Ultrasonic locator system and method

• US 7,483,338 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascom (Sweden) AB (Ascom Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: GENCSUS
• Inventors: Drouin, Guy, Piuze, Jean-Marc, Landry, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo; Ian J
• Application Number:
  US10/733,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 367/137, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 367/137
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/02 using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles

Abstract

An ultrasonic transmitter system(s) and method(s) are described having location and tracking capabilities. The transmitter'"'"'s, by using ultra sound and encoded micro-modulation, are able to provide enhanced longevity and reliability. A maze algorithm is devised that further provides discrimination of false detections, versus true detections, and no detection.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transmitter capable of functioning as an electronic badge, the ultrasonic transmitter comprising:

a frequency oscillator operating at an ultrasonic frequency;

a microcontroller assembly having an encoder capable of encoding a predetermined value, a serializer capable of serializing the encoded value, a parity encoder between the encoder and the serializer, and a micro-modulator capable of micro-modulating the serialized encoded value using the ultrasonic frequency; and

an ultrasonic transducer capable of transmitting the encoded value as a micro-modulated ultrasonic signal.

2. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operational status indicator.

3. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the encoder has a separate memory area capable of storing rewritable predetermined values.

4. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising:

configurable encoder operation switches.

5. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a low battery detector.

6. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the oscillator is designed to operate at an approximate frequency of 40 KHz.

7. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the micro-modulator shifts the ultrasonic frequency by more than 1.6%.

8. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is wearable.

9. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal is randomly transmitted.

10. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is serialized into 16 bits.

11. The ultrasonic transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a power source coupled with the ultrasonic transmitter.

12. An ultrasonic locator system, comprising:

a fixed location ultrasonic receiver;

a hub controller capable of receiving signals demodulated by the fixed location ultrasonic receiver;

a system controller coupled to the hub controller; and

an ultrasonic transmitter capable of functioning as an electronic badge, the ultrasonic transmitter including;

an ultrasonic frequency oscillator,

a microcontroller assembly having an encoder capable of encoding a predetermined value,

a serializer capable of serializing the encoded value,

a parity encoder between the encoder and the serializer,

a micro-modulator capable of micro-modulating an ultrasonic frequency of the oscillator with the serialized encoded value, and

an ultrasonic transducer capable of transmitting a micro-modulated ultrasonic signal to the fixed location ultrasonic receiver.

13. The ultrasonic locator system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a data base server coupled to the system controller.

14. The ultrasonic locator system according to claim 12, wherein the system controller is a computer system.

15. The ultrasonic locator system according to claim 12, further comprising a power source coupled with the ultrasonic transmitter.