Location system

• US 7,830,309 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubisense Incorporated (IQGeo Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Ubisense Incorporated (IQGeo Group Plc)
• Inventors: Ward, Andrew Martin Robert, Webster, Paul Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US12/558,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 342450-452, 342/457, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 342/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter

Abstract

A portable location device for use in a location system, the device comprising a transmitter for transmitting ultra-wideband signals, a receiver for receiving non-ultra-wideband signals and a control unit coupled to the receiver for controlling the operation of the device in dependence on the received non-ultra-wideband signals.

Claims

1. A portable location device comprising:

a transmitter arranged to periodically transmit ultra-wideband signals to a location system, the transmitter further arranged to transmit non-ultra-wideband signals;

a receiver for receiving non-ultra-wideband signals from a location system; and

a control unit coupled to the receiver, the control unit arranged to control the operation of the device in dependence on the received non-ultra-wideband signals;

wherein the location device is arranged to transmit a non-ultra-wideband signal containing an identifier that identifies the portable location device within a predetermined time of the transmission of one of the ultra-wideband signals.

2. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver is arranged to receive non-ultra-wideband control signals from the location system, and the control unit is arranged to control the transmitter in dependence on the received non-ultra-wideband control signals to transmit the non-ultra-wideband signal containing the identifier.

3. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the rate at which the ultra-wideband signals are transmitted to the location system in dependence on the received non-ultra-wideband signals.

4. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the channel over which the ultra-wideband signals are transmitted to the location system in dependence on the received non-ultra-wideband signals.

5. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the channel over which the non-ultra-wideband signals are transmitted in dependence on the received non-ultra-wideband signals.

6. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is arranged to stop the transmitter from transmitting ultra-wideband signals until a non-ultra-wideband signal of a predetermined type is received by the receiver.

7. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is arranged to start the transmitter transmitting the ultra-wideband signals when the receiver receives a non-ultra-wideband signal of a predetermined type.

8. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signals are suitable for allowing the location of the portable location device to be calculated.

9. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signals are radio signals.

10. A portable location device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-ultra-wideband signals are radio signals.