Integrated radio direction finding and GPS receiver tracking system

• US 5,767,804 A
• Filed: 06/15/1995
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US08/490,560
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/457
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial

Abstract

An integrated radio direction finding and GPS receiver tracking system. In one embodiment, a transceiver device is attached to an object to be located. The transceiver device transmits a signal. The transmitted signal is received by a tracking unit. The tracking unit uses the received signal to determine the range and bearing of the object from the tracking unit. A position generating system is attached to the tracking unit to generate the position information of the tracking unit. The range and bearing of the object from the tracking unit and the position information of the tracking unit are transmitted from the tracking unit to a base station. The base station processes the range and bearing of the transceiver device from the tracking unit and the position information of the tracking unit to calculate the position of the object to be located.

Claims

1. A method for locating an object comprising the steps of:

attaching a transceiver device to an object to be located,

transmitting a signal from said transceiver device, when said transceiver device is activated;

using said tracking unit to activate said transceiver device to transmit said signal,

receiving said signal transmitted by said transceiver device at a tracking unit,

determining from said signal received at said tracking unit the range and bearing of said object from said tracking unit,

generating position information of said tracking unit using a position determining system coupled to said tracking unit,

transmitting said range and bearing of said object from said tracking unit and said position information of said tracking unit from said tracking unit to a base station, and

processing at said base station said range and bearing of said transceiver device from said tracking unit and said position information of said tracking unit to calculate the position of said object to be located.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of coupling a transceiver device to an object to be located further includes coupling a plurality of transceiver devices to a respective plurality of objects to be located.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said step of transmitting a signal from said transceiver device further includes transmitting a different signal from each of said plurality of transceiver devices such that each of said respective plurality of objects to be located has a unique signal associated therewith.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of:

determining the velocity of said object with respect to said tracking unit by measuring the Doppler shift of said signal transmitted by said transceiver device and received by said tracking unit.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving said signal transmitted by said transceiver device at a tracking unit further includes receiving said signal transmitted by said transceiver device at a plurality of tracking units, each of said plurality of tracking units further adapted to determine the range and bearing of said object therefrom.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving said signal transmitted by said transceiver device at a tracking unit further includes receiving said signal at a tracking unit disposed on a vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said step of receiving said signal at a tracking unit disposed on a vehicle further includes receiving said signal at a plurality of tracking units disposed on a respective plurality of vehicles.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said step of determining from said signal received at said tracking unit the range and bearing of said object from said tracking unit, further includes determining said range and bearing of said object from said tracking unit at a plurality of locations as said tracking unit is moved by said vehicle.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 further including receiving said signal at a plurality of tracking units at a plurality of respective locations as said plurality of tracking units are moved by said respective plurality of vehicles to a respective plurality of locations.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of transmitting said range and bearing of said object from said tracking unit and said position information of said tracking unit from said tracking unit to a base station further includes transmitting said range and bearing of said object from said tracking unit and said position information of said tracking unit from said tracking unit to at least one of a plurality of base stations.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of:

transmitting said calculated position of said object from said base station to a desired location.

12. An object locating system comprising:

a transceiver device attached to an object to be located, said transceiver device transmitting a signal therefrom to a tracking unit, when said transceiver device is activated by the tracking unit;

said tracking unit having an activator to activate said transceiver device such that said transceiver device transmits said signal, said tracking unit receiving said signal transmitted by said transceiver device, said tracking unit including a tracking component for determining the range and bearing of said transceiver device from said tracking unit, said tracking unit further including a transmitter integral therewith,

a position determining system attached to said tracking unit, said position determining system generating position information for the location of said tracking unit, and

a base station communicatively coupled to said tracking unit, said base station receiving said range and bearing of said transceiver device using the transmitter of said tracking unit and said position information for the location of said tracking unit when such information is transmitted from said transmitter of said tracking unit, said base station further including a position processor for calculating the position of said object to be located using said received range and bearing of said transceiver device from said tracking unit and said position information for the location of said tracking unit.

13. The object locating system of claim 12 further including a plurality of transceiver devices coupled to a respective plurality of objects to be located.

14. The object locating system of claim 13 wherein each of said plurality of transceiver devices transmits a different signal therefrom such that each of said respective plurality of objects has a unique signal associated therewith.

15. The object locating system of claim 12 wherein said tracking unit is further includes a Doppler calculator for determining the velocity of said object with respect to said tracking unit by measuring the Doppler shift of said signal transmitted by said transceiver device and received by said tracking unit.

16. The object locating system of claim 12 further including a plurality of tracking units adapted to receive said signal transmitted by said transceiver device, each of said plurality of tracking units further including a tracking component determining the range and bearing of said object therefrom, each of said tracking units communicatively coupled to said base station.

17. The object locating system of claim 12 wherein said tracking unit is disposed on a vehicle.

18. The object locating system of claim 16 wherein said plurality of tracking units are disposed on a respective plurality of vehicles.

19. The object locating system of claim 12 wherein said tracking unit is a hand-held portable unit.

20. The object locating system of claim 12 further including a plurality of base stations.

21. The object locating system of claim 12 wherein said position determining system is selected from the class of satellite-based radio navigation systems consisting of the Global Positioning System and the Global Orbiting Navigation System.

22. The object locating system of claim 12 wherein said position determining system is selected from the class of ground-based radio navigation systems consisting of LORAN, Shoran, Decca, and TACAN.

23. The object locating system of claim 12 wherein said base station further includes a base station transmitter for transmitting said calculated position of said object to a desired location.