Detection system for determining orientation information about objects
First Claim
1. A system which enables the orientation of a device in a specified environment to be determined in relation to a plurality of sensing receivers positioned at known points in or around the specified environment, wherein a directional transmission from a directional transmission means which forms part of a known face of the device is initiated by a trigger signal from a timing transmitter located so as to cause transmitted bursts of energy to enter the said environment, said directional transmission means having associated therewith a timing receiver adapted to respond to any such trigger signals, to thereby initiate said directional transmission, and wherein at the beginning of a timeslot the sensing receivers are reset, and the trigger signal is transmitted, to render the receivers ready to receive the directional transmission, and wherein a control system determines the direction in which the directional transmission means is facing as a function of an identification of those of the sensing receivers on which the directional transmission was incident within the timeslot.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system which enables the orientation of a device in a specified environment to be determined in relation to a plurality of sensing receivers positioned at known points in or around the specified environment. A directional transmission from a directional transmitter which forms part of a known face of the device is initiated by a trigger signal from a timing transmitter located so as to cause transmitted bursts of energy to enter the environment. Associated with the directional transmitter having is a timing receiver adapted to respond to any such trigger signals, to thereby initiate the directional transmission. At the beginning of a timeslot, the sensing receivers are reset, and the trigger signal is transmitted, to render the receivers ready to receive the directional transmission. A control system determines the direction in which the directional transmitter is facing as a function of an identification of those of the sensing receivers on which the directional transmission was incident within the timeslot.
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. A system which enables the orientation of a device in a specified environment to be determined in relation to a plurality of sensing receivers positioned at known points in or around the specified environment, wherein a directional transmission from a directional transmission means which forms part of a known face of the device is initiated by a trigger signal from a timing transmitter located so as to cause transmitted bursts of energy to enter the said environment, said directional transmission means having associated therewith a timing receiver adapted to respond to any such trigger signals, to thereby initiate said directional transmission, and wherein at the beginning of a timeslot the sensing receivers are reset, and the trigger signal is transmitted, to render the receivers ready to receive the directional transmission, and wherein a control system determines the direction in which the directional transmission means is facing as a function of an identification of those of the sensing receivers on which the directional transmission was incident within the timeslot.
- 11. A method of determining the orientation of an object having a directional transmitter mounted in a known manner thereon and in an environment defined by a plurality of receivers having known positions therein, by polling the receivers and determining the direction in which the object is facing as a function of which of the receivers received transmissions from the transmitter during a timeslot.
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19. A system in which a directional beam of energy is transmitted by a transmitter mounted on an object towards a plurality of receivers at fixed positions and the latter are polled to determine on which the beam has been incident together with the times of reception of the transmitted energy by the receivers, wherein computing means is provided to determine from at least the times of reception the position of the object from which the beam of energy is emanating and to determine the orientation of the object from at least an identification of which of the receivers received the beam of energy.
Specification