Methods and systems for synchronized infrared real time location

• US 8,139,945 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Inventors: Amir, Israel, Annamalai, Karuppiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Shi K
• Application Number:
  US12/016,547
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 398/115
• US Class Current: 398/126
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a location and an identity of a portable device are provided. The system includes apparatus for transmitting timing synchronization information, a plurality of stationary infrared (IR) base stations and a plurality of portable devices. Each IR base station is configured to receive the timing synchronization information and to transmit a corresponding IR location code in a time period based on the received timing synchronization information. Each portable device is configured to: 1) receive the timing synchronization information, 2) detect the IR location codes from the IR base stations and 3) transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected IR location code. Each portable device is synchronized to detect the IR location code in the time period based on the received timing synchronization information.

Claims

1. A system for determining a location and an identity of a portable device, the system comprising:

a plurality of stationary infrared (IR) base stations, the plurality of IR base stations being configured to receive timing synchronization information and to concurrently transmit corresponding IR location codes in a common time period based on the received timing synchronization information, each IR location code representative of a location of the corresponding IR base station;

a plurality of portable devices, at least one portable device configured to

     1) receive the timing synchronization information,

     2) enter a sleep mode,

     3) enter a wake-up mode in the common time period to detect the IR location codes concurrently transmitted by the IR base stations and

     4) if one of the IR location codes is detected, transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected IR location code; and

at least one RF transceiver configured to periodically transmit beacons in predetermined time slots to the plurality of IR base stations and the plurality of portable devices, the beacons including the timing synchronization information and respective time delay information relative to a unified time of origin.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting includes means for receiving the output signal from each of the portable devices.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one RF transceiver includes a plurality of RF transceivers, at least one of the RF transceivers configured to periodically transmit a request to an other one of the RF transceivers to receive the timing synchronization information, the other one of the RF transceivers storing the timing synchronization information.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each IR base station includes:

an IR transmitter configured to transmit the corresponding IR location code; and

a radio frequency (RF) receiver configured to receive the timing synchronization information from the at least on RF transceiver.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each portable device includes:

an IR detector configured to detect the IR location codes; and

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to

     1) transmit the output signal including the portable device ID and the detected IR location code and

     2) receive the timing synchronization information from the at least one RF transceiver.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of portable devices activates the corresponding IR detector concurrently with a time that the plurality of IR base stations transmit the corresponding IR location code, based on the received timing synchronization information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein multiple IR base stations concurrently transmit the corresponding IR location code.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one RF transceiver includes a plurality of RF transceivers that are synchronized in time through a wired connection.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the wired connection is a local area network (LAN).

10. The system according to claim 8, the system further comprising a system server that includes a time server,

wherein the time server provides the time synchronization information to the RF transceivers upon a request by at least one of the plurality of RF transceivers.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of IR base stations transmit the respective IR location codes periodically in a predetermined order, and different IR base stations among the plurality of IR base stations are activated at times corresponding to respectively different portions of the ordered transmission.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the timing synchronization information is transmitted periodically in a cycle and the plurality of IR base stations are activated multiple times in each cycle.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least the plurality of portable devices or the plurality of IR base stations are configured to be in a sleep mode when not active.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the timing synchronization information is respectively transmitted to each of the plurality of portable devices and the plurality of IR base stations in a same transmission packet as an acknowledgement (ACK) indicator responsive to the corresponding output signal that is transmitted by the at least one of the plurality of portable devices.

15. A system for determining a location and an identity of a portable device, the system comprising:

means for transmitting timing synchronization information including a plurality of RF transceivers and a backbone network, a time server generating the timing synchronization information;

wherein each of the plurality of RF transceivers is coupled to the backbone network and periodically transmits a request to the time server to receive the timing synchronization information;

a plurality of stationary infrared (IR) base stations, the plurality of IR base station being configured to receive timing synchronization information and to concurrently transmit corresponding IR location codes in a common time period based on the received timing synchronization information, each IR location code representative of a location of the corresponding IR base stations and

a plurality of portable devices, at least one portable device configured to

     1) receive the timing synchronization information,

     2) enter a sleep mode,

     3) enter a wake-up mode in the common time period to detect the IR location codes concurrently transmitted by the IR base stations and

     4) if one of the IR location codes is detected, transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected IR location code.

16. A method for transmitting a location and an identity of a portable device:

determining whether the portable device is in a range of an RF base station associated with the portable device, the RF base station transmitting timing synchronization information;

if the portable device is in range of the RF base station receiving the timing synchronization information from the base station by a radio frequency (RF) receiver;

causing the portable device to enter a wake-up mode in a time period determined by the timing synchronization information;

detecting at least one IR location code received from at least one infrared (IR) base station in the time period determined by the received timing synchronization information, the at least one IR base station transmitting the corresponding IR location code in the time period based on the timing synchronization information; and

transmitting an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected IR location code;

if the portable device is not in the range of the RF base station associated with the portable device, transmitting a request for RF base station association to one or more RF base stations within range of the portable device; and

receiving an RF base station association from among the one or more RF base stations.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising placing the portable device in a sleep mode when the portable device is not in motion.