System and method for indoor location tracking using pseudo GPS signal transmitter

• US 8,791,857 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Mo, Sang Hyun, Lee, Heyung Sub, Lee, Jae Heum, Myong, Seung-Il, Yang, Hoe-Sung, Lee, Kang Bok, Pyo, Cheol Sig
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US13/253,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20120086599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.48
• US Class Current: 342/357.48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters

Abstract

To track the location of a terminal in an indoor space by using a pseudo GPS signal transmitter, a GPS signal sent from an artificial satellite is received, and a clock signal of the artificial satellite is extracted from the received GPS signal to perform synchronization with the artificial satellite. Once synchronization with the artificial satellite is performed, a pseudo GPS signal is generated, and the transmission time of the pseudo GPS signal is controlled. The GPS signal is sent to the terminal located in the indoor space by a plurality of transmitting antennas based on the controlled transmission time, thereby enabling the terminal located in the indoor space to track its location.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the location of a terminal in an indoor space, the system comprising:

a GPS signal receiving antenna for receiving a GPS signal sent from an artificial satellite;

a pseudo GPS signal transmitter including the GPS signal receiving antenna, and for generating a pseudo GPS signal based on the GPS signal received by the GPS signal receiving antenna; and

a plurality of GPS transmitting antennas for sending the pseudo GPS signal generated by the pseudo GPS signal transmitter to enable the terminal located in the indoor space to track the location,

wherein the pseudo GPS signal transmitter comprises;

a GPS signal receiving unit that receives the GPS signal received by the GPS signal receiving antenna, extracts a clock signal of the artificial satellite contained in the GPS signal, and outputs the extracted clock signal as a reference GPS signal;

a clock synchronization unit that performs clock synchronization with the artificial satellite based on the reference GPS signal output from the GPS signal receiving part;

a pseudo GPS signal generating unit that contains identification information of the GPS transmitting antennas, location information of the GPS transmitting antennas, and pseudo GPS signal transmission time information, and generates a pseudo GPS signal; and

a signal transmitter that relays the pseudo GPS signal generated by the pseudo GPS signal generating unit to send the same out

wherein the pseudo GPS signal transmitter further comprises;

a transmission signal control unit that controls the sequence and interval of the pseudo GPS signal to be sent;

a signal processing unit that generates a transmission frame to be sent to the GPS transmitting antennas; and

an information storage unit that stores identification information of the GPS transmitting antennas and location information of the GPS transmitting antennas.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitting unit further comprises

a first module that controls the transmission signal control unit and the signal processing part, and generates and outputs the pseudo GPS signal generated by the pseudo GPS signal generating unit as an indoor GPS signal of a baseband signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal transmitting unit further comprises:

a second module that regenerates a pseudo GPS signal of an RF signal by superimposing the indoor GPS signal generated by the first module on a carrier frequency.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the indoor GPS transmitter comprising the GPS transmitting antenna comprises:

an RF module that receives the indoor GPS signal output from the first module, and superimposes the indoor GPS signal on a carrier frequency to regenerate a pseudo GPS signal of an RF signal; and

an RF signal transmitting unit that delivers the regenerated pseudo GPS signal to the GPS transmitting antennas.