Location system
First Claim
1. A ground surface location and identification system comprising:
- a location transmitter positioned at a location within a coverage area and having stored therein a physical location code corresponding to the location and configured to provide an optical signal representative of the physical location code; and
a location identifier configured to couple to a moveable object and having an object identification code representative of the object stored therein, and configured to receive the optical signal and to transmit, via a wireless transmitter, an identification signal representative of the physical location code and the object identification code.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a ground surface location system for identifying an object and its location within a coverage area. The ground surface location system includes a location transmitter and a location identifier. The location transmitter is positioned at a location within the coverage area and has a physical location code corresponding to the location stored therein, and is configured to provide an optical signal representative of the physical location code. The location identifier is adapted to couple to the object and has an object identification code representative of the object stored therein, and is configured to receive the optical signal and to transmit an identification signal representative of the physical location code and the object identification code.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A ground surface location and identification system comprising:
-
a location transmitter positioned at a location within a coverage area and having stored therein a physical location code corresponding to the location and configured to provide an optical signal representative of the physical location code; and a location identifier configured to couple to a moveable object and having an object identification code representative of the object stored therein, and configured to receive the optical signal and to transmit, via a wireless transmitter, an identification signal representative of the physical location code and the object identification code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An airfield ground surface location system comprising:
-
a location transmitter positioned at a location on an airfield and comprising; a light source configured to receive power from a power source; and a location encoder having a physical location code (PLC) representative of the location stored therein and configured to generate an optical signal encoded with the PLC by turning the power to the light source on and off based on the PLC; and a location identifier configured to couple to a vehicle and comprising; an optical receiver configured to receive and convert the optical signal to an electrical signal; a signal processor having a vehicle code representative of the vehicle stored therein and configured to decode the PLC from the electrical signal and to provide a vehicle location code representative of the vehicle code and the PLC; and a wireless transmitter configured to transmit an identification signal representative of the vehicle location code. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. An airfield ground surface location system comprising:
-
a plurality of airfield guidance markers, each airfield guidance marker positioned at a location on an airfield and providing guidance illumination for visually directing aircraft on the airfield, each airfield guidance marker including; a light source providing the visual guidance illumination; and a location encoder having a physical location code representative of the location at which airfield guidance marker is position stored therein and configured to modulate the light source to optically encode the visible guidance illumination with the physical location code, wherein location encoder modulates the light source at a frequency imperceptible to human vision so that the light source simultaneously provides the visual guidance illumination and physical location code with the physical location code being imperceptible to human vision; and a location identifier coupled to an aircraft and having an aircraft code representative of the aircraft stored therein, the location identifier including; an optical receiver configured to receive the visible guidance illumination and to detect the physical location code encoded therein; and a wireless transmitter configured to transmit an identification signal representative of the vehicle identification code and the detected physical location code to a surface movement control system.
-
Specification