Method and system for recognizing location by using sound sources with different frequencies

• US 7,916,577 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Hong-Kee, Kim, Jong-Sung, Jeong, Hyuk, Son, Wook-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US12/234,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20090154294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 367/127, 367/128
• US Class Current: 367/128
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

Provided is a method for recognizing a location to control the location of a moving object, the method including: generating a synchronizing signal for a plurality of ultrasonic satellites; the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites simultaneously transmitting ultrasonic signals respectively comprising different frequencies from each other, the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites fixed on predetermined static positions; a receiver, attached to the moving object, receiving the ultrasonic signal and measuring distances between the receiver of the moving object and each of the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites by classifying the frequencies of the ultrasonic signals; and calculating a current location of the moving object by using the measured distances.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing a location to control the location of a moving object, the method comprising:

generating a synchronizing signal for a plurality of ultrasonic satellites;

the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites simultaneously transmitting ultrasonic signals respectively comprising different frequencies from each other, the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites fixed on predetermined static positions;

a receiver, attached to the moving object, receiving the ultrasonic signal and measuring distances between the receiver of the moving object and each of the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites by classifying the frequencies of the ultrasonic signals; and

calculating a current location of the moving object by using the measured distances.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

endowing each of the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites with a unique serial number;

transmitting, at each of the plurality of the ultrasonic satellites, the unique serial number, location information and a frequency used in each of the ultrasonic satellites, to the moving object; and

storing/managing the unique serial number, the location information and the frequency in the receiver of the moving object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the distance comprises:

receiving the ultrasonic signal comprising different frequency transmitted from the ultrasonic satellite immediately or at a predetermined time after a reception of the synchronizing signal;

obtaining a time interval between a simultaneous time or a predetermined lapsed time after the reception of the synchronizing signal and a time of the reception of the ultrasonic signal; and

calculating the distance from each of the ultrasonic satellites by multiplying the time interval by the velocity of sound.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the distance comprises:

comprising information on a time when the ultrasonic signal is transmitted from each of the ultrasonic satellites in the transmitted ultrasonic signal;

obtaining a time interval between a time recorded in the information comprised in the received ultrasonic signal and a time when the receiver receives the ultrasonic signal actually; and

calculating the distance from each of the ultrasonic satellites by multiplying the time interval by the velocity of sound.

5. A location determination receiver for recognizing a location of a moving object, comprising:

an ultrasonic antenna;

a receiving unit capable of simultaneously processing three or more ultrasonic signals;

an operation unit for calculating a distance from each of ultrasonic satellites fixed on predetermined static positions for transmitting each of the ultrasonic signals by using a reception of each of the ultrasonic signals; and

a location determining unit for calculating a current location of the receiver by using the distance from each of ultrasonic satellites,

wherein the receiver is attached to the moving object to recognize the location of the moving object.

6. The location determination receiver of claim 5, further comprising a timer.

7. A system for recognizing a location of a moving object, comprising:

a plurality of ultrasonic transmitters for transmitting an ultrasonic signal comprising a different frequency respectively, the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters fixed on predetermined static positions;

a reference signal broadcasting device for supplying a synchronizing signal to each of the ultrasonic transmitters;

a ultrasonic receiver for determining its own three-dimensional location by receiving the ultrasonic signals from the ultrasonic transmitters, the ultrasonic receiver attached to the moving object; and

a server for providing location coordinates of the plurality of the ultrasonic transmitters,

wherein the ultrasonic transmitters simultaneously transmit the ultrasonic signals in accordance with the control of a controller.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the number of the ultrasonic transmitters are three or more when the ultrasonic transmitters are coplanarly disposed within a space in which the moving object is able to move, and are four or more when the ultrasonic transmitters are non-coplanarly disposed.