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Method and system for determining a position of a transceiver in a communications network

  • US 6,313,790 B2
  • Filed: 02/09/2001
  • Issued: 11/06/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A system for determining a position of an orbiting transceiver in a communications network, the system comprising:

  • a primary transceiver at a primary ranging node at a known location;

    at least first and second secondary transceivers at secondary ranging nodes at a first and second known location, wherein said primary and secondary transceivers are operative to transmit and receive communications signals to and from the orbiting transceiver and operative to communicate with each other by relaying messages through the orbiting transceiver, and wherein said primary transceiver is operative to receive ranging codes broadcast by the orbiting transceiver after receipt from said primary transceiver and reply codes originating at said secondary transceivers and relayed through said orbiting transceiver, and wherein said reply codes uniquely identify the secondary transceiver that is replying and the particular ranging code broadcast by the orbiting transceiver to which the secondary transceiver is replying, and a processor located at said primary ranging node and operative to distinguish between the received ranging codes and reply codes, identify the position of the secondary transceiver that is replying, compute the time difference between the arrival time of the reply code and the time of transmission of the ranging code from the primary transceiver that elicited the reply, and operative to determine a first and second range measurement between each of the primary transceiver and the secondary transceiver that is replying and the orbiting transceiver, respectively, determine a first and second range rate corresponding to a time rate of change of the first and second range measurements, respectively, determine a circle of intersection representative of the set of possible positions for the orbiting transceiver based on the first range measurement and the first range rate, wherein the circle of intersection includes a specific orientation in space, a specific radius, and a center in a specific, three dimensional position relative to the known position of the primary transceiver, determine an angular position of the orbiting transceiver along the circle of intersection based on the known position of the at least one secondary ranging transceiver and the second range measurement, and determine the position of the orbiting transceiver based on the circle of intersection and the angular position, wherein the processor, in determining the first and second range measurements, is further operative to determine the first and second range measurements utilizing two-way ranging.

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