System and method for determining the location of a moving object in a secluded space

• US 7,400,244 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saab AB
• Original Assignee: Saab AB
• Inventors: Lindero, Bjorn
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/846,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.14, 340/539.16, 340/539.22, 340/539.23, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 340/539.26
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/26 Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying shooting games A63F9/02; light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; targets therefor F41J; responders, transponders for radar, sonar, lidar G01S13/767, G01S15/74, G01S17/74
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/685 using pulse modulation, e.g. pulse frequency modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/70 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/725 Marker, boundary, call-sign or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information

Abstract

A system for determining a location of a moving object in an enclosed space comprises at least one first transmitter adapted to be located in the enclosed space, wherein each of the first transmitters is operable to transmit a code associated with the first transmitter, wherein the code is representative of a coordinate in a predetermined coordinate system, a first receiver adapted to be located on a moving object, the receiver operable to receive the code, and a first processing unit adapted to be located on the moving object, the processing unit operable to process codes from the first receiver to determine the location of the moving object based on the code.

Claims

1. A system for determining a location of a moving object in an enclosed space comprising:

at least one first optical transmitter adapted to be located in the enclosed space and not adapted to be located on a moving object, wherein each of the first transmitters is operable to transmit a code associated with the first transmitter, wherein the code is representative of a coordinate in a predetermined coordinate system;

a first receiver adapted to be located on a moving object, the receiver operable to receive the code; and

a first processing unit adapted to be located on the moving object, the processing unit operable to process codes from the first receiver to determine the location of the moving object based on the code;

wherein

each code denotes a specific zone of the enclosed space;

each moving object is provided with memory operable to store a cross-reference table including each zone and a coordinate represented by the code in the predetermined coordinate system; and

the processing unit is further operable to convert each code to the coordinate represented by the code in the predetermined coordinate system using the cross-reference table so as to provide the location of the moving object.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one second transmitter operable to transmit cross-reference table data to a moving object entering the enclosed space; and

a second receiver adapted to be located on the moving object and operatively connected to the memory, the second receiver operable to receive the cross-reference table data from the second transmitter, wherein

the memory is operable to store the cross-reference table data at least as long as the moving object is within the enclosed space.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined coordinate system is a global positioning system.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is operable to associate time data to the determined location.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each moving object of a first subset of a plurality of moving objects is provided with a third transmitter operable to transmit a determined location of the moving object in the predetermined coordinate system.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each moving object of a second subset of the plurality of moving objects is provided with a log memory operable to continuously log determined locations of the moving object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is included in a combat training system, the moving object comprises a player, and the system is further operable to determine location information for the player when the player is within the enclosed space.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a central unit operable to receive the transmitted location information.

9. A method for determining a location of a moving object in an enclosed space, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a code into a zone of the enclosed space, the code being associated with the zone and wherein the code is representative of a coordinate in a predetermined coordinate system;

receiving at each moving object present within a zone of the enclosed space the associated code; and

determining at each moving object the location of the moving object using the received code;

wherein;

each code denotes a specific zone of the enclosed space;

each moving object stores a cross-reference table including each zone and a coordinate represented by the code in the predetermined coordinate system; and

each code is converted to the coordinate represented by the code in the predetermined coordinate system using the cross-reference table so as to provide the location of the moving object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining step comprises the step of:

converting the received code to a coordinate represented by the received code using a cross-reference table, the cross-reference table storing each zone and a coordinate represented by the code in the predetermined coordinate system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the cross-reference table to a moving object entering the enclosed space; and

receiving and storing the cross-reference table.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined coordinate system is a global positioning system.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

associating time data to the determined location.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a determined location in the predetermined coordinate system of each of a first subset of a plurality of moving objects.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

logging determined locations of each of a second subset of a plurality of moving objects.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is used in a combat training system, the moving object comprises a player, and the method further comprises the steps of:

receiving at each player present within a zone of the enclosed space the associated code; and

determining at each player the location of the player using the received code.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the determined location information from each player; and

receiving the transmitted location information at a central unit.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the determined location information from each player; and

receiving at a player transmitted location information from at least one other player.