Object location process and apparatus
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. Apparatus for determining the location of a mobile object moving in relation to at least one stationary transceiver comprising,a transmitter included in said stationary transceiver for transmitting a substantially constant intensity radio frequency signal, carrying information identifying its location,a highly directional antenna included in each said stationary transceiver for transmitting said radio frequency signal with a predetermined directional variation in field strength forming a known directional field strength pattern for each stationary transceiver,a receiver included in said stationary transceiver for receiving radio frequency signals, anda mobile transceiver having a pre-assigned identity fixed to said object, said transceiver including a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, a data processor, a decoder for determining the location identity of said transmitting stationary,transceiver and a signal strength evaluation circuit, said signal strength evaluation circuit measuring the intensity level of received signals as an analog level, converting the analog level to a digital signal provided to said data processor, said data processor comparing said digital signal to said known directional field strength pattern for said identified stationary transceiver stored in said memory and connected to said data processor, to determine location of said object with respect to said stationary transceiver, and providing to said mobile transceiver transmitter, data to be transmitted back to said stationary transceiver indicating the pro-assigned identity of said object and its location with respect to said stationary transceiver.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for the determination of the location of a mobile vehicle relative to a radio transceiver. The apparatus incorporates a mobile transceiver that calculates its location relative to at least a first stationary transceiver, and communicates this location back to the stationary transceiver. As a mobile vehicle enters the radio field radiated from at least a first stationary transceiver unit, the mobile vehicle transceiver begins measuring the energy of one or more radiated signals as an analog value, converts the analog value to digital form, from which a microprocessor and software algorithm calculates the specific distance from the stationary transceiver, and then returns a data string that informs the stationary transceiver of its location. This system thus allows both the mobile transceiver and the stationary transceiver unit to gain specific information with regard to the relative distance between mobile and base station units.
93 Citations
13 Claims
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1. Apparatus for determining the location of a mobile object moving in relation to at least one stationary transceiver comprising,
a transmitter included in said stationary transceiver for transmitting a substantially constant intensity radio frequency signal, carrying information identifying its location, a highly directional antenna included in each said stationary transceiver for transmitting said radio frequency signal with a predetermined directional variation in field strength forming a known directional field strength pattern for each stationary transceiver, a receiver included in said stationary transceiver for receiving radio frequency signals, and a mobile transceiver having a pre-assigned identity fixed to said object, said transceiver including a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, a data processor, a decoder for determining the location identity of said transmitting stationary,transceiver and a signal strength evaluation circuit, said signal strength evaluation circuit measuring the intensity level of received signals as an analog level, converting the analog level to a digital signal provided to said data processor, said data processor comparing said digital signal to said known directional field strength pattern for said identified stationary transceiver stored in said memory and connected to said data processor, to determine location of said object with respect to said stationary transceiver, and providing to said mobile transceiver transmitter, data to be transmitted back to said stationary transceiver indicating the pro-assigned identity of said object and its location with respect to said stationary transceiver.
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7. Method for the identification of a mobile object moving in relation to at least one stationary transceiver, the steps comprising, transmitting from a highly directional antenna a radio frequency, substantially constant intensity signal having a predetermined directional variation in field strength forming a known directional field strength pattern for each stationary transceiver, and identifying the location of said stationary transceiver, from a transmitter included in said stationary transceiver,
receiving a radio frequency signal from said transmitter in said stationary transceiver at a mobile transceiver fixed to said mobile object, evaluating the signal strength pattern of said radio frequency signal received at said mobile transceiver by measuring the intensity level of received signals as an analog level, decoding said radio frequency signal from said transmitter to identify the location of said transmitter converting said analog level to a digital signal provided to a data processor located at said mobile transceiver, comparing said digital signal provided to said data processor to said known directional field strength pattern associated with said identified transmitter stored in a memory connected to said data processor, to determine location of said object with respect to said stationary transceiver, transmitting data back to said stationary transceiver indicating the identity of said object and its location relative to said stationary transceiver.
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9. Apparatus for determining the location of a mobile object moving in relation to at least two stationary, transceiver units, said apparatus comprising,
a first transmitter, included in a first of said stationary transceiver units, and including means for transmitting a first substantially constant intensity level radio frequency signal having a first known directionally varying field strength pattern, a second transmitter, included in a second of said stationary transceiver units, and including means for transmitting a second substantially constant intensity level radio frequency signal having a second known directionally varying field strength pattern, wherein each of said first and said second signals also identify the one of said stationary transceiver units in which said transmitter is included, a receiver included in each of said stationary transceiver units, including means for receiving radio frequency signals, a mobile transceiver affixable to said mobile object, and having a preassigned identity, wherein said mobile transceiver includes means for receiving said radio frequency signals from at least said first and said second stationary transceiver units, decoding means for determining from said signals which of said transmitters transmitted each of said signals, means for measuring said intensity level of said radio frequency signals received from said first and said second stationary transceiver units at said mobile transceiver, means for comparing said intensity level of said radio frequency signals received from said first stationary transceiver unit to said first directionally varying field strength pattern and for comparing said radio frequency signals received from said second stationary transceiver unit to said second directionally varying field strength pattern, said first and second directionally varying field strength patterns stored in a memory connected to said comparing means, to determine said location of said mobile object, wherein said location is determined in relation to said first and said second stationary transceiver units, and means for transmitting said mobile receiver preassigned identity and said location back to at least one of said stationary transceiver units.
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11. Apparatus for determining lane location of a vehicle approaching a roadway toll plaza having at least one lane, said apparatus comprising at least one stationary transceiver and at least one mobile transceiver,
wherein said stationary transceiver is located proximate to said lane at said toll plaza and comprises, a transmitter for transmitting signals identifying said lane, and a highly directional antenna for directing said transmitted signals with a predetermined directional variation in field strength forming a known directional field strength pattern for each stationary transceiver, along said lane substantially in a direction from which said vehicles are approaching, and wherein said mobile transceiver has a preassigned identity, is affixable to a moving vehicle, and comprises, means for receiving signals, intensity measurement means for measuring field intensity of received signals, decoding means for determining for determining from said transmitted signal the lane proximate to said stationary transceiver, a memory including means for storing information regarding each said known directional field strength pattern, a processor including means for processing said field intensity of said received signals with said information regarding said known directional field strength pattern to determine whether said mobile transceiver is approaching said toll plaza and if so whether said mobile transceiver is located within said lane, and a mobile transceiver transmitter including means for transmitting said mobile transceiver preassigned identity and said lane location back to said stationary transceiver.
Specification