Positioning system, apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A positioning method using a transmitter device having a radio frequency transmitter and a receiver device having a receiver, a first one of which is a reference device at a known position and the other of which is a test device at an unknown position, using a number of passive reflectors at known positions, the method comprising transmitting a signal from the transmitter to the receiver, the signal having a number of signal components travelling from the transmitter to the receiver via the reflectors or directly;
- receiving a plurality of the signal components of the transmitted signal in the receiver;
measuring the arrival times of the signal components;
identifying the signal components with the reflectors off which the signal component has reflected; and
calculating the unknown position of the receiver device by mathematically finding an acceptably close fit of the measured arrival times of the signal components to the known positions of the identified reflectors and the position of the reference device.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A positioning system, apparatus and method include a transmitter (2), a receiver (4) and a plurality of reflectors (6). A signal is transmitted from transmitter to receiver both directly and via the reflectors (6). A location server (8) calculates the unknown position of the transmitter or receiver by identifying signal components (40) with reflectors (6).
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A positioning method using a transmitter device having a radio frequency transmitter and a receiver device having a receiver, a first one of which is a reference device at a known position and the other of which is a test device at an unknown position, using a number of passive reflectors at known positions, the method comprising transmitting a signal from the transmitter to the receiver, the signal having a number of signal components travelling from the transmitter to the receiver via the reflectors or directly;
- receiving a plurality of the signal components of the transmitted signal in the receiver;
measuring the arrival times of the signal components;
identifying the signal components with the reflectors off which the signal component has reflected; and
calculating the unknown position of the receiver device by mathematically finding an acceptably close fit of the measured arrival times of the signal components to the known positions of the identified reflectors and the position of the reference device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- receiving a plurality of the signal components of the transmitted signal in the receiver;
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10. A positioning system for use in an environment having a plurality of reflectors at known positions, comprising;
- a transmitter for transmitting a signal;
a receiver for receiving a plurality of signal components of the transmitted signal, each signal component being received either directly from the transmitter or indirectly off a reflector, the receiver being arranged to measure the arrival times of the signal components; and
a location server comprising means for storing the known position of one of the transmitter and receiver and for storing the known position of a plurality of reflectors, and means for identifying a plurality of received signal components with respect to the reflectors off which the respective signal components were reflected and calculating the unknown position of the other of the transmitter and receiver by mathematically finding an acceptably close fit of the measured arrival times of the received signal components to the stored known positions.
- a transmitter for transmitting a signal;
- 11. A location server for calculating the unknown position of one of a transmitter or a receiver from measured arrival times at the receiver of a plurality of received signal components resulting from a signal transmitted by the transmitter, the location server comprising means for storing the known position of one of the transmitter and receiver and for storing the known position of a plurality of reflectors, and means for identifying a plurality of received signal components with respect to the reflectors off which the respective signal components were reflected and calculating the unknown position of the other of the transmitter and receiver by mathematically finding an acceptably close fit of measured arrival times of the received signal components to the stored known positions.
Specification