Method to determine the location of a receiver

• US 9,215,563 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lambda:4 Entwicklungen GmbH
• Original Assignee: Lambda:4 Entwicklungen GmbH
• Inventors: Reimann, Ronne
• Primary Examiner(s): Lett, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/118,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20140087757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/026 using moving transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/10 using Doppler effect
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/84 for distance determination by phase measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/74 Systems using reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/143 by vectorial combination of signals derived from differently oriented antennae
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/48 the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/35 Details of non-pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method, device, system and use for determining a distance, location and/or orientation including the at least relative determination of a position of at least one object using at least two active anchors. A first signal is emitted by a first of the two anchors and is received at the object and by a second of said two anchors. A phase measurement is performed at said second anchor and wherein a distance determination with respect to said first anchor is performed and/or the distance from said first anchor to said second anchor is known. A second, particularly electromagnetic, signal is emitted from said second anchor, and information on phase measurement and distance between said first and second anchors is made available to a computation unit and at least one phase measurement respectively of said first and second signal is performed at said object and made available to said computation unit.

Claims

1. A method for the at least relative determination of a position of at least one, particularly a passive, object using at least two active anchors;

wherein a first, particularly electromagnetic, signal is emitted by a first of the at least two anchors and is received at the object and by at least a second of said at least two anchors, wherein a phase measurement is performed at least at said at least one second anchor and wherein at least also at said at least one second anchor a distance determination with respect to said first anchor is performed and/or the distance from said first anchor to said at least one second anchor is known, wherein a second, particularly electromagnetic, signal is emitted from said at least one second anchor, wherein an information on the phase measurement and the distance between said first and said at least one second anchor is made available to a computation unit, especially located within said object, wherein at least one phase measurement respectively of said first and said at least one second signal is performed at said object and made available to said computation unit, and wherein at least one distance difference between the distance between said object and said first anchor and at least one distance between said object and said at least one second anchor and/or at least one distance difference between the distance between said object and said first anchor and at least one length of a route from said first anchor via said at least one second anchor to said object is determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one further anchor is provided and at first at least the emissions of said first anchor and at least of one second anchor are performed and wherein said at least one further anchor carries out at least one phase measurement of a signal which before was emitted by an anchor, particularly of the signal emitted lastly by an anchor, wherein at least at said at least one further anchor a distance determination to another anchor, particularly said first and/or second anchor and/or said anchor which emitted before is performed, or a distance from said at least one other anchor to another anchor, particularly said first and/or second anchor and/or said anchor which emitted before, is known, wherein said at least one further anchor emits another, particularly electromagnetic signal, and wherein at least one information on the phase measurement and the distance between another anchor, particularly said first and/or second anchor and/or the anchor which emitted before and said at least one further anchor is made available to said computation unit, wherein at least one phase measurement of said at least one further signal is carried out at said object and made available to said computation unit, and wherein at least one distance difference between the distance between said object and an anchor, particularly said anchor which has been emitting before said at least one further anchor, and a distance between said object and said at least one further anchor and/or at least a distance difference between the distance between said object and an anchor, in particular the anchor which has been emitting before said at least one further anchor and at least one length of a route from an anchor, especially the first anchor, or the anchor which has been emitting before via said at least one further anchor to said object is determined.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method steps of claim 2 relating to said further anchor and said further signal is performed for several further anchors, after at least the emissions and measurements referring to said first, said second and said further anchor and signals have been finalized, particularly before said information has been provided to said computation unit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relative position of said object to said anchors is determined.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at any one time only one signal is emitted from one anchor, particularly from all anchors.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said object is not synchronized with any of said anchors and/or said anchors are not synchronized among each other, particularly not with reference to a time, frequency and/or phase.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is repeated several times in order to improve the accuracy.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed several times, particularly with signals of different frequencies, in order to rule out ambiguities, particularly phase ambiguities.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement result of a phase measurement is transmitted to said object independently of said at least one second signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information on said phase measurement is transmitted to said object in the form of a phase shift of a second and/or further signal in the emission at said second and/or further anchor relative to said first signal, second signal and or/further signal during reception at said second and/or further anchor.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one anchor is, particularly all anchors are, stationary.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said anchors determine the distance lying between them and/or the orientation with respect to each other and/or their location with reference to each other and/or their absolute location and/or orientation.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relative location and/or orientation of at least two, particularly all anchors and/or the absolute location and/or orientation of at least one anchor, particularly all anchors, is made available to said computation unit.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein further information, particularly location plans or targets are provided to said computation unit.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said computation unit, especially object transmits the relative location of the object or distance of the object with respect to at least one anchor and/or its absolute location to an anchor and/or to a node provided for that purpose.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein after transmitting the distance and/or location, information relating to the environment and/or directions and/or objects to be found in particular directions, is transmitted to said object.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein on the basis of the determination of a location and/or orientation and particularly of at least one further location, position and/or direction determination, a navigation is performed, a navigation is supported, an RSSI measurement in a WLAN or other network, particularly radio network, is performed and/or supported, a position determination, particularly GPS-position determination is performed, supported and/or refined and/or a direction display is performed.