System and method for person or object position location utilizing impulse radio

• US 7,397,379 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Plus Location Systems Pty. Limited
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Payment, Timothy T., Richards, James L., Fullerton, Larry W., Welch, William D. Jr., Tucker, William J., Kelly, Donald A., Finn, James S., Meigs, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/298,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.21, 340/991, 342/28, 342/33, 342/457, 342/465, 375/130, 375/259, 375/295
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/20 using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/76 wherein pulse-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

A System and Method for Person or Object Position Location Utilizing Impulse Radio, comprising a plurality of reference impulse radios; an object or person to be tracked having a mobile impulse radio associated therewith; an architecture with an associated positioning algorithm associated with said plurality of impulse radio reference radios and said mobile impulse radio; and display means for displaying the position of the person or object whose position is to be determined.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a person within an environment, compnsing:

positioning a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios about said environment, said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios defining a coordinate system corresponding to said environment;

associating a mobile ultra wideband impulse radio with said person, said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio transmitting ultra wideband signals;

determining a position of said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio relative to said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios using said ultra wideband signals and impulse radio positioning techniques, said position having a defined coordinate within said coordinate system; and

determining a location of said person within said environment based on said position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said person comprises one of a policeman or a fireman.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said environment is a building.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

programming into a computer an overlay of said environment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying said location on said overlay.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

interfacing said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio with a sensor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said sensor senses information about one of said person or said environment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said information is one of a heart rate or a temperature.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating said information using ultra wideband impulse radio techniques to a monitoring device.

10. A system for monitoring a person within an environment, comprising:

a mobile ultra wideband impulse radio associated with said person, said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio transmitting ultra wideband signals;

a plurality of reference ultra wideb and impulse radios positioned about said environments, said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios defining a coordinate system corresponding to said environment, said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios in communication with said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio using ultra wideband impulse radio communications techniques; and

a computer interfaced with at least one of said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios;

wherein said computer is programmed to determine a position of said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio relative to said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios using said ultra wideband signals and impulse radio positioning techniques, said position having a defined coordinate within said coordinate system, and to determine a location of said person within said environment based on said position.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said person comprises one of a policeman or a fireman.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said environment is a building.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a monitor to display said location on an overlay of said environment.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a sensor to sense information about one of said person and said environment.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a monitoring device to monitor said information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said information is one of a heart rate or a temperature.

17. A method of monitoring a person within an environment, comprising:

associating a first ultra wideband impulse radio with said person said first ultra wideband impulse radio transmitting ultra wideband sianals;

determining a position of said first ultra wideband impulse radio relative to a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios using said ultra wideband signals and ultra wideband impulse radio positioning techniques, said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios defining a coordinate system corresponding to said environment, said position having a defined coordinate within said coordinate system;

determining a location of said person within said environment based on said position of said first ultra wideband impulse radio;

sensing information about one of said person and said environment using a sensor interfaced with said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio; and

communicating said information to a second ultra wideband impulse radio located outside said environment using ultra wideband impulse radio communications techniques.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of said information or said location.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said information comprises one of a heart rate or a temperature.