Method and system for extensible position location

• US 7,239,277 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plus Location Systems Pty. Limited
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry W., Roberts, Mark D., Loum, Kelly, Dodoukh, Irina, O'Hanian, S. Scott, Einhorn, W. Michael II
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull; Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US11/103,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 342/458, 342463-465, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 342/458
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks

Abstract

A method and system for extensible positioning that uses a primary reference node at a known first position and a secondary reference node at a second position, where a range is measured between the secondary reference node and the primary reference node. The second position is determined based upon the first position and the measured range. A second range is measured between the secondary reference node and a non-fixed node. A third position corresponding to the non-fixed node is determined based upon the second position and the second range.

Claims

1. A method for determining a position of a node, comprising:

placing a first node at a known first position;

measuring a range between said first node and a second node;

determining a second position corresponding to said second node using said range and said first position;

determining a confidence metric corresponding to said second position; and

determining a third position corresponding to a third node using said second position only when said confidence metric meets an acceptance criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third node is a fixed node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second node is a non-fixed node.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating at least one range measurement quality metric with at least one range measurement.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one range quality measurement metric comprises:

a standard deviation;

a measurement age metric;

an error region metric;

a signal quality metric;

an RF environment metric;

or

a ranging geometry metric.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an error region metric comprises:

a number of error region levels compounded;

or

a error region elongation metric.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a signal quality metric comprises:

a bit error rate;

or

a signal-to-noise ratio.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a RF environment metric is used to select a RF signal propagation model used to calculate a range.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein a ranging geometry metric comprises:

an angle acuteness metric;

or

a geometric dilution of precision metric.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one range measurement quality metric is used to determine the confidence metric.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said confidence metric is compared to at least one other confidence metric determined for at least one other position determined for the node to select the most acceptable determined position of the node.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said third position is determined by said third node.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering ranging noise prior to determination of at least one position.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said first node, said second node, and said third node include an Ultra Wideband radio.

15. A position location system, comprising:

a first node having a known first position;

a second node having a second position determined based upon a range measured between said second node and said first node, the second position having a corresponding confidence metric; and

a third node having a third position determined based upon said second position only when said confidence metric meets an acceptance criteria.

16. The position location system of claim 15, wherein the third node is a fixed node.

17. The position location system of claim 15, wherein the second node is a non-fixed node.

18. The position location system of claim 15, wherein at least one range measurement quality metric is associated with at least one range measurement.

19. The position location system of claim 18, wherein at least one range measurement quality metric is used to determine the confidence metric.

20. The position location system of claim 19, wherein said confidence metric is compared to at least one other confidence metric determined for at least one other position determined for the node to select the most acceptable determined position of the node.

21. The position location system of claim 15, wherein said first node, said second node, and said third node include an Ultra Wideband radio.