Location system and methods
First Claim
1. A location system, comprising:
- a transmitter (TXR) configured to transmit a transmitter location signal (TXLOCSIG) comprising a transmitter identifier (TXID) corresponding to said transmitter, said transmitter location signal transmitted using at least two transmission mediums comprising an infrared (IR) medium and a radio frequency (RF) medium such that said transmitter transmits at least a part of said transmitter location signal in IR as an IR transmitter location signal (IRTXLOCSIG) and at least a part of said transmitter location signal in RF as an RF transmitter location signal (RFTXLOCSIG);
a fixed location identifier (FLI) configured to receive said IR transmitter location signal and said RF transmitter location signal from said transmitter in IR and RF, respectively, and retransmit said transmitter location signal using RF in an RF-only transmitter location signal (RFONLY); and
a receiver (RCVR) configured to receive said transmitter location signal from said fixed location identifier from said RF-only transmitter location signal and to receive said transmitter location signal from said RF transmitter location signal and said IR transmitter location signal, said receiver including a receiver-network interface (RCVRNET) configured to directly couple said receiver to a network,wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said RCVR, a transmitter location (TXLOC) of said transmitter to transmit over said network,wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said receiver, a receiver location (RCVRLOC) of said receiver, andwherein said RCVR receives said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals and constructs said TXLOC of said TXR and said RCVRLOC of said RCVR from said TXID within said TXLOCSIG which is conveyed by said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment of the invention, a location system is provided using both RF and IR signals for the determination of an object. Another embodiment of the invention provides a direct network connection for a receiver. The direct connection may be provided for connection to an Ethernet network, a telephone network, a cable TV network, a UTP network, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a medical telemetry network or the Internet. A web server is optionally provided according to an embodiment of the invention. According to a further embodiment, a fixed location identifier is provided to receive signals from a transmitter and then transmit a signal to a receiver, which may be connected to a network. According to a further embodiment, two identifiers may be transmitted, one identifier corresponding to an object, while a second identifier identifies a group designator of the object.
188 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A location system, comprising:
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a transmitter (TXR) configured to transmit a transmitter location signal (TXLOCSIG) comprising a transmitter identifier (TXID) corresponding to said transmitter, said transmitter location signal transmitted using at least two transmission mediums comprising an infrared (IR) medium and a radio frequency (RF) medium such that said transmitter transmits at least a part of said transmitter location signal in IR as an IR transmitter location signal (IRTXLOCSIG) and at least a part of said transmitter location signal in RF as an RF transmitter location signal (RFTXLOCSIG); a fixed location identifier (FLI) configured to receive said IR transmitter location signal and said RF transmitter location signal from said transmitter in IR and RF, respectively, and retransmit said transmitter location signal using RF in an RF-only transmitter location signal (RFONLY); and a receiver (RCVR) configured to receive said transmitter location signal from said fixed location identifier from said RF-only transmitter location signal and to receive said transmitter location signal from said RF transmitter location signal and said IR transmitter location signal, said receiver including a receiver-network interface (RCVRNET) configured to directly couple said receiver to a network, wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said RCVR, a transmitter location (TXLOC) of said transmitter to transmit over said network, wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said receiver, a receiver location (RCVRLOC) of said receiver, and wherein said RCVR receives said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals and constructs said TXLOC of said TXR and said RCVRLOC of said RCVR from said TXID within said TXLOCSIG which is conveyed by said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A location system comprising:
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a transmitter (TXR) configured to transmit a transmitter location signal (TXLOCSIG) comprising a transmitter identifier (TXID) corresponding to said transmitter, said transmitter location signal transmitted using at least two transmission mediums comprising an infrared (IR) medium and a radio frequency (RF) medium such that said transmitter transmits at least a part of said transmitter location signal in IR as an IR transmitter location signal (IRTXLOCSIG) and at least a part of said transmitter location signal in RF as an RF transmitter location signal (RFTXLOCSIG); a fixed location identifier (FLI) configured to receive said IR transmitter location signal and said RF transmitter location signal from said transmitter in IR and RF, respectively, and retransmit said transmitter location signal using RF in an RF-only transmitter location signal (RFONLY); and a receiver (RCVR) configured to receive said transmitter location signal from said fixed location identifier from said RF-only transmitter location signal and to receive said transmitter location signal from said RF transmitter location signal and said IR transmitter location signal, said receiver including a receiver-network interface (RCVRNET) configured to directly couple said receiver to a network, wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said RCVR, a transmitter location (TXLOC) of said transmitter to transmit over said network, wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said receiver, a receiver location (RCVRLOC) of said receiver, wherein said RCVR receives said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals and constructs said TXLOC of said TXR and said RCVRLOC of said RCVR from said TXID within said TXLOCSIG which is conveyed by said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals, wherein said TXR is an object identifier, and wherein said fixed location identifier is adapted to receive a first RF transmitter location signal and a first IR transmitter location signal from said object identifier, append a fixed location identifier identification attribute, and transmit a second RF transmitter location signal and a second IR transmitter location signal to a network connection element for determination of a location of at least one of a group of said object identifier and said network connection element. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification