Volume in space locator

• US 6,420,994 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vantageport Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vantageport Incorporated
• Inventors: Chumbley, Philip E., Ressl, Michael Gerard, Rajchel, Suzanne Kennedy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/332,609
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 342/27, 342/29-32, 342/36-40, 342/42-51, 342/149, 342/118, 342/127-147, 342/175-186, 342/190-197, 342/450-465, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.07, 340/500, 340/501, 340/505, 340/531, 340/539, 340/540, 340/673, 340/674, 340/825.06, 340/825.36, 340/825.54, 340/825.55, 340/572.4
• US Class Current: 342/43
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/75 using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders , or using passive reflectors

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining location information corresponding to a volume in space (VIS) that is occupied by a selected target from a remote observation platform through the process of collecting an identification signal from a source at or near the selected target and associating VIS location information data with that signal to identify location information corresponding to the VIS occupied by the target.

Claims

1. A method of determining location information corresponding to a volume in space, the volume in space occupied by a target, comprising the steps of:

storing, within a database, location information associated with spatial geographic coordinates of a pre-determined geographic reference coordinate system;

transmitting, from an observation platform, an interrogation signal toward the target;

receiving, at the observation platform, a response signal passively reflected from the target;

determining an observation platform spatial geographic coordinate within the pre-determined geographic reference coordinate system;

determining compass heading, angular inclination, and distance to the target, relative to the observation platform spatial geographic coordinate, by using data gathered from the reflected response signal;

determining a volume in space spatial geographic coordinate within the pre-determined geographic reference coordinate system, using the compass heading, angular inclination, distance to the target, and the observation platform spatial geographic coordinate; and

associating the volume in space spatial geographic coordinate with location information corresponding to the volume in space by querying the database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information corresponding to the volume in space is selected from the group consisting of:

services associated with the volume in space occupied by the target, emergency services associated with the volume in space occupied by the target, delivery services associated with the volume in space occupied by the target, military services associated with the volume in space occupied by the target, inventory databases associated with the volume in space occupied by the target, menu services associated with the volume in space occupied by the target and utility services associated with the volume in space occupied by the target.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the volume in space spatial geographic coordinate using a global positioning system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the observation platform spatial geographic coordinate using a system, the system selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system, a radio direction finding system and a cellular positioning system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating the location information to user data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining compass heading, angular inclination, and distance to the target, relative to the observation platform spatial geographic coordinate, by using data gathered from the interrogation signal.

7. An apparatus for determining location information corresponding to a volume in space occupied by a target, comprising.

means for storing, within a database, location information associated with geographic coordinates of a pre-determined geographic reference coordinate system;

means for transmitting, from an observation platform, an interrogation signal toward the target;

means for receiving, at the observation platform, a response signal passively reflected from the target;

means for determining an observation platform spatial geographic coordinate within the pre-determined geographic reference coordinate system;

means for determining compass heading, angular inclination, and distance to the target, relative to the observation platform spatial geographic coordinate, by using data gathered from the reflected response signal;

means for determining a volume in space spatial geographic coordinate within the pre-determined geographic reference coordinate system, using the compass heading, angular inclination, distance to the target, and the observation platform spatial geographic coordinate; and

means for associating the volume in space spatial geographic coordinate with location information corresponding to the volume in space by querying the database.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining the volume in space spatial geographic coordinate of the volume in space using a global positioning system.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining the observation platform spatial coordinate using a system, the system selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system, a radio direction finding system and a cellular positioning system.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for translating the location information to user data.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining compass heading, angular inclination, and distance to the target, relative to the observation platform spatial geographic coordinate, by using data gathered from the interrogation signal.