using at least two spaced-apart transmitters. Each transmitter can broadcast an omnidirectional initialization signal and a positioning signal having a null or break in its wavefront. By rotating the positioning signal, the null will sweep the predefined search space and by detecting both the initialization signal and the null in the positioning signal, the position of each vehicle can be determined. In the preferred embodiment, the locational information from each vehicle is collected at a central location, typically in a data acquisition system or controller. In the particularly preferred embodiment, the locational information is further relied on to provide for command information for feedback control of the vehicles.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A method for locating mobile objects within a predetermined search space, said method comprising:
-
transmitting at least two reference transmissions from spaced-apart locations, each transmission including (1) an omnidirectional initialization signal followed by (2) a positioning signal having a sweeping null; each said mobile object receiving the reference transmissions and measuring elapsed time between detection of the initialization signal and detection of the null in the positioning signal, said elapsed time corresponding to the relative angle between the location of the transmission and the object; and determining the position of each object based on comparison of each said relative angle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A system for locating mobile objects within a predefined space, said system comprising:
-
at least two spaced-apart transmitters, each transmitter capable of transmitting a reference transmission including (1) an omnidirectional initialization signal followed by (2) a positioning signal having a sweeping null; a receiver on each mobile object capable of receiving the reference transmissions and measuring the elapsed time between the initialization signal and the null in the positioning signal, said elapsed time corresponding to the relative angle between the transmitter and the object; and means for determining the position of each object based on each said relative angle between the object and the transmitters. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification