Globally referenced positioning in a shielded environment

• US 7,181,247 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lightwaves Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lightwaves Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Melick, Bruce D., Snyder, David M., Baych, Leslie D., KENNEDY, PHILIP T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTEE, JOY KIMBERLY
• Application Number:
  US10/778,878
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 455/13.1, 455/12.1, 455/456.1, 342/357.14, 342/357.06, 367/125
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/215 issues related to spoofing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for globally referenced positioning in a shielded environment includes integrating and correlating information from a UWB receiver, a GPS receiver, and a bent-path GPS receiver adapted to extract a GPS radio frequency wave from a heterodyned GPS signal. The method, apparatus, and system is resistant to interference and can be used in a shielded environment such as indoors or behind a line-of-sight barrier.

Claims

1. A position determining apparatus that is resistant to interference and capable of use within a shielded environment, comprising:

a UWB receiver;

a GPS receiver;

a bent-path GPS receiver;

an intelligent control operatively connected to the UWB receiver, the GPS receiver, and the bent-path GPS receiver;

the bent-path GPS receiver adapted to receive a heterodyned GPS signal comprising a GPS radio frequency wave and a wave of a different frequency, and to deheterodyne the heterodyned GPS signal to extract the GPS radio frequency wave;

the intelligent control adapted to determine globally referenced positions at least partially based on integrating and correlating ultra wideband data received from;

the UWB receiver, GPS data received from the GPS receiver, and/or GPS data received from the bent-path GPS receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a data interface operatively connected to the intelligent control for providing a data link.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data link is wireless.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intelligent control determines globally referenced positions at least partially based on data received from a differential GPS.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intelligent control determines globally referenced positions at least partially based on data received from a Wide Area Augmentation System.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interference is jamming.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a housing and wherein the UWB receiver, bent path GPS receiver, and GPS receiver are disposed within the housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interference is spoofing.

7. A method of determining position that is resistant to interference and capable of use within a shielded environment, comprising:

receiving a GPS signal from a GPS receiver;

receiving a signal from a UWB receiver, the signal comprising a plurality of pulses timed according to a complex code shared by the UWB receiver and a UWB transmitter, encoding identification information of the UWB transmitter for use in triangulation of location;

receiving a signal from a bent-path GPS receiver, the signal being a GPS radio frequency wave extracted from a heterodyned GPS signal;

integrating and correlating GPS data received from the GPS receiver and/or GPS data received from the bent-path GPS receiver with UWB data received from the UWB receiver to determine a globally referenced position.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the globally referenced position is a position within the shielded environment.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising transmitting the globally referenced position.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transmitting is wireless transmitting.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of transmitting is transmitting with a UWB transmitter.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of transmitting is transmitting from a GPS re-radiation antenna to a GPS/UWB reference array is wired transmitting.

15. A position determining apparatus that is resistant to interference and capable of use within a shielded environment, comprising:

a UWB receiver;

a GPS receiver adapted for receiving GPS signals and time division multiplexed GPS signals;

an intelligent control operatively connected to the UWB receiver, and the GPS receiver;

the intelligent control adapted to determine globally referenced positions at least partially based on integrating and correlating ultra wideband data received from the UWB receiver with GPS data received from the GPS receiver and/or time division multiplexed GPS signal data received from the GPS receiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a data interface operatively connected to the intelligent control for providing a data link.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the data link is wireless.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the intelligent control determines globally referenced positions at least partially based on data received from a differential GPS.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the intelligent control determines globally referenced positions at least partially based on data received from a Wide Area Augmentation System.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the interference is jamming.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the interference is spoofing.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a housing wherein the UWB receiver and the GPS receiver are disposed within the housing.